Summary

  • England win with 4.2 overs to spare

  • Sciver 66, Greenway 53

  • Aus 238-9: Perry 78, Blackwell 58

  • Brunt 3-48; four run-outs

  • England 2pts; Aus 0pts

Live Reporting

Mark Mitchener

  1. Eng 240-6

    Georgia Elwiss sees England home by punching a four through the covers - England win by four wickets with more than four overs to spare.

  2. Eng 236-6

    Elwiss swipes a four past the keeper. Three to win!

  3. Eng 232-6

    Why is Perry not bowling? It won't look good for Australia if England win this with overs to spare and the Aussie strike bowler does not bowl her full allocation (she's only bowled eight). A couple of easy singles from Osborne's off-spin mean England need seven from 28 balls.

  4. Eng 230-6 (target 239)

    The target is ticking down as Elwiss slashes another four - while a half-tracker from Beams is despatched for a powerful four by Brunt to reduce the deficit to single figures. Nine needed from 30 balls.

  5. Dan Norcross
    BBC Test Match Special

    The first game in an Ashes series, with 20 to win... you really can get the colly-wobbles.

  6. Eng 221-6

    Beams to continue - but Australia may be bowling for run-outs as there's complete confusion between Brunt and Elwiss and nearly a run-out. As if to show Australia are equally nervy, Beams then spins down a ropey wide.

  7. Kalika Mehta
    BBC Sport at Taunton

    The crowd are on their feet as Natalie Sciver departs for a career-best 66. Sciver looks distraught at failing to have seen England home but the crowd applaud loudly at what is most likely was the match-defining innings.

  8. Eng 219-6 (target 239)

    Katherine Brunt is the new batter - she boasts a strike rate of 78 in ODI cricket, but has a look at the first couple of deliveries from Osborne before cutting a quick single to get off the mark, the fielder's throw breaks the stumps (and keeper Healy is struck a painful blow by a flying bail) but Elwiss had made her ground. 20 needed from 36 balls. Nervous? Not a bit of it.

  9. Mel Jones
    Former Australia batter on BBC Test Match Special

    Was it the right shot? I think it was. She was in really good nick but she didn't execute well enough.

  10. wicket

    WICKET

    Sciver c Beams b Osborne 66 (Eng 217-6)

    Sciver chips a catch to mid-off, from the bowling of the recalled Osborne. England not home and dry yet.

  11. Eng 216-5 (target 239)

    Can lightning strike twice for Beams? Sciver reaches her highest ODI score when she passes 65, and four from the over (that will do nicely if you're England) means it's 23 needed from 42 balls.

  12. Eng 212-5 (Sciver 64*, Elwiss 8*)

    Left-arm spinner Jonassen returns, Sciver misses with a drive but Elwiss is alert enough to scamper through for a leg bye - and then opens her account with a powerful four through the covers before crashing another one to the extra cover rope. 27 needed from 48.

  13. Mel Jones
    Former Australia batter on BBC Test Match Special

    This is still a challenge for Nat Sciver now she's lost Lydia Greenway at the other end. She knows she wants to be there at the end.

  14. Eng 203-5 (target 239)

    Georgia Elwiss - better known as a seam bowler, but not required to bowl today and batting at seven on the strength of her domestic form - receives a wide from Beams but sees off the rest of the over. 36 needed from 54.

  15. Mel Jones
    Former Australia batter on BBC Test Match Special

    It was a fantastic knock because she looked so scratchy early on. She didn't panic but she just stuck with Nat Sciver. Once she felt comfortable she really opened up.

  16. wicket

    WICKET

    Greenway c Blackwell b Beams 53 (Eng 202-5)

    If in doubt, try a ropey full toss from a leg-spinner! Beams has her first wicket against England as Greenway looks to despatch a high, loopy delivery and is superbly caught by Alex Blackwell at mid-wicket. Still 37 needed from 56 balls.

  17. 50 runs

    50 for Lydia Greenway

    And that's a half-century for Lydia Greenway, helping herself to fours from the first two deliveries of Beams's next over. The Kent left-hander has taken 68 balls to reach the landmark.

  18. Eng 194-4 (Greenway 45*, Sciver 64*)

    Coyte to bowl her ninth over, with a leg slip in place to deter Greenway's patented tickle-round-the-corner shot which brings her so many runs. Sciver crouches to scoop Coyte over fine leg but it only brings a single. Three more singles mean England have got through the powerplay unscathed, and the facts are now this: 10 overs left, 45 runs needed.

  19. Eng 190-4 (target 239)

    Australia need a wicket - and fast. Captain Meg Lanning is giving her six bowlers one and two-over spells trying to ring the changes, and now it's the turn of leg-spinner Kristen Beams who has taken 0-26 from four overs. Beams, who was born in Tasmania but plays for Victoria, bounces in for her fifth over and it's a little better than before - only two singles from it, though one comes from a misfield by teenager Ferling. England need 49 from 66 balls.

  20. Mel Jones
    Former Australia batter on BBC Test Match Special

    Nat Sciver has been absolutely brilliant. She made runs against Australia in the last Ashes, so she likes the big stage. She has commanded this partnership with Lydia Greenway at the other end.

    Natalie SciverGetty Images