Australia beat England by two wickets: Women's Ashes, first ODI – as it happened

Ellyse Perry is named player of the match, although I’m surprised not to see Healy up on the podium. That said, Perry’s three wickets – at the top of England’s order – went a long way to deciding the game.

Meg Lanning, Australia’s skipper, is next to speak:

I thought 177 wasn’t a straightforward total. We need to work on our execution. Healy showed everyone how to bat, to be honest, pouncing on width. Hopefully the quality overall improves over the series. We’ve got a lot to work on, as have England. A win is a win, but we’re looking forward to improving.

England’s captain, Heather Knight, speaks:

I’m really proud of the girls. Brunt and Ecclestone were excellent I thought. We lost too many early wickets. We want to be positive but there were some soft dismissals. We have the belief to win and unfortunately couldn’t get over the line. We have a lot of options and variety.

On DRS (or the lack of it here):

As players we want it. It’s down to money of course.

Brunt is suitably ashen-faced as she leaves the field – such a miserable way to gift Australia the win. After their terrible performance with the bat, England were right in this one until the very end, taking key wickets at key junctures of the game. Ultimately they didn’t do enough with the bat, and some fielding errors really let them down – Anya Shrubsole in particular was culpable, dropping twice.

42nd over: Australia 169-7 (Wareham 0, Kimmince 10) High tension for Australia. I can practically feel Kimmince’s bat shaking from here, and she thinks about a dangerous single. Wareham sends her back, and there’s very nearly a mix up, but both batsman return safely to their creases. One from the over, nine more required!

After this game, if you fancy something to do, have a listen to our Spin podcast.

41st over: Australia 168-7 (Wareham 0, Kimmince 9) Brilliant, tight bowling from Brunt. Just one from the over.

40th over: Australia 167-7 (Wareham 0, Kimmince 8) Wareham comes in, on her Ashes debut, having to save Australia with the bat. As it stands, the tourists require 11 runs with two tail-end wickets remaining. That’s the end of Ecclestone’s 10 overs, finishing with 10-0-34-3, her best Ashes figures.

39th over: Australia 166-7 (Kimmince 7, Jonassen 19) Brunt is back on, and she needs to pitch the ball up to Kimmince, but there are two many nothing balls, wide of off-stump or on the hip. Just a couple of runs from the over – I’m being harsh on Brunt perhaps, but she’s got to be immaculate now and make the No 9 defend her stumps.

38th over: Australia 164-7 (Kimmince 6, Jonassen 18) Nerves will play a big part now. Who’s got the bottle? Ecclestone has the ball back in her hand, Kimmince thick edges one to third man, but steadies herself and rotates the strike. Australia edging towards their total. Fourteen runs required, the last throw of the dice for England. They have to take a risk or two now. Get a slip in!

37th over: Australia 162-7 (Kimmince 5, Jonassen 17) Knight chooses arguably her clutch bowler, Katherine Brunt comes into the attack. But the veteran is slightly off with her line and Jonassen is able to steal a few runs on the on-side. Four more from the over, just 16 to win. It’s Australia’s to lose.

36th over: Australia 158-7 (Kimmince 2, Jonassen 14) Squeaky-bum time. Marsh has taken two vital wickets but is a little loose here, conceding a wide. England have to be so disciplined now, they can ill-afford to give away free runs. A Kimmince strike on the last ball finds the gap, and Australia scamper away for two more precious runs. Twenty runs to win, three wickets left.

35th over: Australia 154-7 (Kimmince 2, Jonassen 13) Another drop from Shrubsole! Oooooooh, this was a complete dolly, Kimmich spooning the ball back down the wicket to England’s bowler. Shrubsole got two hands to it, had recovered from actually bowling her ball, but simply just put it down. If England go on to lose this match, it will be their mistakes in the field that will be the biggest reason. Really painful to watch, especially after Shrubsole had dropped Healy early on in her innings.

34th over: Australia 151-7 (Kimmince 1, Jonassen 12) Such a strange dismissal, that one. The ball before, Mooney had launched Marsh over mid-off for four. She was full of confidence, and then that …

33rd over: Australia 146-6 (Mooney 21, Jonassen 12) Shrubsole didn’t have the best first spell – she did get Bolton out – but she’s brought back into the attack by Knight here. With Taylor stood up to the stumps, Shrubsole’s deliveries are a little rusty. Easy runs for Mooney and Jonassen, four from the over. That’s more than what’s required, Australia’s run rate is less than two now.

