Australia's commanding performance in the third T20 of the Women’s Ashes at Adelaide Oval further solidified their dominance over England. With a resounding 72-run victory, Australia extended their lead to 12-0 in the multi-format series. The match showcased the stark contrast between the two teams, with Australia's Beth Mooney delivering an outstanding innings while England's batting crumbled under pressure.

ANOTHER DOMINANT DISPLAY FROM AUSTRALIA PUSHES ENGLAND TO THE BRINK

The Unstoppable Force: Beth Mooney's Masterclass

Australia's success was largely attributed to the brilliance of Beth Mooney, who once again proved her mettle with an unbeaten 94 runs off just 63 balls. Her innings was a perfect blend of aggression and precision, featuring 10 fours and 11 twos. Mooney's ability to run between wickets consistently set the tone for Australia's innings. She exemplified discipline, maintaining a dot ball percentage of 25%, significantly lower than England's collective 41%. Her audacious shot selection, including a daring scoop over the keeper, left England's bowlers bewildered. Despite losing partners at regular intervals, Mooney remained composed, guiding Australia to a competitive total of 162-5.In the latter stages of the innings, England showed improvement in their bowling, particularly during the death overs. They conceded only one boundary from the final three overs, a marked improvement from their previous outing where they leaked 48 runs in the same phase. However, Mooney's relentless focus and skill ensured that Australia maintained momentum throughout the innings. Youngster Georgia Voll contributed with a valuable 23 runs, adding stability to the innings alongside Mooney.

England's Batting Collapse Exposes Deep-Seated Issues

England's batting woes were on full display as they were bowled out for a mere 90 runs, falling well short of the target of 163. A top-order collapse saw England lose five wickets for just 39 runs within seven overs. Heather Knight's 40 runs provided some resistance, but it was not enough to salvage the innings. Nat Sciver-Brunt, who fell to a brilliant delivery from Annabel Sutherland, was the only batter to succumb to a quality dismissal. The rest of the lineup faltered, with Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, and Amy Jones all dismissed through loose shots.The lack of depth in England's batting was evident, with no other player reaching double figures apart from Knight and Wyatt-Hodge's 17. England's inability to capitalize on good deliveries and their poor shot selection highlighted the growing gap between them and Australia. Even though there were glimpses of potential in the previous match in Canberra, this performance was a stark reminder of the challenges England faces. The team's struggles were compounded by Australia's superior fielding, which included spectacular catches and dives that further demoralized the English side.

Coaches Reflect on a Tough Day

England's coach Jon Lewis expressed disappointment following the match, acknowledging that his team did not perform to their best. "That was a tough watch," he remarked, emphasizing the need for significant improvements before the upcoming Test match in Melbourne. Captain Heather Knight echoed similar sentiments, stating that the team must learn from this experience and aim to regroup for the Test. "We’ve got to draw a line under the T20 series and try and win the one-off Test," she said, highlighting the importance of bouncing back.On the other hand, Australia's captain Tahlia McGrath praised her team's efforts, particularly singling out Mooney's exceptional performance. "It looked like Beth Mooney was batting on a different wicket to everyone else," she noted, expressing excitement about the upcoming day-night Test at the MCG. The Australian camp is confident and looking forward to sealing a clean sweep in the multi-format Ashes series.