Knight fires England back into the Ashes
Captain hits unbeaten 88 in record total of 284 Victory cuts Australia’s overall lead to 4-2
As England’s men landed in Perth with a top six sporting more holes than any in modern Ashes memory, their world champion women issued a timely reminder that their own batting packs a punch. Recording their highest one-day score against Australia, then defending it, Heather Knight’s side got off the mark in the women’s edition of the rivalry.
It was a belated return to form for England’s top order, none of whom scored a half-century in the opening two games. Knight was excellent, gathering an unbeaten 88 in 80 balls batting with seven partners along the way as the tourists posted 284 for eight in their 50 overs.
They made hard work of it with the ball, the hosts racing to 159 for one in reply as England dropped both openers. But eventually the run-chase faltered, Australia losing six wickets for 57 in a collapse to 257 for nine in their 48 overs that
She soon settled into a groove, hitting the ball sweetly with both the conventional and creative strokes at her disposal. At the other end, Tammy Beaumont was struggling for rhythm but slowly played herself in as Taylor’s foil.
The partnership matured into the biggest of the match, worth 122 when Taylor was brought down on 69 from 66 balls, gifting catching practice to point from a nondescript Megan Schutt delivery.
Beaumont’s strike-rate improved but she fell to the same bowler on 74 when over-balancing, Australia wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy pulling off an athletic stumping. It proved the catalyst for a mini-collapse of their own, England losing three wickets for nine runs.
Knight watched on before resetting. Her approach was simple: sweep Australia’s trio of spinners at every available opportunity. Indeed, 40 sweeps were attempted for 47 runs across England’s innings – 17 per cent of their score.
In reply, Healy looked the Australia batsman most likely to lead what would have been the second highest successful ODI chase in the women’s game. Her 71 from 72 balls included 12 boundaries and put the pressure back on Knight, especially after Fran Wilson put her down in the second over.
However, tight bowling from Sciver and Hartley prompted Healy to hole out in the 23rd over. She was the first of many – Nicole Bolton, Perry, Elyse Villani, captain Rachael Haynes and Ashleigh Gardner – to suffer a similar fate as they threw away the opportunity to sweep the ODIS.
Afterwards, Knight praised her side for sticking to the task and, with the Sydney Test next a week on Thursday, hoped it would prove to be the turning point in the series.
“We tried to wrestle the momentum back from the Aussies a little bit today and the team showed real character to do that,” she said.
“There was a lot of pressure on us today. It was a massive match in the context of the series, to get the two points on the board and take a bit of momentum into the Test match. That’s key for us. We’re a resilient bunch.
“We will take a lot of confidence and belief from this,” Knight added.