In a show of utter dominance Australia ground England’s hopes of drawing this Ashes series firmly into the dust, the visitors smashing their record T20 total while Meg Lanning racked up an unbeaten 133 from 63 balls to break her own record for the highest individual score in the format.
England, by contrast, could manage just the same number of runs as Lanning as they fell to a 93-run defeat, their worst in T20.
“It was a pretty sweet victory,” Lanning said. “We came here to win the Ashes outright and that’s what we’ve done.”
“I hit the ball as well I have for a long time,” she added. “I was getting some starts but getting out all the time – that was annoying me. So when I did get a start I was keen to start putting the foot down and take the opportunity because that doesn’t come along very often. It was nice to be able to cash in.”
The match was all-but decided in the first three overs of England’s reply: the home side sinking to 12 for three as the openers, Danni Wyatt and Amy Jones, departed without scoring, looking to slog, while Tammy Beaumont then toed a catch to Alyssa Healy behind the stumps.
A brave effort from the No 6, Lauren Winfield, selected for the first time this series, was followed by a 12-ball 25-run cameo from Laura Marsh; both came too late to make much difference to a day that had been all about Lanning.
This was supposed to have been England’s prime opportunity to turn the series on its head: on 14 previous occasions, they had never lost a match here where the crowds are so partisan and raucous that it has earned the moniker “Fortress Chelmsford”. This time the sell-out crowd sounded anything but, sinking into themselves as they searched in vain for something to cheer.
Kate Cross’s first over, with Healy skying the fifth ball of the innings to Nat Sciver at midwicket, was as good as it got for the home crowd. From there, with Lanning entering the fray, it was all systems go: Anya Shrubsole hit out of the attack as her first over went for 16 runs, while the early switch to spin failed to stem the flow – Sophie Ecclestone punished for nearly 11 an over.
Along the way Lanning was ably supported by Beth Mooney, who hit a 28-ball half-century, and Ash Gardner, who smashed the biggest six of the innings off a disgruntled Shrubsole.
Some have questioned whether undergoing major shoulder surgery 18 months ago has stymied Lanning’s international dominance. This performance showed that she is back with a vengeance, the Australian captain smashing seven sixes with such ease that one feels her shoulder surgeon should use the videotape of this innings to advertise his services to future clients.
Lanning’s half-century took 24 balls to acquire: 27 balls later came the three-figure milestone, brought up in style with yet another six smashed over deep square-leg.
As any statistician will tell you, numbers have to be contextualised. Lanning’s previous T20 century had been against Ireland, ranked 10th: perhaps the most astonishing thing about Friday’s display was that it was against a side who, after reaching the final of the World T20 eight months ago, can lay claim to being the second-best T20 team in the world. They did not look it: even Wyatt, England’s best fielder, was gifting boundaries in the deep, while Beaumont made the fatal error of dropping Lanning at point, a mistake that cost 48 runs.
“We haven’t played anywhere near our potential,” Heather Knight, the England captain, said. “The girls are disappointed, it’s been a tricky few weeks for us – we’ve lost a bit of belief and confidence.”
“We’ve got to get back to the way we know we can play. When we’re at our best we’re competitive, we’re happy, we’re smiley, we’re buzzing, all that sort of thing, so it’s about getting back to our roots as a team that have served us well.”
Before Friday night, it would have been possible to argue that this Ashes series – bar one crazy afternoon at Canterbury – has been evenly matched: not any more.
