Key events
WICKET! Knight lbw Molineux 20 (England 90-2)
The shot of the innings so far: Knight comes down the pitch to Molineux and lofts the ball over extra cover for four … and then a serious leg-before shout. The ball skids on straight to leave Knight, going back, in trouble, but the finger doesn’t go up. Australia review … and it’s three reds, with the ball crashing into leg stump!
17th over: England 86-1 (Knight 16, Beaumont 47) Here comes the King. Australia’s gun leggie twirls away, with not a great deal of turn on offer. She tosses one up to Knight, inviting an unconvincing drive, the drift causing some discomfort.
While we’ve got a moment, here’s this week’s Spin:
16th over: England 83-1 (Knight 14, Beaumont 46) Knight gets in on the attack, coming down the pitch against Molineux to clip over midwicket for four. The players break for drinks.
15th over: England 77-1 (Knight 9, Beaumont 45) Beaumont charges but Sutherland drops short: the batter adapts quickly to pull for one. When Mooney comes up to the stumps, Beaumont stays in her crease and lofts over mid-on for four, a fine stroke that proves Sutherland isn’t unplayable.
14th over: England 69-1 (Knight 7, Beaumont 39) Molineux keeps the squeeze going, giving away just a couple of singles.
13th over: England 67-1 (Knight 6, Beaumont 38) Sutherland nabs Knight’s outside edge with a cross-seam delivery … but it comfortably beats the dive of Mooney to her right, jumping away to the ropes. The Australia quick is in complete control; England are going to have to attack from the other end.
12th over: England 62-1 (Knight 2, Beaumont 37) Sophie Molineux’s left-arm spin enters the game and Knight dabs the third ball into the leg side for one. Beaumont finally gets moving again with a launch to the midwicket rope for four – this is now her highest score of the tournament.
11th over: England 56-1 (Knight 1, Beaumont 32) Beaumont is suddenly stuck, unable to move from 32 with Sutherland relentless. England have scored just one run off the last 21 deliveries.
10th over: England 55-1 (Knight 0, Beaumont 32) Garth follows up the excellent work of Sutherland with another maiden, keeping Beaumont in her crease. It’s still a fine powerplay for England, but Australia have an opening.
WICKET! Jones b Sutherland 18 (England 55-1)
Australia need to change something, and that means the arrival of Annabel Sutherland, 12 wickets in the tournament so far at an average of 10.16. She’s immediately locked in, beating Jones outside off and hitting the bat hard. And then the wicket! It’s full, angled in, and Jones – playing across the line – has her off stump knocked back. A wicket maiden and, well, silly of me to prematurely call England the victors of the powerplay.
9th over: England 55-1 (Knight 0, Beaumont 32)
8th over: England 55-0 (Jones 18, Beaumont 32) Wonderful from Beaumont, the wrists in good order as she flicks Garth to the boundary, once through midwicket, then to fine leg. Then a cut for four! Three dots follow but this powerplay already belongs to England.
7th over: England 43-0 (Jones 18, Beaumont 20) Schutt brings a bit of calm, testing Jones out with a yorker.
6th over: England 41-0 (Jones 17, Beaumont 19) Beaumont closes a tight over with a deft dab behind point that beats the field and sprints to the boundary. England are racing.
5th over: England 35-0 (Jones 16, Beaumont 14) Schutt drops short with a leg-cutter and Jones welcomes it, pulling with authority to the boundary. A delicious couple of cuts follow, with Schutt losing her length.
4th over: England 23-0 (Jones 4, Beaumont 14) Beaumont is forced back into the crease with Mooney up to the stumps, and Garth keeps her there with some fine stump-to-stump bowling. Maiden.
3rd over: England 23-0 (Jones 4, Beaumont 14) Jones, even from a handful of deliveries, looks in fine touch here. She takes just two off Schutt’s over but is hitting the ball sweetly.
2nd over: England 21-0 (Jones 2, Beaumont 14) Kim Garth is up from the other end, and her opening delivery – a full outswinger – is nicely driven by Jones for one. The quick is called for a no-ball … and Beaumont wallops the free hit down the ground for six! That’s a very confident stroke. There’s another, with Beaumont coming down the pitch to drive through cover for four. Beth Mooney comes up to the stumps to halt Beaumont’s adventurous footwork; out come leg-byes to the fine-leg rope.
1st over: England 5-0 (Jones 1, Beaumont 4) Megan Schutt hops in, ready to nip the ball back in to the two right-handers. Jones clips the first ball for a single and Beaumont is grateful for a long hop, pulling behind square for four. Beaumont shows off a proper forward defence to close the over, getting the front foot right out to smother the ball.
The anthems have wrapped up and the players are out on the field. Amy Jones takes the strike for England.
The teams
England are unchanged: Danni Wyatt-Hodge misses out again despite the struggles of the middle order. Australia bring in Georgia Voll for Healy, with Sophie Molineux and Kim Garth in, too.
Australia: Georgia Voll, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney (wk), Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath (c), Sophie Molineux, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt
England: Tammy Beaumont, Amy Jones (wk), Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Sophia Dunkley, Emma Lamb, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell
Australia win the toss and choose to bowl first
Tahlia McGrath is Australia’s captain, filling in for the injured Healy. She gets off to a good start, winning the toss and choosing to bowl first.
Here’s Raf’s preview:
Amy Jones has claimed that January’s Ashes whitewash “hasn’t been a topic of discussion” before Wednesday’s World Cup clash between England and Australia. If you believe that, you will believe anything.
Preamble
Someone’s unbeaten run is coming to an end today. Australia and England are already through to the semi-finals – taking a touch of jeopardy out of this contest – but this remains a big one. Both have identical records, with four wins and one abandonment, but the advantage remains with the Australians: this is the first time the two sides are meeting since England’s nightmare Ashes.
That 16-0 mauling was followed by the appointment of Nat Sciver-Brunt as captain, replacing Heather Knight – yet the former skipper remains vital. Knight is England’s leading run-scorer in the tournament, propping up the batting with Sciver-Brunt while the rest struggle. They must go again today against a side missing the in-form Alyssa Healy – out with a calf injury – but always ready to show off their incredible depth. How much have England changed under Sciver-Brunt and Charlotte Edwards? Maybe we’ll get a clearer answer today. We’ll get going at 10.30am BST/8.30pm AEDT.
