England win opening ODI to level women’s Ashes 6-6

Australia has lost just one of the past 32 ODIs before England turned the women’s Ashes on its head in Bristol.

Australian captain Alyssa Healy declared the “Ashes is on the line now proper” after what looked a firm grip on the trophy became a tenuous hold as England won the first ODI, a third straight victory, to level the multi-format series.

The two-wicket win in Bristol, as the home team chased down Australia’s total of 8-263 in the 48th over, ended the visitors’ 15-game winning streak in the 50-over format and gave all the momentum to England who pulled off its highest-ever ODI run-chase.

Having been staring down the barrel of a wipe-out when Australia won the opening Test match and the first T20 to speed to an 8-0 lead, England have turned the tables completely and Healy said her team had to find something to avoid losing the Ashes.

“The Ashes is on the line now proper, isn’t it?,” she said after the defeat.

“If that doesn’t galvanise the group, I don’t know what will. We haven’t been in this position a lot. It’s up to us to turn it around.

Beth Mooney was Australia’s best batter. Picture: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

“And you know, we either see it as an opportunity to learn and grow, or we see it as an opportunity to throw excuses out there.

“So it‘s up to us to turn it around for the next two games, (because) that Ashes trophy is well and truly on the line.”

Healy said the Australians, the World Cup winners who hadn’t lost an ODI since September 2021, which came after a world record 26-match winning streak, were “outplayed” when the game reached its crescendo.

“We probably got outplayed a little bit at the end, but we fought well to keep ourselves in it,” she said.

“We were probably 20 short with the bat and bowled 20-odd extras. That’s 40 runs in the game.

“The way we took it as deep as what we did, shows it‘s still there. We’ve just got to be better, got to be sharper in different certain areas to get ourselves over the line.

“And that’s what we’re going to have to find over the next few days.“

Healy returned to the top of the batting order when the Aussies went in first, but made just eight, with an unbeaten 81 from Beth Mooney and 41 from Ellyse Perry holding the innings together.

The #Ashes series is all square after England clinch the first ODI.

Recap: https://t.co/lqKTUBaU5npic.twitter.com/x6srqtJ8bc

— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) July 12, 2023

But there were only minimal returns from the other batters and Australia then used eight bowlers to try and defend the total, with spinner Ash Gardner’s 3-42 from 10 overs the best effort.

Then,without destroying the Aussie bowling attack in their run chase, English captain Heather Knight, who was not out 71, helped steer her team to a win that kept the series alive with two ODIs remaining.

“We‘ve kept growing as a team and we’re still got a long way to go,” she said.

“We’ve kept calm in the big moments. We’re got a lot of momentum. The support from the crowd was unreal again. It has really made the difference for us.”

The second of three ODIs which will decide the series will be played at Southampton on Sunday night.

Originally published as England win opening ODI to level women’s Ashes 6-6