Key events
20th over: England 91-2 (Beaumont 38, Sciver-Brunt 32) England keep picking up ones and twos off Gardner to keep the required run-rate in check. The pitch isnât giving much though, as both batters are able to sweep or play off the back foot with apparent ease.
19th over: England 85-2 (Beaumont 36, Sciver-Brunt 28) Another chance for Australia but this time itâs one created in the field as Phoebe Litchfield pounces on a cover drive from Beaumont and fires the ball back at the strikerâs end. She misses narrowly and Sciver-Brunt survives. The England batters are playing King more from the crease and have set out to hit with the spin rather than against it today. Thatâs the 50 partnership too.
18th over: England 78-2 (Beaumont 31, Sciver-Brunt 26) Gardner continues as the runs, and chaos, dry up. A pair of singles from a Sciver-Brunt sweep and a Beaumont pull, both to deep midwicket.
17th over: England 76-2 (Beaumont 30, Sciver-Brunt 25) Wow, thatâs an incredible mix up! But rather than it being one batter barbecuing the other, this time it is two of Australiaâs most experienced players burning Alana King. The leg-spinner is into the attack and almost has an immediate impact as Beaumont slogs towards midwicket. Beth Mooney comes running in from the deep, Ash Gardner strolls out of the infield, but both stop in their tracks as the ball drops to the turf. That was more likely Mooneyâs to grasp, as the player coming towards the ball.
16th over: England 71-2 (Beaumont 29, Sciver-Brunt 21) Gardner continues after the drinks break but it might not be long until we see Alana King who has been the in-form bowler of the series so far. Australia have more variety and options to turn to than England, which was made all the more apparent as Heather Knight had too few answers during the hostsâ first-innings onslaught.
15th over: England 67-2 (Beaumont 28, Sciver-Brunt 18) CATCH IT! But the chance goes begging as Beaumont only just clears the infield with a mis-timed drive. A valuable four runs though as England head to the drinks break well-placed with eight wickets still in hand and the required run-rate only nudging up to 6.91 an over.
14th over: England 60-2 (Beaumont 22, Sciver-Brunt 17) Gardner gives the England pair little room but they are able to pick up four singles if only to rotate the strike.
13th over: England 55-2 (Beaumont 19, Sciver-Brunt 15) Tidy over from Sutherland has the England duo only squeezing a single out of a risky run that relied on King missing the stumps from mid-on. Sciver-Brunt dives to make her ground and was probably just home anyway. But thatâs likely a sign that the pressure of chasing 300+ is starting to tell.
12th over: England 53-2 (Beaumont 18, Sciver-Brunt 14) Australia turn to spin for the first time today with Ash Gardner given the opportunity to make her mark with the ball after earlier amassing a maiden international ton. The off-spinner tosses the ball up but canât tempt Beaumont into doing anything rash. Sciver-Brunt is up to the challenge though and lifts a drive over cover to the rope.
11th over: England 47-2 (Beaumont 17, Sciver-Brunt 9) The first change of bowler with Annabel Sutherland taking over from Megan Schutt. Sciver-Brunt welcomes her with a scoop for four. Both batters add a single as England take the required six runs from the over.
10th over: England 41-2 (Beaumont 16, Sciver-Brunt 4) Garth to Beaumont again, and yet again the England opener struggles to turn over the strike against the Australia quick. Beaumont picks up a couple over midwicket, but Garth has only gone for six runs from five overs ⦠all while England need another 268 runs from 40 overs.
9th over: England 39-2 (Beaumont 14, Sciver-Brunt 4) If Australia donât get you, Tammy Beaumont will. Almost, anyway. The England opener cracks a straight drive that would have taken out her partner Nat Sciver-Brunt but for a desperate leap out of the way.
8th over: England 34-2 (Beaumont 9, Sciver-Brunt 4) Kim Garth very nearly has her first scalp during a crafty spell. Tammy Beaumont is trapped in front trying to hit across the line off a good length and Healy is keen to review. Garth is about to agree as the time ticks down. Replays show the ball was clipping the leg-stump, so Australia would have held their review even as Beaumont survived. Englandâs early burning of reviews might have been a warning to Australia, because that looked out on first viewing.
