Women’s Ashes-Local girl Tahlia McGrath steals the show with an all-around performance. The much awaited multi-format women’s Ashes series got underway in Adelaide. In the first T20I after winning the toss the host invited the visitors to bat first. England women couldn’t have wished for a better start. Both the openers Tammy Beaumont and Danni Wyatt looked quite comfortable at the crease. They put together 82-runs partnership, the highest opening partnership for England against Australia in T20I. Initially taking her time to get her eye in Beaumont unleased herself in the fourth over, hitting 3 boundaries punishing the short balls from Vlaeminck.
Danni Wyatt looked in sublime touch, she took on Jess Jonassen in the fifth over smashing two huge sixes down the ground. Her timing was impeccable, made batting look effortless in her innings of 70. The debutant Alana King gave the host the much needed breakthrough. The leg spinner dismissed Beaumont with a simple caught and bowled, when Beaumont got a leading edge while trying to work the ball on the leg side. After the departure of Beaumont, Natalie Sciver joined hands with Wyatt adding another 59 runs to the total. DRS coming to the aid of Sciver, not once but twice, once when Australia reviewed, she was given not out lbw when she tried to sweep King and the ball was shown hitting outside off. The other time Sciver, then on 5 originally given out took a successful lbw review of Schutt bowling when UltraEdge revealed there was an impact with the bat.
In stunning display of fast bowling at the slog overs with some terrific yorkers and brilliant striking with the bat, the player of the match Tahlia McGrath showcased her class. Australia benched their star allrounder Ellyse Perry for this game. McGrath stepped up, grabbed her opportunities well. McGrath took three wickets in eight balls stopping the run flow in the death overs. England’s innings closed on 169 for 4.
Well deserved – Player of the Match Award for T-Mac ❤️#AUSvENG #ashes pic.twitter.com/zy35g2n88P
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) January 20, 2022
Captain Meg Lanning said “Tahlia McGrath was outstanding. She was able to break the partnership, we were actually looking at 20-30 more runs. So those wickets were important in the end .”
Australia lost their powerful opener Alyssa Healy early on in the innings, a brilliant catch by Nat Sciver at short midwicket. McGrath came in at number 3 and demolished the England bowling attack with scintillating striking . After surviving a close stumping call while batting on 46, getting her bat back in the crease just in time of Ecclestone. McGrath got to her half century in just 28 balls, in the end staying unbeaten on 91 of just 49 deliveries smashing 13 boundaries and one six in her innings. She surely enjoyed herself, she said” It was a lot of fun,my home ground and I was looking forward to this game,so to help us win I am super happy.”
DOMINANCE = AUSTRALIA 💛💚
Congratulations @AusWomenCricket on this record run-chase.
AUS lead the points table 2-0. #Ashes pic.twitter.com/prToe2AMNR
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) January 20, 2022
McGrath along with the experienced Meg Lanning who opened the innings for the hosts in the absence of Beth Mooney who suffered a fractured jaw in training, the pair recorded an unbroken 144-run partnership for Australia.
England crumbled under pressure which showed in their below par fielding performance. Australia won the game with three overs to spare, losing only one wicket in the process making a mockery of the par total. The England captain Heather Knight said, ”we were a bit rusty ,batting was good ,but we were still a few runs short, we’ll take home the positives though ,can do better in all three departments , and will hope to do so when we are back for the next game on Saturday.”
Surely there’s a lot to look forward to in this series, as Australia take home two points and take the lead in this 3 match T20I series.
Match summary:-
Australia women won the toss and elected to bowl first.
England women :- 169-4 (20)
Danni Wyatt 70(54)
Natalie Sciver 32(23)
Tahlia McGrath 3/26
Alana King 1/28
Australia women :- 170/1 (17)
Tahlia McGrath 91*(49)
Meg Lanning 64(44)
Sophie Ecclestone 1/29
Katherine Brunt 0/24