In a thrilling encounter between England and Australia at the County Ground in Bristol, the hosts emerged victorious, clinching a narrow two-wicket win in the first Women’s ODI on Wednesday.
Having won the toss, Australia elected to bat first and reached a competitive total of 263 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their allotted 50 overs. Beth Mooney played a pivotal role with a well-constructed innings of unbeaten 81 runs off 99 deliveries, supported by Ellyse Perry‘s 41 runs.
Phoebe Litchfield and Jess Jonassen also made valuable contributions, scoring 34 and 30 runs respectively. Among the England bowlers, Lauren Bell and Natalie Sciver impressed, each picking up two wickets to restrict the Australian batting lineup.
Chasing the target, England showcased their resilience and composure throughout their innings. Captain Heather Knight led from the front with a magnificent knock of 75 runs off 86 balls, accompanied by useful contributions from Tammy Beaumont (47 runs) and Alice Capsey (40 runs).
Despite a few wobbles in the middle order, England held their nerve, and a crucial partnership between Knight and Sciver (31 runs) played a crucial role in securing the win. Ashleigh Gardner starred with the ball for Australia, claiming three wickets, while Georgia Wareham picked up two wickets. In the end, England reached the target with 1.5 overs to spare, finishing at 267 runs for the loss of 8 wickets.
“Feels really good, It’s hard work out there, the crowd kept us in the game. We can be a lot better but the fight we have shown is remarkable. I was just trying to stay calm and it was quite hard to remain fluent with the bat and really pleased to be there and finishing off. There’s a lot we can do better, especially the first 10-15 overs with the ball, but it is important to keep winning and keep the momentum going,” said Knight after the match.
