Mooney's 61* guides Australia home in tricky chase

Australia held their nerve in front of a 19,000-strong Edgbaston crowd to clinch the opening T20I against England and stretched their advantage in the Women's Ashes multi-format series to 6-0. In a tricky chase of 154, the world champions counted on Beth Mooney's calm and composed 61* to see them over the line with a ball to spare despite being pushed into a corner in the closing moments by their hosts.

Mooney was the anchor around who the visitors built their chase after captain and star batter Alyssa Healy was dismissed cheaply in the third over of the chase by Lauren Bell. Mooney stitched a 49-run association for the second wicket with the brisk-scoring Tahlia McGrath (40 off 29) and then proceeded to add another 61 for the following wicket with Ashleigh Gardner.

At 130/2 in the 17th over, Australia seemed headed rather serenely towards victory when England turned the constest on its head. Sarah Glenn dismissed Gardner and Grace Harris off successive deliveries and in the following over, Bell rattled Ellyse Perry's stumps to set the cat among the pigeons.

The sudden downturn in fortunes saw the visitors need 14 off 9 balls. But the depth in their ranks came to the fore as Annabel Sutherland pulled the first ball she faced for a boundary behind square and turned the strike over for Mooney play an impressive pick up short over extra cover for another four. With only five runs needed from the final over, Sutherland effectively iced the chase by hitting the first ball for four although she left the finishing duties to Georgia Wareham.

Earlier in the evening, asked to bat first, England managed a competitive total on a slowish pitch thanks to a steady half-century from opener Sophia Dunkley. The hosts were kept down to just 36/2 in the PowerPlay with Danni Wyatt and Alice Capsey falling cheaply. They were pushed further into the trenches when Nat Sciver-Brunt fell to the excellent Jess Jonassen (3 for 25).

Dunkley then added 55 with Heather Knight (29 off 22) but followed her captain back into the sheds rather quickly. That left Amy Jones needing to play a quickfire innings of 40* off 21 to drag the team to a good score. The keeper-bat had her fortuitous moments. She survived a missed run-out, overturned an LBW decision and enjoyed another reprieve when Wareham dropped her at deep mid-wicket. But there was no taking away from her ball striking as she clubbed four fours and a pair of sixes, including 18 off the penultimate over bowled by the returning Megan Schutt. As it turned out, however, it wasn't enough to give a win to England, who now need to win each of the remaining five fixtures to wrest back the Ashes.

Brief scores: England Women 153/7 in 20 overs (Sophia Dunkley 56, Amy Jones 40; Jess Jonassen 3-25) lost to Australia Women 154/6 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 61, Tahlia McGrath 40; Sophie Ecclestone 2-24) by four wickets.