England Women end Ashes on high with five-wicket Twenty20 win over Australia

31 August 2015 12:31

Nat Sciver shone with bat and ball as England Women ended a disappointing Ashes summer with victory over Australia in the final Twenty20 at Cardiff.

Sciver claimed four for 15 as Australia posted 111 for nine - Anya Shrubsole having set the tone with four early wickets of her own - then posted the top score of the match with 47.

That guided England to a five-wicket win and the final points tally to 10-6 in the Southern Stars' favour.

The day began with Shrubsole dominating the Australian powerplay.

Her second delivery snuck through the defences of captain Meg Lanning and clattered the stumps, while her fifth was mis-hit tamely to point by Elyse Villani.

Shrubsole also struck twice in her third over, Jess Cameron picking out Dani Wyatt at deep mid-wicket and Jess Jonassen seeing a leading edge well held by a lunging Charlotte Edwards.

By the time Shrubsole left the attack the tourists were struggling at 37 for four.

Alex Blackwell (24) and the in-form Ellyse Perry (16) steadied things somewhat but both fell to Sciver, varying things well to build pressure.

Grace Harris provided some big blows from number eight, hitting sixes in three successive overs, but when an ill-conceived flick carried straight to short fine-leg England the innings lost its legs.

Sarah Coyte gave Sciver two in two balls and Becky Grundy managed the same feat with the final two deliveries.

Australia, having defended 108 in the decisive match at Hove, made a strong start, Perry castling Wyatt in the first over and Rene Farrell adding the key scalps of Edwards and Sarah Taylor with just 22 on the board.

Sciver's arrival slowed their charge as she did the bulk of the scoring in a 55-run stand with Katherine Brunt (17).

Sciver struck two boundaries and one clean six down the ground off Jonassen but was run out three short of a maiden half-century in the format.

That left Lydia Greenway to sweep the match-winning four, earning England a 2-1 victory in the T20 series to mitigate their Ashes loss.

Source: PA