Wyatt’s maiden century helps England tie Ashes
England Women (181-6) bt Australia Women (178-2) by 4 wkts
When Danni Wyatt made her bow for England, Gordon Brown was still Prime Minister. This time last week, she had turned out 123 times for her country since that 2010 debut without passing 50, let alone three figures. But the pocket rocket’s first international century, a scintillating hand that led her side to a historic T20 win, was worth the wait.
She did not know it was the highest successful run chase in the history of women’s T20 internationals. She didn’t know what score she was on half the time, asking her captain over to over as she unpicked the Australian attack with a series of searing drives and pinpoint slaps.
So often coming in down the list, with the goal of scoring as many as she could from a few deliveries, it took a top-order collapse last Friday to give the 26-year-old a sniff. Left out of the ODI and Test sides, she made her first hit count: a maiden half-century in an England shirt.
The fluency of that innings demanded a promotion to the top of the list, which she embraced on Sunday for an all-too-brief flourish before giving it away. In the series finale, there would be none of that. With three early wickets falling around her in pursuit of 179 for victory, Wyatt kept doing her thing.
England’s bowlers had been torn to shreds by Australia’s own breakthrough opener Beth Mooney, who struck the second highest T20 score by a woman – 117 from 70 balls. It was the type of innings that can easily break the belief of a team, but Wyatt isn’t that sort of character. She smiles by default, kind to a fault. It shone through her joyous stroke play, a 57-ball masterclass. The 139-run partnership from 75 balls with Heather Knight was made possible due to the hosts: Knight was dropped thrice, Wyatt once. By the time they had lifted 20 from Megan Schutt and 15 from Jess Jonassen in consecutive overs, the job was as good as done. Knight raised the bat for 50 before Wyatt did for 100 just after her captain had departed. She lost her middle stump without adding another run, but Fran Wilson secured England a 2-1 win in the T20 component of the multi-format contest.
It also means England leave the country having levelled the Women’s Ashes on points. Sure, they don’t get a trophy for that. But they go home with heads held high.
“It was a really special night,” Knight said after winning the player of the series award. “Finishing 8-8, it’s something to be proud of.”