Lydia Greenway hits gritty 45 as England lose Ashes ODI series
Monday 27th July 2015
Kent's Lydia Greenway top-scored as England lost the third Royal London ODI in Worcester.
England will have to come from behind if they are to retain the Women's Ashes after Meg Lanning and Ellyse Perry combined to secure a comfortable Australia victory in the last of the three-match series.
Lanning showed her class for the second game running, following a century in Australia's series-levelling win in Bristol on Thursday by defying a slow New Road pitch to make 85 from 89 balls – and making England pay for fluffing a run out chance when she was still in single figures.
Perry provided crucial support with 67 from 58 balls, continuing her consistent series with the bat, as Australia posted a total of 241 for seven – then dealt a huge double blow to England's run chase by dismissing Charlotte Edwards and Sarah Taylor in her first two overs.
The home team never really recovered, succumbing tamely to 152 all out and an 89-run defeat that leaves them 4-2 down in the multi-format Ashes – although there are 10 points still to be play for, starting with the Kia Test at Canterbury next month.
The win also lifts Australia five points clear at the top of the ICC Women's World Championship, and seven ahead of England who remain in fourth – with only the top four teams securing automatic qualification to the 2017 World Cup.
Kent and England captain Charlotte Edwards had chosen to bowl first on a fresh and cloudy morning after Sunday's rain had forced the match into the reserve day with county colleague Laura Marsh recalled to the side.
They made a decent start, restricting Australia's openers to 24 in the first 10 overs before Georgia Elwiss had Elyse Villani chipping to deep mid wicket with her first ball of the series.
The pressure led to a mix-up between Lanning and Nicole Bolton which left Australia's captain stranded, but Elwiss was unable to gather Natalie Sciver's return from mid wicket. Instead of reducing Australia to 49 for two, England had to wait until the 27th over before their next breakthrough, when Laura Marsh took a good catch at mid-off to dismiss Bolton for 40 from 89 balls.
Alyssa Healy joined Lanning to step up the pace in a third-wicket stand of 31, but it was when Perry joined her captain that the real damage was done.
They put on 85 in 13 overs, with Lanning enjoying a second life when Lydia Greenway could not hold a sharp chance at point off Katherine Brunt.
She ended with decent figures of 10-2-37-0, and her new ball partner Anya Shrubsole was even more economical, conceding only 25 from her 10 overs. But they had both completed their allocation by the 39th over and Australia found runs much easier to come by against the rest of England's attack.
Lanning was denied a second consecutive century when she hoisted Jenny Gunn to Sciver at long on, but Perry powered on to take her tally for the series to 193 at an average of 64.
She then underlined her all-round value by having Edwards caught behind flirting at the fourth ball of the England innings, before Taylor played all around a straight one.
When Lauren Winfield was caught napping and run out, England were left tottering on 30 for three. Heather Knight and Lydia Greenway did their best to repair the damage with innings of 38 and 45 respectively.
Brunt justified her promotion up the order with 31 from 36 balls including the first six of the series by either side.
But after a fifth-wicket stand of 51 between Greenway and Brunt, the last six wickets tumbled for 29, three of them to the leg-spin of Kristen Beams.
Australia take on Englandat The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrencein the only Women's Ashes Test Match as part of an extended Canterbury Week this summer.
Entry to the Women’s Ashes Kia Test on August 11-14 is included in Kent All Rounder and Championship Plus Memberships and is an option for Six Pack package holders.