AUSTRALIA has recorded the first clean sweep of the Women’s Ashes series after winning the test match by an innings and 122 runs.

After Beth Mooney etched her name into the history books in the morning, more stellar bowling from Alana King and Ash Gardner helped the Aussies quickly rip through the English batting line-up.

After a few nervy moments early in the first over, Mooney finally got the two extra runs she needed to get her century on the final ball of the first over. By getting her century she also became the first Australian woman to hit a century in all three formats of the game.

Unfortunately for the Australians the excitement from that achievement dissipated quickly when Tahlia McGrath was dismissed after skying one to Lauren Bell at mid-off off the bowling of Sophie Ecclestone.

Kim Garth did not last long in the middle, and the question started to arise about the end of the Australian innings.

King had a typical tailender’s innings, which brought to the crease none other than Ellyse Perry, who had so far in the Australian innings been resting after picking up an injury in the field on day one.

Unfortunately Mooney and Perry did not get long in the middle together as Mooney was bowled by Lauren Filer, ultimately finishing her innings on 106.

Unfortunately for the Australians, after Mooney’s departure the innings did not last too much longer and after Perry flicked one up to Ecclestone and she pulled off a caught and bowled, Australia was all out for 440 with a lead of 270.

In what had been a frustrating innings for the English, Ecclestone had been the go-to bowler for a reason, and continue to add to the list of records broken in the match after she recorded the first five wicket haul in a women’s test in 90 years.

Although England did not lose its first wicket of its second innings quite as quickly as it had in the first, it was still within the first four overs after Maia Bouchier was clean bowled by Darcie Brown.

Australia decided to trust pace right throughout the first session, rotating between Garth, Brown and Annabel Sutherland. However, apart from a couple of near misses late in the piece, England ultimately did not lose any more wickets before the tea break and found themselves at 1/30 at the tea break.

After the restart, things were slow going but composed for the English, with Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight showing their experience and not playing a very risky game. The pair were really starting to get into a comfortable groove, which saw the Australians to turn to their spin Queens in Gardner and King to slow the run rate down.

Gardner and King certainly slowed the scoring down but after a number of almost chances, the pair could not quite break through for the elusive second wicket. Eventually Gardner made the breakthrough just before the second drinks break, generating a catch in close from Phoebe Litchfield to send Knight on her way.

Unfortunately for Australia that only increased the difficulty of the batters they had, with Natalie Sciver-Brunt the new batter at the crease. However she did not last long at the crease, only making 18 off 17 balls before King trapped her LBW and she was on her way again.

Her replacement at the crease Sophia Dunkley did not last long, only making four runs before King clean bowled her. Danni Wyatt-Hodge and then Beaumont fell within about half an over of each other, and things were really turning against England.

The wicket taking was not done, with Amy Jones caught behind off the very last ball before dinner.

England eventually limped to 7/117 at the dinner break after having lost 4/17 at the back end of the session, and with the English already into their tail the end of their innings was nigh.  

Gardner and King continued their menacing ways after the dinner break, with plenty of near chances generated by both players in the opening overs of the session. It was King who ultimately broke through first, after Ryana Macdonald-Gay skied one to the deep off her bowling and straight down Brown’s throat.

Gardner got rid of Filer cheaply, and then the question was when would the match be over and which spinner would be the one to take a five wicket haul. The final two English batters held on for dear life, but the sense of their inevitable demise hung over the MCG.

The honour of the five-wicket haul eventually went to King, who made Filer tip one straight into the hands of Sutherland who was fielding in close.

FINAL SCORECARD – END OF DAY THREE

England 1st innings – 10/170

Sciver-Brunt 51
Knight 25
King 4/45
Garth 2/13
Brown 2/47

Australia 1st innings – 10/440

Sutherland 163
Mooney 106
Litchfield 45
Ecclestone 5/143
Filer 2/86
Bell 2/94

England 2nd innings – 10/148

Beaumont 47
Knight 32
King 5/53
Gardner 4/39
Brown 1/14