Australia have created history with their victory in the four-day pink-ball test against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, February 1. The Aussies humiliated England to register a first-ever Women's Ashes sweep with a resounding win of an innings and 122 runs at the MCG.?
Led by scintillating centuries?from Annabel Sutherland and Beth Mooney and magic from Alana King with the ball, the hosts made light work of Heather Knight's side to win the Test and sweep the series 16-0.?
For her first innings 163 that took the game away from the visitors, Sutherland was adjudged as the Player of the Match, while Alana, who took 23 wickets in the series, was named the Player of the Series.?
It was a series to remember for King, who ripped apart the English line-up with a record-equalling haul of 23 wickets. She bowled Shane Warne-esque ball of the century to Sophie Dunkley to clean her up and send the crowd in awe.?
The leggie pitched one outside the leg stump and got it to dip and spin sharply to beat Dunkley's defence and hit the top of off. The delivery resonated with the Warne ball of the century to Mike Getting.
Australia had sent England to bat first after winning the toss. The visitors were wrapped up for a paltry total of 170 with King taking four wickets. The Aussies put up a mountain of runs in their first innings and took the match away from the Three Lions.
The hosts racked up 440 in the first innings on the back of 163 from Sutherland and 106 from Mooney, who has now become the fourth female player and first Australian with a century across all three formats in the game.?
England's lead spinner Sophie Ecclestone picked a fifer but conceded 143, the most runs for England women in a test innings. England had to do a lot of work to return in the match. They had a trail of 270 to cover first before giving a target.?
Captain Allyssa Healy didn't turn to King until the first 22 overs. But when she did, the leg-spinner didn't disappoint a bit. King and Gardner bowled 47 overs in tandem with King taking a fifer and Gardner scalping four to clean the English side inside three days to win the Test and sweep the series 16-0.