Australia Women beat England by four-wickets as Beth Mooney puts on a masterclass at Edgbaston

On a night they desperately needed to deliver to keep their hopes of winning the women’s Ashes truly alive, England gave it their all. But against this all-conquering Australia side, sometimes even that is not enough and so it proved in a final over thriller at Edgbaston.

Beth Mooney led from the front with 61* to guide Australia to a four-wicket win in the first of three Twenty20 matches. The result leaves her side 6-0 up in the series and just one win away from retaining the urn.

‘When you’re involved in any game like that it’s a bit harder to take, being so close,’ said England’s Amy Jones. ‘But there’s definitely positives. It was exciting and there were lots of people there to see which was a great feeling.’

It was always going to be an uphill battle for England after losing the Test match opener of the series. 

They battled hard here but the reigning Twenty20 World Champions weathered the storm of a 20,000-strong Edgbaston crowd and kept their composure to prove why they are the best white ball team around.

Beth Mooney hit 61 not out to guide Australia to a four-wicket win against England at Edgbaston

Heather Knight (left) and her side are now 6-0 down in the Women’s Ashes series having lost the first of their three T20 matches 

It means that Australia are now one win away from retaining the urn, with England struggling during their first innings 

Regular wickets stunted England’s innings and had it not been for opener Sophia Dunkley’s 56 and Jones’ impressive late hand of 40* then things could have been a lot more straightforward for the tourists. 

England threatened to make the chase interesting with a flurry of late wickets but ultimately Mooney’s class told and she was there at the end as the tourists crossed the finish line with one ball to spare.

‘We were really happy [with our score],’ said Jones. ‘But Mooney batted really well and to have a batter bat the whole way through, you give yourself the best chance of winning. She was probably the difference.’

It was a power play full of drama after England were sent into bat. In the second over Danni Wyatt was beaten all ends up by Darcie Brown’s away swinger but the ball only shaved the top of off stump and failed to dislodge the bails.

Her reprieve didn’t last long though. In the next over, Australian seamer Megan Schutt (2-33) knocked Wyatt’s (7) off stump out the ground. No doubt about that one.

Alice Capsey was next to go, run out by Brown off her own bowling for three when replays showed she failed to ground her bat.

With wickets falling around her, Dunkley had to reign in her attacking style but still made her runs at better than a run of ball. She is unlikely to be the cover star of the MCC coaching manual but Dunkley proved once again how effective her unorthodox shot-making can be.

England’s innings threatened to descend into disarray when Dunkley was caught on the boundary before a further two wickets fell for only three runs.

Sophia Dunkley topped the scores hitting a very well taken 56 runs off 49 balls to help keep England’s score ticking over 

But Mooney was the star of the show anchoring the Australian run chase with England unable to remove her 

Sophie Ecclestone (pictured) took two wickets during the match dismissing Tahlia McGrath for 40

But up stepped Jones who led a late charge that included taking 13 runs off the final over. Jess Jonassen was the pick of the bowlers, picking up three wickets with her spin.

England’s total always looked light on a good pitch at Edgbaston and so it proved. Lauren Bell got them off to the perfect start after dismissing Alyssa Healy for five.

Debutant Danielle Gibson was equally as impressive with the ball but Tahlia McGrath’s effortless 40 from 29 balls helped to steady the ship.

She fell to a brilliant piece of bowling by spinner Sophie Ecclestone (2-24) but once Australia got the required rate to a little over a run-a-ball, the final result never really seemed in doubt. A late flurry of wickets made things interesting but came too little, too late for the hosts.