Star all-rounder Tahlia McGrath steps up as Australia take first points

A magical turn with bat and ball from Tahlia McGrath has seen Australia take first points in the Women’s Ashes, with a nine-wicket win in the opening T20 match.

Tahlia McGrath of Australia bats during the first T20 at Adelaide Oval on Thursday. Picture: Getty Images

All hail Australia’s newest star all-rounder. A magical turn with bat and ball from Tahlia McGrath has seen Australia take first points in the Women’s Ashes, with a nine-wicket win in the opening T20 match after a record-breaking run-chase.

But the match didn’t all go the Aussies’ way: England captain Heather Knight came into the game saying she wanted her team to “punch first” this Ashes … and they did just that, setting Australia 170 runs for victory, a total requiring the green and gold to put in a record run-chase in international T20s.

Aussie captain Meg Lanning sent England in to bat, and as the sun set and shadows lengthened across Adelaide Oval, so too did the English resolve at the crease.

Openers Tammy Beaumont and Danni Wyatt dug in to post a record opening partnership against Australia in T20Is (82 off 60 balls).

England finished at 4-169, setting up a thrilling run-chase, which required an equally stunning show with the bat from Australia.

It was a batters’ wicket in Adelaide and Beaumont and Wyatt took full advantage, with an entertaining batting display, not only finding the rope with ease – but clearing it.

While the Beaumont-Wyatt combination piled on the runs (Wyatt even smacking spinner Jess Jonassen for consecutive sixes), Australia was left scrambling for a bowling combination to break the partnership and they bowled six different bowlers in six consecutive overs, to no avail as England happily piled on the runs.

It took debutant legspinner Alana King until the 11th over to take the first scalp (Beaumont for 30 from 24 balls).

But it was McGrath’s night and she made a convincing case that she’s currently the country’s best all-rounder.

Not only was she pick of the bowlers from either side, taking 3-26 from four overs, but was the best of the batters from either side, scoring her maiden T20 international half-century and going on to compile 91* from 49 balls with 13 fours and one sixes.

McGrath came out at No.3, with Australia precariously placed in the chase at 1-26, but put nerves aside to compiling a matchwinning 144-run partnership with Lanning, at one point launching the ball so far over the fence, that it took security guards some time to find it.

Not to be outdone, Lanning made 64* (44) and hit her 3000th T20I run.

Aussie selectors made a bold statement in game one, dropping superstar all-rounder Ellyse Perry and replacing her in the middle order with Queenslander Grace Harris.

Harris didn’t get a chance to prove herself with the bat, with Lanning and McGrath stealing the show in that department, however she took a nice boundary-side catch to dismiss Amy Jones.

But possibly the biggest takeout from the game was the spirit and fight with which England’s batters played out their opening innings and it bodes well for how the rest of the Ashes series could play out.