Australia retain Women's Ashes as England collapse to fourth straight defeat despite Sophia Dunkley efforts

Heather Knight's broadside arrived astatine the Sydney Cricket Ground having mislaid each 3 one-day internationals and knowing lone triumph would support their slim Ashes hopes alive.

They were good beaten again, though, arsenic the hosts bowled England retired aft 16 overs to instrumentality an unassailable 8-0 pb successful the series.

Beth Mooney smashed a 51-ball 75 astatine the apical of the bid arsenic Australia posted 198 for seven, earlier England past mislaid opener Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge wrong 7 balls of the chase.

Despite a thrilling 59 disconnected 30 balls from Sophia Dunkley, England fell good short.

The 2nd of 3 T20s, worthy 2 points each, volition beryllium played successful Canberra connected Thursday. Even triumph successful some of the remaining T20 matches and past the one-off Test, worthy 4 points, volition not beryllium capable for England to assertion the Ashes.

“I thought it was an outstanding innings by Beth Mooney,” England skipper Knight said. “She makes it truly hard for the bowlers to execute.

“We gave them 20-30 excessively galore runs, if we'd conceded little we'd person been successful with a existent chance.

"We felt similar we were successful it, Sophia Dunkley's innings was truly smart. She was outstanding, played with freedom. It was frustrating today."

Dunkley said: "I deliberation we're conscionable truly disappointed, we wanted to bring a batch of vigor and we fell rather short.

“I wanted to spell retired determination and springiness it my champion changeable and enactment the unit connected Australia. We tin inactive gully the Ashes, it's not wholly gone, truthful we'll absorption connected that.”