1st ODI, Sydney, January 12, 2025, 05:00 AM
England Women
204/10(43.1ov)
Australia Women
206/6(38.5ov)
Australia Women beat England Women by 4 wickets
Best Batsmen
R
B
4S
6S
SR
Best Bowler
O
R
W
Econ
Man of the Match
Ash Gardner
Commentry
The first encounter of the 2025 Women's Ashes goes to the hosts who have begun the multi-format series dominantly. Australia Women are ahead now but England Women have a chance to level things up in the second ODI on the 14th of this month. Join us at 11.05 pm GMT (the previous day) for the action. You can join us early for the build up. Till then, cheers!
Alyssa Healy, the captain of Australia Women says that she is very happy to take the two points but reckons that they could have been more clinical with the bat. Adds that it felt nice to contribute with the bat after a bit of a tough time and is looking forward to the next game.
Heather Knight, the skipper of England Women says that the bowlers did a fine job and in the end they were just short of runs with the bat and the wicket-taking mindset shown by the bowlers, especially Lauren Bell was fantastic to see and just need to sharpen up on a few things. Adds that they did a few things really well and need to convert starts with the bat into big scores and the wicket was always a bit difficult to get going.
Ash Gardner is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH. She says that it is an honor and a privilege to put on this shirt and it was special to achieve those milestones in front of a sold-out crowd in her hometown and they got the win as well. Adds that the wicket was a bit tricky and helped the bowlers and it was about keeping the stumps in play for her.
...Presentation...
Earlier, Australia Women chose to bowl first and were right on the money with the new ball. They put the visitors under pressure but allowed them to score freely in the middle phase. Heather Knight, Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Amy Jones got off to a start but failed to convert it into a big score. Jones and Wyatt-Hodge added 47 for the 5th wicket from that first drop and who knows, had either of those catches been taken, England Women might have been rolled over for 150. Megan Schutt was as always brilliant with the new ball. Alana King and Ash Gardner spun the web around England but for us, Darcie Brown was the pick of the lot with a spell of (7-0-21-1).
It looked like it would be one way traffic but Sophie Ecclestone struck and got England Women back into the game. Australia Women lost a couple more after that but Ash Gardner made sure to take his team over the line. England Women were short of runs but credit to their bowlers for fighting right till the end and who knows what could have happened if Eccelstone had managed to keep hold of Gardner's catch with still 20-plus runs needed for the win..
Australia Women were tested with the new ball by the two Laurens, both Bell and Filer bowled brilliantly in their opening spell and got two big wickets of Phoebe Litchfield and Ellyse Perry. The latter was dropped once but she failed to make the most of the chance. However, then came the partnership between Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney worth 61 runs that shifted the momentum of the chase. The duo dealt with boundaries with the former scoring a brilliant fifty.
A fairly comfortable start to the series for Australia Women looking at the scoreboard which doesn't tell the complete story and they get off the mark in the 2025 Women's Ashes series. England Women ended with an under-par score but it was never going to be a straightforward chase for Australia Women on a tricky wicket.
In over# 39
4
0
0
0
0
Natalie Sciver-Brunt 24/0(2.5)
38.5
4
FOUR! There it is, Alana King hits the winning runs and gets Australia Women in the lead in this multi-format Ashes series. Natalie Sciver-Brunt pitches the ball up on the off stump line, King backs away and swats it back over the bowler's head for a boundary. Australia Women win by 4 wickets and get their first 2 points on the board.
38.4
.
Back of a length and on a tight line around off, pushed down towards cover.
38.3
.
On the fuller side again and angled in at the pads, King tucks it away to mid-wicket. No room provided here by Natalie Sciver-Brunt.
38.2
.
This one is pitched up around off, King pushes it out towards cover.
38.1
.
Beaten! Just short of a good length and around off, King goes after it but misses.
In over# 38
1
0
0
4
1lb
4
Lauren Filer 58/2(8)
37.6
1
Fuller in length again, outside off, Alana King drives it away through the gap at covers and picks up a single.
37.5
.
Nice and full around off, driven away to extra cover. They think about the single but decide against it as the fielder scores a direct hit at the keeper's end.
37.4
.
Back of a length and outside off, King looks to take it on but is beaten for pace and extra bounce.
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