England’s Ashes hopes all but disappeared in the space of two hours at Canterbury on Sunday, as they were bowled out for 75 in 32.5 overs chasing 269, leaving Australia 6-0 up on points after a clean sweep of the ODI leg of the series. It is still mathematically possible for England to win back the trophy but they now need to win every remaining match in order to do so, something that looks distinctly unlikely after this horror show.
With the exception of Tammy Beaumont’s hundred on Thursday, England have hardly shone with the bat this series; this, though, was by far the worst performance of the lot. It came courtesy of a phenomenal performance with the ball from Ellyse Perry, who finished with figures of seven for 22: the best ever by an Australian in women’s ODIs.
The die was cast early: Perry took just three balls to remove Amy Jones for the third time in as many matches this series, the opener chipping up a simple catch to midwicket. In her next over, she struck again not once but twice, angling the ball into Beaumont to trap her lbw, and then deceiving Sarah Taylor the next ball with a beautiful away-swinger, the England keeper edging behind the stumps. The hat-trick ball passed safely, but the scalps just kept coming, Perry adding Heather Knight and Danni Wyatt to her collection to bag a five-fer before anyone could draw breath. England sunk to 26 for six by the end of the 10-over powerplay, with three of their top five batsmen bagging ducks: there was no coming back.
For all that the focus will be on their batting, you could make a convincing argument that England had already lost this game by the time the first drinks break was taken during the Australian innings, several hours earlier. Heather Knight had chosen at the toss to put them in: a baffling decision, taken despite the absence of her best strike bowler Katherine Brunt with an ankle injury sustained during Thursday’s match. After Australia raced to 92 for one in the first 16 overs, with both Alyssa Healy and Meg Lanning punishing England’s first change bowlers Nat Sciver and Sophie Ecclestone for 10 an over, it looked not just baffling but outright foolish.
Nicole Bolton had once again fallen cheaply, adjudged leg before playing across the line to Anya Shrubsole, but Healy barely blinked before smashing Kate Cross for 14 off an over, making liberal use of her shot of choice, the on-drive. It took her just 44 balls to acquire her half-century; Lanning’s own run-a-ball innings was only a tad more circumspect, as she finally overcame her series run drought at just the wrong time for England.
While both eventually departed short of three figures – Healy sending a catch down the throat of deep square leg on 68, while Lanning went one better before sending up a leading edge to Fran Wilson at point – they had already laid the necessary platform with their 109-run partnership.
The Australian lower order then ensured that their side easily passed the 250-run mark, with Ash Gardner (29), Jess Jonassen (24*) and Delissa Kimmince (18*) all adding valuable runs. It put the ball firmly in England’s court: the home side have never successfully chased down more than 243 in an ODI. This game might have been a day of record breaking, but that particular record remains firmly intact.