Ecclestone, Capsey share seven; Australia lose 8 for 49

Australia 180 (Perry 60, Ecclestone 4-35, Capsey 3-22) against England

England found inspiration from an unlikely source with Alice Capsey producing a career-best performance with the ball to spark a major Australia collapse with the help of Sophie Ecclestone, as the home side were bowled out for just 180 at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.

Capsey, with just five ODI wickets to her name prior to this match and previous best figures of 2 for 59, took 3 for 22 including the prized scalps of Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland and Ash Gardner while Ecclestone took 4 for 35 as Australia lost 8 for 49 to be bowled out in 44.3 overs. It was the first time Australia had been bowled out at the Junction Oval in nine completed ODIs there. The rarity of Australia’s stunning collapse was highlighted by the fact that their No.11 Darcie Brown scored her first ODI run, having previously batted just once in 22 matches dating back to her ODI debut in 2021.

Heather Knight’s decision to bowl first on a green pitch looked to have backfired as the grey skies at the toss had been replaced by crystal blue as Australia were cruising at 131 for 2 with Perry looking imperious having passed 50 for the 38th time in her ODI career, barely offering a false shot in the process.

Ecclestone, the No.1 bowler in the world, had made an indifferent start with the ball after oddly being held out of the attack until the 18th over, having not been brought on until the 15th over in the first ODI in Sydney.

She struck second ball, trapping Phoebe Litchfield lbw for 29 as the left-hander yorked herself trying to reverse-sweep.

Ecclestone then overattacked to Perry and Mooney for three overs, bowling at times with just two fielders outside the circle. Perry struck a boundary through cover and lofted a six down the ground with mid-off and mid-on up. Mooney also pinged a drive through cover with no protection deep on the offside.

Ecclestone finally sent some sweepers back and it immediately paid dividends. Mooney was trapped lbw, hit on the back leg by one that turned sharply. England needed a review to get the initial not out decision overturned.

Capsey then scythed through the middle-order with her part-time offspin after replacing Charlie Dean at the pavilion end. She dropped a relatively straightforward caught and bowled chance offered by Sutherland. But it did not cost much as Sutherland failed to keep another drive down, picking out Knight at cover.

Perry then got bogged down. She had raced to 51 from 52 balls, striking five fours and two sixes. She never went longer than 14 balls without finding the rope and struck a six and two fours in the space of five balls to bring up the milestone.

But having motored to 51, she scored just nine runs from her next 22 balls with Ecclestone and Capsey putting the squeeze on having taken two wickets at the other end.

In the 29th over, Capsey delivered four consecutive dots to Perry, never leaving the stumps and nearly trapping her lbw with the fourth ball. She sneaked through with the fifth as Perry jammed her bat against her pad but missed the ball. She was initially given not out but England were successful with another review.

Capsey added to her haul when Gardner left a huge gap between bat and pad trying an ambitious drive on the up and lost her off stump.

Knight seized the moment and brought Lauren Filer back on to the out-of-form Tahlia McGrath. Filer had looked like Bambi on ice in her opening two spells, slipping and tumbling to the deck in her delivery stride nearly half a dozen times as she conceded 34 in five overs.

But she beat McGrath for pace, hitting the top of an exposed leg stump as McGrath stayed leg side.

Ecclestone returned to clean up the tail alongside Lauren Bell who also finished with 2 for 25, having earlier claimed the first wicket of Alyssa Healy for 29 off 19 after Australia had raced to 43 for 0 in the ninth over.