The Australian Women’s Cricket Team has retained the Ashes with an impressive victory over England in the first T20 match of the series.
Australia won the T20 match by 57 runs at the Sydney Cricket Ground, a feat they achieved without key players Ash Gardner and Alyssa Healy, who are injured.
Beth Mooney was integral to Australia’s win, scoring 75 from 51 balls as she opened the batting with Georgia Voll, who made her T20 debut. It was Mooney’s third-highest T20I score.
The partnership between Mooney and Tahlia McGrath moved Australia forward towards the win, with the pair scoring 45 runs between them from just 17 balls.
With a lot to live up to, England got off to a disastrous start in their chase, with Maia Bouchier being dismissed in the first over and Danni Wyatt-Hodge soon followed in the second over for a golden duck.
“We’re obviously very disappointed with the result today,” Dunkley said at a press conference after the match.
“We just couldn’t put them under pressure for long enough today and we’ve come away falling short.
“But there’s still eight points out there to get, so we’re going to do everything we can to try and come away with those eight points.
“There’s still a lot for us to play for going into the next few games.”
Australia have taken an incredible 8-0 lead in the Ashes series, cementing their dominance in international cricket. So far, England have not won a match in the series.
Mooney was named player of the match.
The second T20 match of the multi-format series will be played on Thursday at Manuka Oval in Canberra.