Women's Ashes 2015: England Twenty20 win keeps series alive

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Sarah Taylor during her 50Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Sarah Taylor hit 50 from 43 balls with four fours

Women's Ashes: First Twenty20 international, Chelmsford

Australia 122-8 (20 overs): Perry 30, Sciver 2-18

England 125-3 (17.3 overs): Taylor 50, Edwards 39, Osborne 2-22

England won by seven wickets

England kept their hopes of retaining the points-based Women's Ashes alive with a seven-wicket win over Australia in the first Twenty20 at Chelmsford.

Needing to win all three T20s to retain the urn, Sarah Taylor's 50 set up the comprehensive victory as the hosts chased down 123 with 15 balls left.

The 26-year-old shared a 77-run second-wicket stand with captain Charlotte Edwards, who made a valuable 39.

Australia, having been put into bat, were restricted to 122-8.

Women's Ashes 2015

Date

Game

Venue

Winner

Pts available

21 Jul

1st ODI

Taunton

Eng (4 wkts)

2 (Eng 2-0)

23 Jul

2nd ODI

Bristol

Aus (63 runs)

2 (2-2)

26 Jul

3rd ODI

Worcester

Aus (89 runs)

2 (Aus 4-2)

11-14 Aug

Test

Canterbury

Aus (161 runs)

4 (Aus 8-2)

26 Aug

1st T20

Chelmsford

Eng (7 wkts)

2 (Aus 8-4)

28 Aug

2nd T20

Hove

-

2

31 Aug

3rd T20

Cardiff

-

2

The victory maintained England's 100% record in Twenty20 internationals at Chelmsford, which now spans six matches.

A brilliant fielding display by the hosts saw three players run out, while Natalie Sciver took 2-18.

Taylor, who had failed to fire with the bat in the Ashes series so far, looked back to her bristling best, playing a series of impressive ramp shots in her 12th T20 half century.

Despite the loss, the visitors require just one victory from the remaining two T20s at Hove and Cardiff on Friday and Monday respectively.

Taylor, awarded player of the match, said: "I have not done myself justice so far this series. That belief is back and it was trying to find that again.

"If you have a look at the Test match, I probably didn't play my game, but going into the T20s I was reminded that my game has been working for a while so there was no need to change it - and I don't know why I did.

"When we are under the pump, it can bring out the best in us. How we went out there in the field, how loud and determined we were was great and we need to replicate it in Hove."

Australia skipper Meg Lanning said: "England outplayed us in all departments of the game.

"Their opening bowlers really set the tone in the first six and we just couldn't get going with the bat.

"Some of our decisions with running between the wickets wasn't great, but that is the case with T20 cricket. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn't."

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