7th over: England 33-2 (Beaumont 8, Sciver-Brunt 4) England have gone after Megan Schutt but the Australia pacer has a couple of wickets including the prize of the opposing captain. Nat Sciver-Brunt is carrying much of the touristsâ hopes now and starts with a cracking pull shot to the boundary.
WICKET! Knight c Healy b Schutt 14 (England 29-2)
Another start without going on to bigger things for Heather Knight but all the credit should go to the Australia skipper behind the stumps. Knight drives at a fuller ball that was there to be hit but with Healy up at the stumps the England captain is left reaching too far away from her body with her back foot planted. There is a little movement off the pitch, a faint edge, and a sharp catch sends Knight on her way.
6th over: England 28-1 (Beaumont 7, Knight 14) Like a Krautrock bass guitarist, Kim Garth has found her groove and isnât moving away from it any time soon. Back of a length, fourth stump, thatâs the spot! Beaumont waits for the bad ball that isnât coming so finally steps out of her crease towards the final delivery to tuck away a single at square leg.
No idea what Iâm talking about? Probably fair enough. Here is one the Guardian prepared earlier.
5th over: England 27-1 (Beaumont 6, Knight 14) SHOT! Knight punishes a shorter delivery from Schutt that drifts too wide to threaten the England skipper as she leans back and hammers a square drive to the rope. Knight finds a couple more twos with a pair of back-foot drives. Dare I say, but she is looking quite comfortable against Schutt and a change of bowler could be on the cards.
4th over: England 19-1 (Beaumont 6, Knight 6) The England pair seem wary of Garthâs guile. Knight finally finds runs off the bat against the Australia pacer from the final delivery of the over as she steps down the wicket with intent until merely whipping away to square leg.
3rd over: England 16-1 (Beaumont 6, Knight 5) A fruitful over for England starting with Beaumont riding her luck as a thick edge off a flailing drive bounces between slip and gully to the rope; then Schutt hands the tourists a gift as she drifts too far down leg for five wides with Healy up at the stumps. Knight saves the best for last with a textbook cover drive for four. The England skipper has looked in good touch so far in this series, at least until giving her wicket away cheaply, and knows these conditions well from her time with Hobart Hurricanes.
2nd over: England 2-1 (Beaumont 1, Knight 1) Kim Garth did much of the damage early in Englandâs chase in the second ODI and Heather Knight is taking few risks this time with 308 runs still to get and already one less wicket in hand. Garth has two slips in place with her outswinging quickly on point. Knight leaves what she can in a maiden over.
1st over: England 2-1 (Beaumont 1, Knight 1) All but the perfect start for Australia with a wicket in the first over as Megan Schutt gets the ball talking. England will need their more experienced batters to set the tone from here.
WICKET! Bouchier c McGrath b Schutt 0 (England 1-1)
Oh dear, oh dear. That has not taken long. Just five balls, in fact. England will need to score quickly to chase down the 309-run target but surely they need to build a foundation first. Megan Schutt has the ball swinging about in but Maia Bouchier is still keen to get on the front foot early, as is her usual way. The opener tries to clear mid-off but without perfect timing there is a simple catch for Tahlia McGrath jogging around to her left.
Tammy Beaumont is lining up her two-centres with Maia Bouchier at the non-strikerâs end for England, waiting for Megan Schutt to complete her warm-up with the chase about to begin. Letâs see whether the tourists can pull one of out the bag to breathe fresh life into this Womenâs Ashes series â¦
Martin Pegan
Thanks Rob. What an exhilarating batting performance that was from Australia, particularly in unhelpful conditions and after a reasonably sketchy start.
Ash Gardner put together the sort of innings that she has promised since making her international debut almost eight years ago, and finally has a ton for the national side. Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath certainly brushed aside any hurried concerns for their form with a fifty apiece, and Georgia Warehamâs fireworks at the end may well be enough to have seen England off.
But the England batting line-up has its own firepower and they will start their innings with little to lose as expectations plummet for of a successful chase in Hobart. However, there is hope ⦠in all previous womenâs ODIs at Bellerive Oval, the side batting second have been victorious! So, as they say in the classics, game on! This is the sort of knock England will need:
Thatâs all from me for today. Martin Pegan is on hand for the England run-chase (sic); thanks as always for your company. But not the emails, as I didnât receive any. See you soon!
