The press release from the International Cricket Council, which announced that Nat Sciver-Brunt was sitting back at the top of the list of the world’s one-day international all-rounders (for the first time since September 2022), could not have come at a better time: it landed at 3pm on Tuesday, midway through England’s innings at Taunton.
Twenty minutes later, she reached her fourth century against Australia in her last five ODI innings and her second in three days. Against them, no other woman has accrued more tonnes of points. The main distinction from the previous three was that this one, at long last, was for a good cause; England knocked Australia out for 199 to achieve a crushing 69-run victory using the DLS technique.
Australia retains the Ashes because they are the current holders of the trophy, resulting in an 8-8 final series score. Heather Knight hailed the outcome as “a hugely exciting time for this team” and claimed that their 2-1 victories in the Twenty20 and ODI legs of the series demonstrated there was no longer a “gap” between the two teams.
Against Australia, Knight said, “We’ve been hurt a lot.” The side character that made things better today was wonderful.
As a “reset moment” for her side, Alyssa Healy claimed the series would be. Rachel Haynes and Meg Lanning, two of our most seasoned players, passed away in the previous 12 months, she said. We’ve made a few changes because we’re unsure of if or when one of those [Lanning] would return.
For us, it’s an excellent chance to consider who we are as a group, how we appear now, and our goals for the next five years.
Nat Sciver-Brunt celebrates making her century. (Credits: Getty Images)
Excellent play from Sciver-Brunt propels England to victory.
Sciver-Brunt had been leading England’s 285 for nine total when Tahlia McGrath attempted a failed caught-and-bowled effort when she was on 54. Until she was finally caught in the deep while attempting to slog another six in the 48th over, she had gone undefeated. When she walked out, there was a standing ovation.
She and Knight first had a key partnership of 147, which was England’s highest for any wicket in ODIs against Australia, but Danni Wyatt’s ferocious 43 from 25 balls helped England finish above average. After a 55-minute rain delay, Kate Cross made the decisive intervention with the ball in two separate intervals.
In the first over, Cross bowled a wobble ball that left the field and removed Healy’s middle stump. Then, when Australia’s goal was changed to a DLS-calculated 269 from 44 overs, she bowled consecutive overs to dismiss Ellyse Perry and Beth Mooney. Shortly after the match resumed, Perry hit a six over long-on to reach fifty, but five balls later, he sent up a leading edge to point. The next five Australian wickets fell for a total of 79 runs, with Sciver-Brunt chipping in with the ball to stump Georgia Wareham.
Before Sciver-Brunt and Knight’s partnership calmed English anxieties, England had earlier lost Sophia Dunkley and Tammy Beaumont in the first four overs after being sent in. Within seven balls of one another, the pair reached their half-centuries in the 24th and 25th overs. In between, Knight hit Wareham for a lovely six over far on to establish the century stand, appearing more at ease at the crease than she has in months.
After hitting and missing at a straight one, Knight eventually was bowled by Alana King for 67 as Alice Capsey quickly came and went. To go to 99, Sciver-Brunt leg-glanced McGrath for a boundary, then clipped a single into the leg side to reach three figures and raise her bat to the audience.
The Australian spinners were then challenged by Wyatt as England gained 87 runs in the final 10 overs, proving to be too much for the repentant Australian team.
