Women's Ashes: Nat Sciver-Brunt's century in vain as Australia retain urn

Australia retained the Women's Ashes with a dramatic three-run victory over England, who so nearly pulled off a remarkable victory through Nat Sciver-Brunt's masterful unbeaten century.

Sciver-Brunt, who scored 111 off 99 balls, dragged England from 203-7 to a position where they needed 15 runs from the last over and five off the final ball.

However, Australia and Jess Jonassen, who bowled the final over, held their nerve to retain the urn with one match to spare by virtue of being the holders.

The points-based series, which is now 8-6 in favour of Australia, concludes at Taunton on Tuesday.

Australia owe plenty to number eight batter Georgia Wareham, who smashed 26 from the last over of the tourists' innings, bowled by Lauren Bell, to drag them from 240-7 with three overs remaining.

While it was a match-defining over, England were also left to rue another sloppy performance in the field, dropping all-rounder Ellyse Perry three times in her innings of 91.

In the second ODI at Bristol, England levelled the series with their highest-ever run chase and were set the task of breaking that record again to keep their hopes alive once more.

England started positively, with opener Tammy Beaumont continuing her fine form with 60 from 62 balls before Australia's spinners once again proved the difference.

All seven England wickets fell to spin as leg-spinner Alana King and off-spinner Ash Gardner took three each to unravel the middle order.

Sciver-Brunt stood firm with a chanceless knock, her third unbeaten century in her past four ODI innings against Australia, but she slumped to her knees in devastation as she could only manage a single from the final ball.

England can still draw the series with a win in the final ODI, but were visibly distraught by the defeat having dragged themselves back into contention after Australia initially raced into a 6-0 lead in the points-based series.

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Sciver-Brunt almost England's saviour - again

In the 2022 World Cup final Sciver-Brunt hit a sublime 148 not out in England's pursuit of a mammoth 356 against the same opponents.

There were echoes of the same innings at Southampton: Australia favourites, but England's talismanic all-rounder standing between them and glory.

At 144-5, few had hopes of an England comeback, as ruthless Australia reverted to their best - which has been absent throughout the series.

But Sciver-Brunt found company in Amy Jones, who scored 37 in a stand of 57, until the game tilted back towards the visitors when Jones and Sophie Ecclestone departed in the same Gardner over.

She then found perhaps more unlikely company in Sarah Glenn, who played her number nine role expertly as she nudged and nurdled her way to 22 from 35 balls to give England hope, needing 21 from the last two overs.

Sciver-Brunt found the boundary at key moments to keep England in the game, and her fitness allowed her to run singles and twos between the wickets against Australia's incredible fielders.

As England's star player, there is more pressure on Sciver-Brunt and there were signs she was feeling it, without a half-century in the white-ball series until now.

She saved her best for when it mattered most, with the Ashes on the line, but once again fell cruelly short and had to watch even more jubilant Australian celebrations.

Spin the difference as Australia serve reminder of class

Australia's spinners have been excellent throughout the series, even in defeat, but it has actually been a rare triumph for them.

England have attacked them, and unsettled their usual dominance, and it has shown in the performances with the bat, in the field and from the seamers.

A brave selection call was made, dropping pacer Darcie Brown for another spinner in King, and it proved pivotal.

King bowled with variation, deception of pace and changed the game with a beautiful turning delivery to bowl Beaumont and disrupt England's free-flowing scoring.

Gardner has had a phenomenal series, kick-started by her eight wickets in the Test, while Jonassen showed all her experience to expertly close out the game.

They also corrected their mistakes in the field, exemplified by Phoebe Litchfield's stunning full-length dive to turn a boundary into two runs, which may not have looked significant at the time but given the margin of victory, it was crucial.

England once again fought so bravely, but were ultimately edged out by moments of greatness.

'We showed all our grit and determination' - what they said

Australia captain Alyssa Healy: "It was a really, really good game of cricket. Both sides really hung in there and Nat Sciver-Brunt, yet again, played an incredible innings - I thought she was going to take it away from us at the end.

"But full credit to our girls, they showed all their grit and determination again and we got ourselves over the line.

"To know that the Ashes are coming home with us is hugely exciting."

England captain Heather Knight on BBC Test Match Special: "It's been a ridiculous series, and has to go down as the best ever in history.

"How Nat played to get so close was brilliant. To nearly chase down that total was really good.

"Our focus now is to win both white-ball series. We're gutted we weren't able to keep the momentum."

Ex-Australia batter Alex Blackwell on TMS: "I haven't seen a tighter series between these two, it's been outstanding. England should be very, very proud. They were 6-0 down after the first T20 and they found a way to level it."

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