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That's that from this contest. A cracker at Edgbaston and the two teams now move to Lord's for the 2nd T20I on Wednesday (July 5). Do join us for our coverage of that contest right here on Sportskeeda and speaking of Lord's, a cracking final day awaits in the second men's Ashes Test tomorrow. Do join us for that as well on this very platform. For the moment, this is the duo of Karthik Raj and Sooryanarayanan Sesha taking your leave. Thank you so much for tuning in as we hope you enjoyed our coverage. See you around soon - good night and have a happy Sunday!
So Australia go 1-0 up in the 3-match series and in the context of the multi-format Women's Ashes, now have a 6-0 lead on points. This means England need to win all the remaining games - the next two T20Is as well as the ODI series - in order to regain the Ashes. Oh is that going to be a task and a half or what!
Alyssa Healy (Australia captain): (About the game getting close in the end) It did. We found a way in the end. England bowled pretty well in the back-end with changes of pace. (Regarding the par total at the venue) Thought it was par. Winning total here is sort of 160s. We have some things to work on which is amazing. (About Beth Mooney batting through the inning) That's what makes her so good in this format. She reads the game very well. (Switching between formats) We don't mind it. Test cricket is rarity and we play a lot of T20 cricket. Really proud of the girls in getting themselves mentally prepared. We can be clinical at the death, we were outstanding with the new ball. Can tidy up some areas with the ball and in the field. (About having multiple bowling options) It is all good until someone is grumpy that they didn't bowl four overs (Laughs). Truly was amazing. After having the experience at the Comm Games last year, hopefully we get some good crowds and play in front of nice atmospheres which women's cricket deserves!
Heather Knight (England captain): We came closer. Really proud of the way we fought. We showed a lot of fight in the first innings. Amy Jones played unbelievably well. I thought it was pretty close to par. Another awesome game and the crowd was awesome. Credit to Australia. As a captain it's about trying to manage your bowlers and match-up to the batters as well. For Sarah Glenn to get hit for six and then have that resilience to bring us back in the game was brilliant. (Does the team need a bit of extra pace?) Spin is one of our strengths. We've got world-class spinners in Sophie and Glenn. Charlie (Dean) is unfortunate to not be in the team. (On Amy Jones' knock) It was special - it brought us back in the game. It looked like a tricky surface to bat on. In the middle I found it quite tricky. For Amy to take us to a total like that was brilliant. We want to be aggressive but we also want to be smart. Our way in T20 cricket is always be aggressive if we can. Unfortunately we lost too many wickets in the middle. (On having to win all the remaining games to regain the Ashes) It was tough already - told the girls before this game that the focus is on this one. The same for the next match.
Beth Mooney (Player of the Match): Was on the edge of the seat the non-striker's end but had belief in the girls. It is a nice luxury to have when the game gets close like that. We got to the ten over mark when Ash and I were going well. (About how she accelerated through her innings) Your mindsets can change throughout the innings and that was the case for me. Maybe par, maybe we let them get too much but they batted exceptionally well in the last five overs. Something to look at in the next two games. (About planning against Sophie Ecclestone) You just react to who is bowling at that time. She bowled pretty quick through the middle and slower at the end. She is a quality bowler and it was important to get on top of her. (Changing into a different format) It feels a bit helter skelter to be honest. It was a good change to have a free swing. We got a bit of license once the white-balls came out. We are six points up but England are a quality side. They will come harder at the Oval and we have to be prepared for that!
Match Summary: Australia beat England by 4 wickets to go 1-0 up in the series.
Phew! That was certainly a nerve-wracking thriller alright. England had just 153 to work with which, despite a bit of help for the spinners, didn't look imposing enough against this mighty Australian unit. They wouldn't have got to the mark either if not for Amy Jones' stunning unbeaten 40 though and they gave it absolutely everything thereafter on the park.
Alyssa Healy was dismissed early even as Beth Mooney started smoothly for the Aussies. But it was Tahlia McGrath who showed just why she is the top-ranked T20I batter on the planet with some exquisite strokeplay that saw her pierce the infield and clear it at will while using her feet to great effect. Australia were in cruise control only for Sophie Ecclestone to break the game open with McGrath's wicket. Mooney then started to look scratchy but not as much as Ashleigh Gardner, who simply couldn't middle the ball on a regular basis.
That said, the singles came regularly and the asking rate almost never exceeded the 8-run mark at the start of a new over. Mooney and Gardner ran well even as England's fielders - Ecclestone in particular at that - threw themselves all around the park to save every run possible. Gardner struck a couple of big blows but perished after a string of tight deliveries from Sarah Glenn, who also nipped Grace Harris in the bud first ball.
One aspect that was very questionable, however, was Heather Knight's strategy while rotating her bowlers around. She took a huge gamble in holding Ecclestone back for the 20th over and it backfired with Annabel Sutherland and Mooney, who by this time had surpassed her half-century comfortably, bringing it down to five runs off the last over. Ecclestone gave it everything and tried to defy the Australians but she simply need a bigger cushion to play with. A boisterous Edgbaston crowd might not have seen England win but they sure have got their money's worth after a cracking contest on display today.
They get through! Only just but in the end, it's enough for Australia. What a classic we've witnessed at Edgbaston and despite a valiant fight, England have to settle for second best!
19.5 Sophie Ecclestone to Georgia Wareham, AUSTRALIA WIN! Straightening off a length, Wareham cuts it to cover-point where the fielder dives and stops the ball. However, she can't release the ball quickly as the Aussie batters get through for a single. England will be disappointed but they can be proud of this effort!
The crowd is watching with bated breath. They're at the edge of their seats. 1 needed off 2...
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Edgbaston, Birmingham
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