Australia retain women's Ashes with 57-run win in T20I against England

Sydney [Australia], January 20 (ANI): Strong performances from Beth Mooney and Georgia Wareham helped Australia deliver a massive blow to England as they retained the women's Ashes with a 57-run win in the first T20I of the multi-format series on Tuesday.

The home side won all three of the One Day Internationals at the start of the Ashes, and they continued that impressive form into the T20s, racking up a huge total when batting first in Sydney, according to ICC.

Beth Mooney top scored with 75 from 51 balls at the top of the order, with her knock laced with 11 fours. While attacking cameos from Georgia Voll (21 from 11 balls, with four boundaries), Tahlia McGrath (26 from 9 balls, with four boundaries and a six) and Grace Harris (14 from 8) boosted Australia to a daunting score of 198/7.

Sophie Ecclestone (2/26) and Lauren Bell (2/39) were the top bowlers for England.

England briefly threatened to pull off something special in their reply, despite losing both openers to ducks. Sophia Dunkley's counter-attacking 59 from 30 balls (with six fours and a six) at number three put England in a decent position at the halfway stage of the innings, but wickets kept on falling, and the chase fizzled out as they were bowled out for 141 with four overs still remaining.

Georgia Wareham picked up 3/25, but it was Alana King who played the biggest role, going for 2/14 from her three overs and picking up the key scalps of Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight.

Australia won the three ODIs by four wickets, 21 runs and 86 runs respectively, and will be eyeing a clean sweep with three matches (two T20Is and a Test) still to play.

The second T20I is coming up in Canberra on Thursday, before the final T20 in Adelaide next Saturday and then the one-off Test in Melbourne, which starts on January 30. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)