32nd over: Australia 142-6 (Mooney 20, Jonassen 9) Two Queensland players in for Australia, so both Mooney and Jonassen know each other very well, the latter sending her Mooney back when the part-time wicketkeeper tries to sneak a quick single. Sensible stuff.

31st over: Australia 140-6 (Mooney 19, Jonassen 8) Interesting that Australia are still going for their shots, with just 40-ish runs remaining. But it’s a quite magnificent cover drive from Jonassen, following by a slightly uglier heave to cow corner. It lands safely, from Australia’s point of view. They are living a lot more dangerously than they have to.

Drinks. What a beautiful sunny evening in Leicester it is.

30th over: Australia 132-6 (Mooney 18, Jonassen 2) Marsh is also proving a real menace for England, spinning one through the gate and just over Jonassen’s stumps! Wow, what a ball. Marsh is getting some real turn, and twice it spins down the leg side. Some brilliant fielding from Beaumont saves a boundary at fine leg. That’s a lot better from England, whose fielding thus far has largely been left wanting.

29th over: Australia 126-6 (Mooney 16, Jonassen 1) So much is now on Mooney, from an Australian point of view. What a game we have here! Brilliant from Ecclestone.

28th over: Australia 123-5 (Mooney 16, Gardner 7) Australia’s run rate is now well under three, so runs aren’t a problem here. That said, Mooney motors another ball to the boundary for four. Since dismissing Healy, England’s bowling has been very loose.

Apologies and thanks to those that pointed out my Knight/Taylor mix-up earlier.

27th over: Australia 116-5 (Mooney 11, Gardner 5) Ecclestone’s worst over of the day, as she gifts both Mooney and Gardner, new to the crease, an easy four with some wayward, short deliveries. Knight, Taylor, Marsh and Shrubsole are having a long, old chat as the over ends, I think we’ll see a bowling change at the end of the the next over.

26th over: Australia 106-5 (Mooney 6, Gardner 0) Healy had launched Marsh over extra cover for four to start the over – these two know each other well from playing against each other (and with each other at New South Wales). But it was the English woman that ended it on top, and Marsh may have swung this game in England’s favour.

25th over: Australia 99-4 (Mooney 2, Healy 60) The game is definitely in the balance here. Australia still hold the upper hand here, especially with Healy still out there, but England are only a couple of wickets from getting stuck into the tail. Ecclestone continues her excellent spell, just two runs from her latest over.

24th over: Australia 97-4 (Mooney 2, Healy 60) Marsh comes into the attack, four from the over as Mooney and Healy tickle a few runs through the covers and mid-on.

23rd over: Australia 93-4 (Mooney 1, Healy 59) That’s an excellent over from Ecclestone, two runs and a wicket from it. There was another stumping chance, which was referred upstairs by the umpires, but Mooney just got her foot back over the crease before Taylor swept off the bails.

21st over: Australia 80-3 (Haynes 10, Healy 47) I wonder when we’ll see Marsh brought into the attack. Knight is persevering with Brunt at the moment, but surely the veteran will want to be saved for the death? Perhaps Knight doesn’t think England will last that long. Go for broke, bowl your best now? Three from the over.

20th over: Australia 77-3 (Haynes 9, Healy 45) You know what I said about Haynes looking a little shaky? Yeah, she just walloped Sciver over square leg for four, then tickles another boundary fine down to fine leg. A good over for the tourists, they require 101 from 180 balls. Should still be easy for them. Should.

19th over: Australia 69-3 Haynes 1, Healy 45) England have their tails up here. Brunt twice goes past the edge of Haynes – Australia’s vice-captain looks awful shaky, but sje gets off the mark with the last ball of the over.

18th over: Australia 67-3 (Haynes 0, Healy 44) It is hard to convey what a shocking delivery that was from Sciver, but what outstanding glovework that was. Take a bow, Sarah Taylor.

17th over: Australia 65-2 (Perry 3, Healy 43) Healy is dropped! Oooooooohh, this is a golden chance for England, but Shrubsole puts it down off Brunt’s bowling! It was not a easy chance by any means, high over her left shoulder, but it wasn’t particularly difficult either; Shrubsole will be disappointed, especially as Healy is arguably Australia’s most dangerous player right now – the opener had previously smashed Brunt for four off the first ball of the over. Brunt was down on her haunches, head in hands with that one.

Aaaaaaaand, that’s drinks.

16th over: Australia 57-2 (Perry 3, Healy 35) Healy relieves some of the pressure, lofting Ecclestone back down the ground for four. I’ve mentioned it before, but if Ecclestone can get it together, she could yet be the decisive bowler for England today. So many of these players know each other so well, loads of England’s have played in Australia, but Ecclestone is a relative unknown.

