Australia A led by skipper Heather Graham is hosting England A led by skipper Grace Scrivens for an all-format series that includes a three-match T20 series, a three-match One-Day series and a one-off red-ball game from 26th March to 12th April 2025.
The visitors got off to a dream start after skipper Grace Scrivens won the toss and opted to bowl first, as Mahika Gaur struck on the first ball, removing Tahlia Wilson for a golden duck on the first ball of the innings. Anika Learoyd joined Courtney Webb at the crease and the duo stitched a much-needed 26-run partnership for the 2nd wicket. Mahika Gaur returned and removed Courtney Webb in the 5th over of the innings.
The home side lost a couple of wickets in quick succession, including the wicket of their skipper Heather Graham in the 10th pushing them further on the back foot. Rhys McKenna joined Madeline Penna at the crease and the duo bailed their side out of trouble with a crucial 49-run partnership for the 5th wicket, taking them closer to the 100-run mark.
Georgia Davis struck twice in the 18th over of the innings to remove both the set batters Rhys McKenna (25 off 27 balls), and Madeline Penna (27 off 34 balls) in quick succession. The home side eventually managed to post a total of 117/6 in their quota of 20 overs as Tess Flintoff (15* off 9 balls) chipped in with a handy cameo.
Mahika Gaur (4-0-10-2), and Georgia Davis (3-0-16-2) were exceptional with the ball, while Ryana MacDonald-Gay (4-0-24-0), and Maddy Villiers (4-0-26-1) were impressive with the ball for England A.
Defending a small total of 118, the Australian bowling unit led by Heather Graham refused to give up as they made the visitors toil hard for every run. The England openers Seren Smale and Grace Scrivens got their side off to a steady start with a 17-run opening stand. Tess Flintoff provided the first breakthrough by sending Seren Smale back to the pavilion in the 6th over of the innings.
A massive 63-run partnership for the 2nd wicket between Paige Scholfield and skipper Grace Scrivens settled the nerves in the visitors’ camp. Lauren Cheatle accounted for the big scalp of the opposition skipper Grace Scrivens (35 off 38 balls) in the 12th over of the run chase to provide the much-needed 2nd breakthrough for her side.
The breakthrough opened the doors for the home side and the bowlers capitalised with regular wickets. The total, however, wasn’t enough for the Heather Graham-led side as England got over the line with 3 wickets in hand and five balls to spare.
Paige Scholfield (36 off 29 balls) and Bess Heath (18* off 16 balls) played a crucial role with the bat, to guide their side over the line, in what eventually turned out to be a tense finish to the run chase. Tess Flintoff (4-0-16-2), Lauren Cheatle (4-1-18-2), and Heather Graham (4-0-26-2) picked up a couple of wickets each, while Amy Edgar (4-1-17-0) was very impressive with the ball for her side.
Grace Scrivens-led England A takes a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20 series against Australia A. The 2nd game of the series will be played on 28th March 2025 (Friday) from 7:30 AM IST.
