Alice Capsey inspires England to first T20 series win over Australia since 2017

Alice Capsey lit up Lord’s with her own special batting fireworks to help keep England’s Ashes dreams well and truly alive and kicking. 

The teenage sensation showed she has the cool head and outstanding skills for the big occasion with a crucial 46 to ensure the hosts sealed a five-wicket win in the final T20.

Chasing a revised target of 119 from 14 overs due to heavy rain between innings, England thrilled and delighted the majority of the 21,610 Lord’s crowd – a record for a women’s T20 at the home of cricket. It was the first back to back T20 victories over Australia for six years. It gave them back to back wins over the world champions.

Openers Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt gave them a fine start with 39 runs from the opening four overs.

Wyatt hit 26 before her sparkling innings came to an end, top edging a catch off Schutt into wicket-keeper Alyssa Healy’s gloves. Dunkley fell next ball, skying a pull to Jess Jonassen for nine. All of a sudden the flying start had hit some turbulence.

Alice Capsey lit up Lord’s with her own special batting fireworks to help keep England’s hopes alive  

The teenage sensation produced a crucial 46 to ensure the hosts sealed a five-wicket win

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But Capsey and Natalie Sciver-Brunt took a firm grip of the situation. Capsey had a life when Georgia Wareham put down a tough catch running in from the boundary. And she replied with a four down the ground off and then reverse flipped another boundary with real skill.

England needed 22 off the final three overs as the tension began to really build. Not that Capsey was suffering from nerves…sending a six off Schutt sailing into the crowd. It was followed by a four down the ground. But she perished next ball going for another big hit and caught on the boundary.

England only needed two more runs with seven balls remaining but the nerves began to jangle when Sciver-Brunt was also bowled by Wareham for 25 and Heather Knight fell lbw to Jonassen. But Gibson kept calm and swept the ball to the boundary to trigger wild celebrations of joy.

Earlier Sciver-Brunt was the pick of the England bowlers taking 2-31 to restrict the tourists who sailed along at around seven an over for the majority of their innings but were never allowed to really hit the top gear.

Alyssa Healy was the first wicket to fall with Charlie Dean trapping her lbw for 16 and the home supporters were in full voice.

Natalie Sciver-Brunt took a firm grip of the situation alongside Capsey after some turbulence 

Gibson stepped up to the plate by having Tahlia McGrath caught by Capsey for ten. Sciver-Brunt captured the prized scalp of the dangerous Beth Mooney for 32 after the opener had looked in ominous form.

Sciver-Brunt also had Ashleigh Gardner caught behind by Amy Jones for 32 at a time when Australia were turning up the heat and tempo.

Lauren Bell trapped Elysse Perry lbw for 34 with a well pitched up delivery. Perry’s review was all in vain and the Aussies’ went into the final over from Sophie Ecclestone on 145-5.

Ecclestone was left frustrated by her team-mates’ careless hands as first Bell dropped a very simple catch to give Grace Harris a life – losing the ball in the floodlights. Next delivery, Gibson failed to cling onto a catch on the boundary off Annabel Sutherland.

Harris hammered a four but a clearly annoyed Ecclestone fired down a quicker delivery which sped into Sutherland’s leg stump. She then completed the last ball run out of Harris for 25 following Capsey’s fine throw.

That target was revised to over eight an over as the rain fell, and England’s batters slipped and slid to defeat and their hopes of regaining the Ashes disappeared too.

Sophie Ecclestone (centre) was left frustrated by her team-mates’ careless hands

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