Before we launch any sort of Ashes attack on England, it’s worth acknowledging just how good Australia are.
After sweeping their opponents in the Women’s Ashes ODIs, the Southern Stars secured victory in the opening T20 – and with it an Ashes retention – without captain Alyssa Healy and all-rounder Ash Gardner due to leg and calf injuries respectively.
Those high-profile absences did not unduly affect Australia, with Healy’s replacement at the top of the order, debutant Georgia Voll and Gardner in the middle, Grace Harris, each with the bat in a 57-run win for the dominant hosts in Sydney.
Australia’s battery faction is deeper than the pockets of a rock silicon and has more spin-savvy people than a political party. Simply put, they are better than England.
Australia’s Alana King and Beth Mooney celebrate keeping the women’s Ashes
While the gap appeared to be closing as England fought back from 6-0 down for a creditable 8-8 draw at home in 2023, the gap between the two teams is now slim.
The tourists are 8-0 down after four matches and although another 8-8 stalemate is still within reach – should they win the last two T20s and the only Test match – a scarring defeat, like the 12-4 upsets in 2019 and 2022, it is possible and maybe possible.
Sloppyness costs England as Australia retain Ashes
What will frustrate England is how strong Australia continue to be – this is a team that hasn’t lost an Ashes since 2014 and has won six of nine T20 World Cups and seven of 12 ODI editions – the dangerous position in which they are in is partly their fault. Down to her own sloppiness. Their own bad decisions.
England’s Sophie Dunkley escapes after being sacked in Sydney
Take Monday’s T20 opener as the latest example. Two wides from Freya Kemp in the first over helped Australia to 11. Lauren Bell was then stumped in a second over in which Sophia Dunkley let a ball through her legs and allowed the hosts to steal a single.
Bell went on to drop Voll at short fine leg in the third, wicketkeeper Amy Jones beat Beth Mooney – who made 75 – for 16 in the seventh. Nat Sciver-Brunt and Charlie Dean left each other in eighth with Mooney on 23rd.
All this, combined with Australia’s charge – Phoebe Litchfield’s switch-hitting six off Sarah Glenn was a thing of dazzling beauty – meant the hosts were 90-1 at the halfway mark.
It was a dominant position that Australia could not squander, despite Dunkley’s boundary-filled 59 off 30 balls in England’s run that threatened to maraud at one stage. In the end, the margin of victory was beautiful. A thug, actually.
England needed a win (or some rain) to keep the Ashes alive, but none materialized as Heather Knight’s side fell again in the crucial game in what is becoming a worrying trend.
England play a strong Australia but have their own sloppiness to blame for going down 8-0
England again found weakness in big games
Already in this multi-format series, they have squandered a chance to win the second ODI by playing too many dots, ill-advised shot choices and a mistimed non-single from Jones that exposed No 11 Bell to the deadly accurate Megan. Schutt.
This followed a flurry of soft dismissals and fielding faults in the opening ODI, which England lost by four wickets.
Australia’s Ash Gardner took a brilliant catch to remove Sophie Ecclestone in the third ODI in Hobart
Australia showed rare signs of weakness in both games, but the tourists could not get a jump start and were then caught off guard in the third as Ash Gardner followed up a century with a superb boundary catch in a stunning display from the home side.
Australia know how to win when it matters and England don’t.
We saw that in the last two T20 World Cups with Knight’s side folding in the 2023 semi-final against South Africa and then languishing against the West Indies in 2024 while Knight was off the field nursing a calf strain as they were bowled out in the group stage.
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Highlights from England’s heartbreaking loss to West Indies as they crashed out of last year’s T20 World Cup in the group stage
Pressure on Knight and Lewis?
Now another chance to win the Ashes has slipped away and will surely lead to question marks over the future of Knight and coach Jon Lewis.
England have not won a major tournament trophy since the 2017 World Cup 50 and Lewis Jonball’s approach – a focus on aggression learned from partnering with Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes in Bazball’s first innings – has brought entertaining cricket but no silverware , which is what it was set to deliver.
Is England manager Jon Lewis under pressure after the Ashes?
Knight has been captain since 2016, so she may feel it is time to hand over the reins and focus on batting, but with no obvious successor – her collapsing charges against the West Indies showed a lack of leadership from elsewhere – and the carrot of a T20 World Cup on the field in 2026, he could be tempted to continue.
He has the backing of his players – Dunkley, if rather predictably, says the squad is “100 per cent” behind Knight – but something may have to change for England to escape this big game, whether for captain or coach. or playing staff.
Australia can be very strong but England have to be stronger.
Women’s Ashes – results and fixtures
All dates and times UK and Ireland
2025-01-20 17:15:00
