AUSTRALIA has pulled off a remarkable 21-run win to win the second ODI of the women’s Ashes series.

For much of the match it looked like the Australin total of 180 was not going to be enough, but thanks to some stellar bowling from the likes of Alana King, the Aussies were able to pull off the win right at the death.

The hosts batted first, and after initially looking like it might be slow going, one bad ball was all Alyssa Healy needed to find her groove.

One thing the English bowlers really seemed to struggle with early was their angles, seeming to lose traction in their step as they hit level with the stumps. Healy was not complaining though, smashing four boundaries in a row before she hit something other than a boundary.

After the initial franticness things evened out a bit as Healy and opening partner Phoebe Litchfield evened out the pace a little. They did continue to find the boundary pretty regularly though, so the scoreboard continued to tick over very well.

Just as the openers were looking pretty set, Healy clipped one back to keeper Amy Jones off the bowling of Lauren Filer and she had to head back to the sheds and Australia’s opening run partnership came to an end at 43.

Despite the hick up Litchfield and new partner Ellyse Perry continued the momentum, continuing to tick the scoreboard over at just over five runs an over and looking pretty comfortable out in the middle. They found themselves at 1/73 at the first drinks break.

Just as Litchfield and Perry were looking really set, Litchfield tried to reverse sweep a shot and instead got trapped in front LBW by Sophie Ecclestone.

As the game got to the 20 over mark, Perry and Beth Mooney decided to pick up the pace a bit, deciding to run more chip and runs than any batter had been earlier in the innings. Perry in particular was a woman on a mission, ultimately reaching 50 runs in the 23rd over.

However, her partnership with Mooney did not last much longer as she too was trapped in front by Ecclestone and although it was initially given not out, it was later changed after a review.

England’s good luck with the decision review system continued as Alice Capsey eventually finally brought Perry’s innings to an end on 60. Capsey was not done there as she bamboozled Ash Gardner and sent her packing.

Despite the flurry of wickets, the run rate took a while to drop, only dropping a total of only part of a run per over for much of the innings.

However, as the wickets started to tumble England really started to swing momentum its way as the Australian batters continuously struggled to get starts.  

Spin continued to be Australia’s Achilles’ Heel, as Ecclestone continued to cause carnage. There was a worry Australia would not play out its overs, and that proved to come true in the 45th over as the home side were bowled out for just 180, which is a stark contrast to the score of at least 250 they were on target for early in the innings.

Ecclestone finished with four wickets to her name, while Capsey finished with three, Lauren Bell two and Filer finished with the one.

The English openers looked like they were getting themselves set quickly at the beginning of the English chase, but the opening partnership did not last long after Tammy Beaumont was trapped in front by Kim Garth in the second over of the innings.

Up the other end, Megan Schutt was bowling really tight lines and the Australians were certainly not showing any nerves the might have had about having to defend such a low total.

But as things settled, England kept their composure and did not do anything brash, initially settling at about four runs an over before speeding up as the power play came to a close.

Just as Maia Bouchier and Knight were settling, Garth thought she had trapped Bouchier in front but the review was unsuccessful. However, Bouchier only lasted one more ball as she skied one to point and straight into the hands of Gardner, and Garth had her second wicket after all.

Over the next few overs there were a number of chances that were millimetres away from being wickets, but alas wicket number three proved elusive for the Australians as the English continue to potter along at a pace that was too fast for the Australian’s liking.

Despite having seen how well spin worked for the English, it took the Aussies until the 12th over to bring any of their spinners. However, Knight and Natalie Sciver-Brunt were well set by this stage, and as such spin was not the dangerous weapon for the Australians that it had been for the English.

At the first drinks break, England were 2/66 and looking pretty comfortable.

However, less than an over after the drinks Australia finally picked up a third wicket after Gardner pulled off a caught and bowled of Knight to end a 41 run partnership.

King bamboozled Danni Wyatt-Hodge the very next over, and the Aussies had a bit of a sniff.

However with such a low overall total to get with a just as low required run rate, it was always going to be an uphill battle for the home side.

King did eventually pick up a second wicket after Sciver-Brunt skied it to Mooney, but it still felt like a matter of when not if England would reach the total. They needed to get 97 runs within about 27 and a half overs when Sciver-Brunt fell.

As the innings continued, Capsey and Jones continued to find the gaps really well, and kept the scoreboard ticking over pretty consistently.

The Aussies certainly had their chances to take more wickets but ultimately could not capitalise as England continued to power towards the total.

Garth did eventually picked up another wicket when she trapped Capsey in front, but with plenty of time still left in the innings momentum was still in the visitors’ corner.  

King then struck twice in as many balls, and things started to get a bit interesting.

But, Jones was still at the crease and her wicket was the crucial one to the outcome of the game.

Just as Jones was starting to pick the pace back up again, there was a mix up that saw a run out, and although she was not the dismissed batter, it still left England’s hopes on thin ice.

As the last 10 overs progressed, the dot balls started to rack up and the pressure definitely swapped teams.

Ultimately that ice finally melted on the first ball of the penultimate over, when Schutt claimed that final wicket.