END OF OVER:
20 | 16 Runs 1 Wkt | AUS-W: 183/8 (4 runs required, RR: 9.15)

  • Ellyse Perry51 (27b)
  • Megan Schutt0 (1b)
  • Sophie Ecclestone4-0-35-2
  • Lauren Bell4-0-45-1

9.24pm: So England's win keeps the Ashes alive, and we head to Lord's this weekend with a T20I series decider to consider as well. A great night south of the river, with a big crowd in and a tense, topsy-turvy game. Thanks for tuning in tonight. This is Matt signing off on behalf of Sudarshanan and Chandan.

Time for the presentations. Danni Wyatt is Player of the Match. She says: "Delighted with the win and to contribute. Proper team effort in front of a massive crowd. Hopefully we get another one at Lord's. We did really well to get 186. It's T20. You've just got to keep being brave. Once it was through the infield, it was four. The crowds have been so good. They've really got behind us."

Alyssa Healy: "I'm not sure we were great in all three facets so to get three runs shy was a good effort. We bowled a heap of extras and let ourselves down in the chase. We're allowed to lose games of cricket. We didn't execute as we would have liked. The wicket was outstanding, a beautiful batting wicket. Our pacers did an amazing job. To have 20-odd thousand people watching is super special."

Heather Knight: "What a game. Packed house at The Oval. I took a look around at the end and soaked it up. We got over that boogie of getting the win. Still got more in the tank and areas where we can get better. Danni managed to get balls from outside leg through point. Her maturity and experience came to fruition. She doesn't get the credit she deserves for being a really smart cricketer. Good striking by Sophie at the end. Deano can bowl at all stages of the innings. We definitely think that is our strength. Really nice to see Nat back and able to contribute a little bit [with the ball]. To win at only 80% is a very good effort. One game at a time. The equation is very simple. Hopefully another good crowd at Lord's for the next game. We've really felt the support and people on our side."

9.11pm: England's first Ashes win of the summer - men's or women's - and it comes in front of 20,000 at The Oval. England get on the board in this multi-format series and keep it alive. Australia now lead 6-2 but any win against this Australian juggernaut is a significant achievement in its own right. This is their first defeat in normal time - i.e. excluding Super Overs - in T20Is since March 2021. England will be grateful to Danni Wyatt in particular for her 76, but Australia will rue an unusually sloppy performance with the ball and in the field - especially after England's collapse in the middle overs.

Hypocaust: "This is the first time Australia women have fallen short in a T20I run chase since losing to India at the SCG in the opening match of the T20 World Cup on 21 Feb 2020."

Raj Deshpande: "Perry shouldn't have taken the single off the first ball. She should've sacrificed that single in order to keep the strike."

jimmy: "Perry taking that single on the first ball of over 20 robbed Aussie of their final chance to steal the match. Great knock by her, but that was a bad mistake."

19.6
6
Ecclestone to Perry, SIX, tossed up, wide outside off. Perry skips down and swings it back over the bowler's head for six, bringing up a 27-ball half-century but it counts for nothing. England win!
19.5
6
Ecclestone to Perry, SIX, full, drifting into the pads... swung for six over midwicket! Now then... Ecclestone just need to keep her foot behind the line here
19.4
2
Ecclestone to Perry, 2 runs, skips down, swings down to long-on on the bounce... NSB throws at the bowler's end and the throw is wayward, but England are there, barring wides and no-balls!
19.3
1lb
Ecclestone to Schutt, 1 leg bye, skips down, struck on the pad and it skews away to midwicket for a leg bye

Schutt is Australia's No. 10. Three sixes will do it.

19.2
W
Ecclestone to Jonassen, OUT, holes out to Capsey at long-on! Ecclestone gives this one some flight, asking Jonassen to manufacture something. She swipes across the line, looking to go over the leg side, but picks out the fielder on the rope

JL Jonassen c Capsey b Ecclestone 6 (5m 3b 1x4 0x6) SR: 200.00

19.1
1
Ecclestone to Perry, 1 run, skips down, swings down the ground but straight to long-on on the bounce

Who else? Sophie Ecclestone will close the game out, with 20 to win off the last 6 balls.

