MELBOURNE: Australia crushed England by an innings and 122 runs in the one-off Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the Women’s Ashes to complete a 16-0 whitewash here on Sunday.
Australia were all-out for 440 in their first innings after England impressed to take the last five wickets for nine runs in the morning session of day three, but still faced a deficit of 270.
Sophie Ecclestone became the first English woman to have her name on the Melbourne Cricket Ground honours board after completing her five-wicket haul.
Maia Bouchier was dismissed early but Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont batted comfortably and added 73 runs for the second wicket after Phoebe Litchfield’s sharp catch removed Knight for 32.
England’s poor show with the bat continued as Nat Sciver-Brunt (18), Tammy Beaumont (47) and Sophia Dunkley (4) were dismissed, the latter through a fine Alana King ball who piled on misery with the ball on visitors.
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King and fellow spinner Ash Gardner took five and four wickets respectively.
The lower order of visitors comprising Ecclestone, Ryana Macdonald-Gay, Lauren Filer and Lauren Bell showed some resistance before King sealed her side’s victory.
The victory resulted in Australia’s whitewash of visitors who were outfoxed by 16-0 in the Women’s Ashes series.
Australia was dominant in every department of the game in the whole series. They won all three ODIs, three T20s and the sole Test against England that comprised the multi-format Ashes, which has been points-based since 2013.
Australia, who reclaimed the Ashes series on English soil in 2015, has maintained a solid hold on the trophy ever since. Notably, This was the first time either team had scored a whitewash.
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