England’s miserable Ashes campaign continues with heavy defeat in final T20
Australia lead the multi-format series 12-0 with just the Test match to play.
England were dealt a crushing T20 series whitewash defeat after Australia recorded an emphatic 72-run win at the Adelaide Oval.
England have already lost the Women’s Ashes and their latest drubbing in the third and concluding T20 takes Australia to a 12-0 lead in the multi-format series leaving them on target for a remarkable 16-0 clean sweep with one Test to follow at the MCG next week.
Beth Mooney starred for the hosts to hit 94 off 63 balls as England were set a total of 163 to win. But the visitors crumbled with only captain Heather Knight (40) offering any sort of fight as they were dismissed for 90 after 17.3 overs.
Australia got off to an ominous start as they ended the power play on 44 without loss.
Mooney and Georgia Voll then brought up their side’s half-century in the seventh over.
England finally landed a breakthrough in the next over when Voll fell for 23 after she failed to make a good enough connection off the returning Alice Capsey with Danni Wyatt-Hodge taking a good catch.
Mooney responded with a four in the ninth over – ending the hosts’ 33-ball wait for a boundary – before England took their next wicket in the 12th.
But England struck again with Ellyse Perry (12) caught at cover by Freya Kemp off Charlie Dean’s bowling. Grace Harris was then dismissed for 11 after hitting Kemp’s delivery to Capsey with Annabel Sutherland only able to make three runs before she was caught by Nat Sciver-Brunt in the penultimate over.
England needed a strong early response, but they lost their first wicket with just the seventh ball of their innings when Sophia Dunkley (five) sliced Darcie Brown to Litchfield at extra cover.
The visitors were two down in the third over after Capsey (six) edged Alana King’s delivery behind to Mooney.
England were crumbling and Georgia Wareham, who finished with three for 11, took her second wicket in three balls when Amy Jones was sent packing for a two-ball duck.
Kemp (five) was the next to fall as the visitors continued to capitulate and Dean’s limp shot, caught by Alana King, left them on 48 for seven in the ninth over.
Knight and Ecclestone offered some resistance before Voll took the latter’s wicket with a fine catch in the 14th over.
Linsey Smith was then run out for one before Knight was stumped to end the latest chapter of their torrid tour.