15th over: Australia 53-2 (Perry 3, Healy 31) Sloppy from England in the field, on three separate occasions conceding runs to overthrows, which leaves the bowler, Brunt, utterly perplexed. “What are you doing?!” she screams at her team-mates, who were guilty there of poor throws and worse backing up: at one point Knight didn’t bother with a long barrier and could only watch at the ball bounced through her legs.

14th over: Australia 48-2 (Perry 2, Healy 27) You wouldn’t quite say that pressure is building on the Australian’s, but England have certainly looked more threatening in the last few overs. Perry is feeling her way into her innings, content to play things late (and conservatively).

13th over: Australia 47-2 (Perry 2, Healy 26) Brunt is causing all sorts of problems, it looks like a mistake from Knight not to use her from the start. Perry is trapped in front, but the ball was just sliding down leg. Not out. With that wicket, Brunt is now the world’s joint third leading wicket taker in ODIs, 147 wickets from 119 matches.

12th over: Australia 45-1 (Lanning 16, Healy 26) Ecclestone might just be England’s best hope. The youngest English player at 20, the spin bowler played well with the bat today, hitting 27 to save England’s total. But it’s her bowling that she’ll cause the biggest threat, remember last year she was named the International Cricket Council’s Emerging Player of the Year.

11th over: Australia 43-1 (Lanning 15, Healy 24) Brunt comes into the attack, showing no signs of bitterness despite not being chosen to open the bowling. Her and Heather Knight are good mates though, with England’s captain calling Brunt both “a bit of a grandma” and “the most competitive person I’ve ever met” in the pre-match chat. Brunt certainly looks focused – just a single and a leg-bye from the over. Australia well above the run-rate here, going at 3.91, when the required rate is 3.46.

10th over: Australia 41-1 (Lanning 14, Healy 24) Perry really got some swing during England’s innings, and that did for Beaumont, Jones, and Heather Knight. But England’s bowlers can’t seem to get things moving, and Australia look very comfortable at the moment, losing just one wicket as the end of the first powerplay. Healy in particular looks in top nick, crashing a wide delivery behind square for another boundary.

9th over: Australia 36-1 (Lanning 13, Healy 20) Defending a ‘normal’ total, this could be considered to be an excellent start from England. But it’s Australia that will be delighted, seeing off the new ball and chugging along very nicely. Lanning accelerates things slightly, but clipping a six off her pads. Just like Healy a few over ago, that was all timing, and all in the wrists. Brilliant, terrifying technique. Healy also chimes in with a four, punishing a full, wide delivery through point.

8th over: Australia 25-1 (Lanning 6, Healy 16) Knight stands up to the stumps now, as Cross trundles in – Knight is one of the world’s best with the gloves, and she reminds Lanning of her talents as she removes the bails after her opposite number plays and misses. One wide and one scampering single from the over.

7th over: Australia 23-1 (Lanning 5, Healy 16) Shrubsole continues and registers the first maiden of the innings. Lots of encouraging chat around the bat from England’s fielders, Ecclestone and Heather Knight, England’s captain, are chirping. They still believe.

6th over: Australia 23-1 (Lanning 5, Healy 16) A repeat over for Cross, who keeps it very tight and then bowls a little too full for her final delivery. Lanning simply clips it to the rope for four, one bounce. It’s a daunting task for England and not going to get any easier: out on the boundary, Ellyse Perry – Australia’s most experienced player – is practising her strokes.

5th over: Australia 19-1 (Lanning 1, Healy 16) Lanning gets off to precarious start herself, a thick edge avoiding England’s one slip for a run down to third man. Healy adds a couple to finish the over.

4th over: Australia 16-0 (Bolton 1, Healy 14) Cross comes again, and starts by keeping things tight – just the one run from the first five balls. Cross has good memories against Australia, and played a vital role in the Test victory in Perth which set England on the way to winning the 2013-14 Ashes - the last time England held the trophy. But then Healy ruins the over, by punching gloriously down the ground for four.

3rd over: Australia 11-0 (Bolton 1, Healy 10) Healy hits the first boundaries, clipping Shrubsole off her pads for four, then a six through midwicket! What timing! Healy’s follow-through on that six barely reached her head, yet the ball went sailing over the ropes. She looks in the mood, not content with creeping safely to 177.