England need 309 to win
You never know in cricket, or sport, or life, but Australia are in total control of this game. Their total isnât just over par; itâs in a different postcode to par. Australia batted marvellously to recover from 59 for 4, picking their moments to attack on what, believe it or not, is an awkward pitch.
The highlight was Ash Gardnerâs maiden international century, an innings that was both coruscating and mature. But she had admirable, occasionally outrageous support from Beth Mooney (50), Tahlia McGrath (55) and Georgia Wareham (38 from 12 balls).
England werenât particularly bad with the ball, although Heather Knight was probably too predictable with her bowling changes. Even so, this is more a story of Australian brilliance than English uselessness.
If England are to win this game, somebody â probably Nat Sciver-Brunt â will have to play the innings of their life.
50th over: Australia 308-8 (Wareham 38, Garth 1) Wareham ends an astonishing cameo by smacking Ecclestone for 16 off the last four balls of the innings. There were two fours through extra cover and back over the bowlerâs head, then a mighty slog sweep for six off the last ball of the innings.
Wareham finishes on 38 not out from 12 balls.
WICKET! Australia 291-8 (King c Capsey b Ecclestone 9)
England are behind the clock so they can only have three fielders out for the final over. One of them, Alice Capsey, takes a terrific running catch at deep square to dismiss Alana King. Five balls to go.
49th over: Australia 291-7 (Wareham 22, King 8) Wareham was brought into the side for her bowling but she is also such a dangerous hitter. She picks Bellâs slower ball and dumps it over mid-off for four, then launches the next delivery down the ground for six. She has 22 from only 8 balls.
Lauren Bell finishes a tough dayâs work with figures of 10-0-72-2.
48th over: Australia 279-7 (Wareham 11, King 7) Australiaâs lower order are swinging with freedom. Wareham slaps Ecclestone over cover for succssive boundaries in an over than goes for 15. Thatâs not a misprint. Australia have scored 100 from the last 11 overs.
47th over: Australia 263-7 (Wareham 2, King 1) Sciver-Brunt ends a spell of two halves: 5-1-11-1, then 5-0-40-1.
WICKET! Australia 262-7 (McGrath LBW b Sciver-Brunt 55)
McGrath misses, Sciver-Brunt hits the back leg and the finger goes up. McGrath reviews, mainly because Australia have two left. Her only hope is that she was hit outside the line.
She wasnât and thatâs the end of a superb knock: 55 from only 45 balls.
46th over: Australia 257-6 (McGrath 53, Wareham 0) That was the bast ball of the over.
WICKET! Australia 257-6 (Gardner c Beaumont b Bell 102)
A century and out for Ash Gardner, who hoicks a slower ball towards deep midwicket and is superbly caught by Tammy Beaumont. She gets a standing ovation from the crowd and her teammates after the innings of her life. Well, her life to date; I suspect weâll be seeing a lot more of her batting ability in the next five years.
Ash Gardner’s maiden century in international cricket!
45.2 overs: Australia 255-5 (Gardner 101, McGrath 52) Gardner pulls Bell for two reach her first century in international cricket off exactly 100 balls. Thatâs brilliant. Absolutely brilliant batting. She came in with Australia in trouble, knowing one more quick wicket would probably mean defeat, but right from the start she took control of the innings with a calculated counter-attack that was full of authority and intelligence.
45th over: Australia 253-5 (Gardner 99, McGrath 52) McGrath cuts Sciver-Brunt for four to reach a defiant and brilliant half-century from 37 balls. Gardner is approaching a greater milestone; she hits successive boundaries off Sciver-Brunt before taking a single to move within a single of her maiden international century.
England are done.
44th over: Australia 239-5 (Gardner 90, McGrath 47) McGrath cracks four more off Bell to continue what has been a brilliant innings. On a slow pitch, and after making three runs in the first two games of the series, she has a strike rate of 127.
43rd over: Australia 230-5 (Gardner 87, McGrath 41) McGrath sweeps Ecclestone firmly through square leg for four. It feels a long time ago that Australia were 59 for 4 and in trouble; in fact it was less than 30 overs ago. One of the most impressive thing about their fightback has been the clarity of thought. For much of the time their run-scoring has felt almost risk-free.