END OF OVER:
19 | 11 Runs 1 Wkt | AUS-W: 167/7 (20 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 8.78, RRR: 20.00)

  • Jess Jonassen6 (2b)
  • Ellyse Perry36 (23b)
  • Lauren Bell4-0-45-1
  • Charlie Dean4-0-41-1
18.6
2
Bell to Jonassen, 2 runs, another back-of-the-hand slower ball, swung into the leg side. Three players are running underneath of it... and it lands between them! Jonassen scampers back for the second and Perry has the strike for the last over
18.5
4
Bell to Jonassen, FOUR, angling in from around the wicket, swung away over the leg side for four! Picks the gap between square leg and midwicket
18.5
1w
Bell to Jonassen, 1 wide, sprayed wide outside off stump, swings and misses

The batters keep coming for Australia. Jess Jonassen at No. 9. But Australia need 27 off 8... Bell goes around the wicket to the leftie.

18.4
W
Bell to Wareham, OUT, timbeeerrrrrrrr! Off stump is pegged back and England are nearly there! Back of the hand slower ball, on a length. Wareham looks to swing it over midwicket, down on one knee, and is through the shot far too early

G Wareham b Bell 19 (13m 11b 1x4 2x6) SR: 172.72

18.3
1
Bell to Perry, 1 run, banged in halfway down, tucked around the corner to Ecclestone at short fine leg. Misfielded, but they can't get back for two
18.2
2
Bell to Perry, 2 runs, angling into the pads, Perry skips down and chips two into the leg side with the pitching wedge
18.1
1lb
Bell to Wareham, 1 leg bye, shimmies outside leg stump, Bell follows her with a slower ball. It skews away off the pad, towards short third for a leg bye

Lauren Bell. That's a massive call from Knight! Ecclestone will bowl the 20th.

Ifti: "First six in 41 T20Is for wareham and what a time to hit it twice "

END OF OVER:
18 | 19 Runs | AUS-W: 156/6 (31 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 8.66, RRR: 15.50)

  • Ellyse Perry33 (21b)
  • Georgia Wareham19 (9b)
  • Charlie Dean4-0-41-1
  • Sophie Ecclestone3-0-20-1

Wareham has made me eat my words. 19 off the over, and Australia are going to take this deep.

17.6
2
Dean to Perry, 2 runs, backs away, Dean follows her. Perry gets down to slog-sweep and Dunkley flings herself low to her left at deep backward square leg to cut it off. Brilliant work in the deep to keep Australia to two

How does Perry play this? Does she take the strike or look for the boundary option?

17.5
1
Dean to Wareham, 1 run, yorker length, dug out to extra cover where Knight fields. Wareham charges through for a single
17.4
6
Dean to Wareham, SIX, half a dozen more! I take it all back! Wareham is on one here. Dean tosses it up and is absolutely monstered over the leg side, over deep midwicket for six more with a simple step-hit
17.3
6
Dean to Wareham, SIX, now then! In the slot, Wareham clears the front leg and swipes it over midwicket! Wareham is going down swinging...
17.2
4
Dean to Wareham, FOUR, tossed up outside off stump, mid-off is up so Wareham leans back and lofts it over the infield. Clean strike!
17.1
0
Dean to Wareham, no run, yorker outside off stump, squeezed out to short third where Bell gets her body behind it

Dean to finish her spell. Wareham has the strike and her main task is to ensure Perry faces as many of the 18 balls remaining as possible.

END OF OVER:
17 | 10 Runs | AUS-W: 137/6 (50 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 8.05, RRR: 16.66)

  • Georgia Wareham2 (4b)
  • Ellyse Perry31 (20b)
  • Sophie Ecclestone3-0-20-1
  • Sarah Glenn4-0-27-2
16.6
1
Ecclestone to Wareham, 1 run, fired in full on leg stump, lofted uppishly into the gap at cover on the bounce
16.5
0
Ecclestone to Wareham, no run, width outside off, slapped straight to cover on the edge of the ring
16.4
1
Ecclestone to Perry, 1 run, length ball, drags it out to wide long-on off the back foot
16.3
4
Ecclestone to Perry, FOUR, two in a four! Australia are still brawling. Width outside off, Perry rocks back and crunches a cut away through square point
16.2
4
Ecclestone to Perry, FOUR, full and wide outside off stump, Perry picks up four. Not sure quite how she's managed to squeeze this out! Gave herself room, and slashed cross-batted to sneak it away through short third

AUS Women 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st59AJ HealyBL Mooney
2nd6BL MooneyTM McGrath
3rd6BL MooneyA Gardner
4th4EA PerryA Gardner
5th21EA PerryGM Harris
6th29EA PerryA Sutherland
7th35EA PerryG Wareham
8th8EA PerryJL Jonassen
9th15EA PerryM Schutt