2nd over: Australia 1-0 (Bolton 1, Healy 0) Kate Cross bowls England’s second over, perhaps a bit of a surprise not to see Katherine Brunt. But then Cross is the self-proclaimed “workhorse” of the team, and she’s going up the hill. It’s a maiden, with Bolton looks a little nervous as she misconnects with a short delivery and then is so-nearly caught lbw by Cross. Pitching outside leg.

1st over: Australia 1-0 (Bolton 1, Healy 0) It’s just one run from the final ball of the over to start Australia’s reply. The only way that Australia will lose this is if they are bowled out, and the new ball is England’s best chance.

The Australian openers – Nicole Bolton and Alyssa Healy – are back out. Let’s go! Anya Shrubsole will bowl the first over for England.

“Where does 178 figure in these heady days?” asks Aussie fan Glenn Reynolds.

You’ll be pleased to know, Glenn, it’s not a tall order. It’s more of a T20 today these days, and Australia require only 3.5 runs per over to surpass the total. This is a batting pitch, and England have only defended less than 200 against Australia once in 177 matches.

Megan Schutt – probably the pick of Australia’s bowlers today with two wickets for 19 runs – certainly thinks so.

We just wanted to keep them under 300 so stoked with that one. It’s a pretty good pitch. If we play some sensible shots, we’ll get the total easy. There’s a bit of a breeze going on there. When we trained yesterday, it was blowing a gale, so we’d hoped for some of that but overall we’re very happy.

Schutt is the world’s leading T20 bowler and has come a long way since Australia last toured England in 2015, when she was in and out of the team, despite being the leading wicket taker at the World Cup two years previously. She’s now one of the best Australian weapons on the ODI stage, an economy rate of just 2.15 today.

Back to the important stuff: England are facing an uphill battle to save this Ashes opener. Australia were absolutely lethal with the new ball, it was swinging all over the joint, and at 44-5, England must have been fearing the worst.

Without Nat Sciver’s knock of 64, England would have been well short of their total of 177.

It is only the third time since October 2016 that England have fallen short of 200 in ODIs, not ideal timing at the start of the Ashes. This is definitely a batting pitch, and Australia’s batting line-up is fearsome. If they can see off the new ball without losing too many, they will surely walk this?

Hello everyone, Michael here. While Geoff is at Leicester, I’m in dark room at Guardian HQ. If he is enjoying the atmosphere, I’m ‘enjoying’ the replays on the telly, which are almost exclusively showing England’s wickets.

I’ve only been to Leicester the once, to have a little poke around the university. All I really remember from that trip was going on the paternoster (a dangerous lift, now decommissioned)

… and eating at Bobby’s, the legendary Indian vegetarian restaurant. Absolute gaff.

46th over: England 174-9 (Marsh 22, Cross 0) Ecclestone had one more lovely shot before she fell, hitting cleanly into the midwicket gap, but goes once too often to be dismissed. Second wicket for Gardner.

45th over: England 167-8 (Marsh 20, Ecclestone 22) What did I tell you! The Ecclestone Express is at full steam. Don’t drop Eccles, folks. Kimmince bowls her a couple of half-volley treats, and Sophie’s choice is to drive straight back down the ground: once, twice, then denied thrice by a short ball that she has to cut for four instead.

44th over: England 154-8 (Marsh 20, Ecclestone 9) Don’t bowl there to Laura Marsh! She will definitely score one, possibly two runs. Gardner short and Marsh cuts for a brace. Drives a single straight. Ecclestone does the same. Sophie E has looks more composed than anyone else today, to be hoenst.

43rd over: England 150-8 (Marsh 17, Ecclestone 8) Marsh is getting out the sweeps. A mistimed one to fine leg for two, and a nailed sweep that bounces straight to the boundary rider for a single. A couple more singles and another team milestone ticks by.

42nd over: England 145-8 (Marsh 13, Ecclestone 7) Ecclestone drives Gardner and is dropped! That was as easy as they come. It literally fell into Rachael Haynes’ lap. She knelt down at mid-off and the ball landed in her lap. Somehow she didn’t get her hands around it and it spilled out. The fielder who just took the best catch of the day can’t take the simplest. Ecclestone celebrates by lofting four down the ground.

41st over: England 141-8 (Marsh 13, Ecclestone 3) Sophie Ecclestone can bat a bit, it must be said. Has a defence, and plays the odd elegant stroke. She’s cautious against Wareham’s leg-breaks until she gets a run to deep cover. One from the over. This is the big hitting in the final ten, folks.

40th over: England 140-8 (Marsh 13, Ecclestone 2) Runs! Four of them. All in singles from Jonassen, as the England lower-order pair keep doing the sensible thing.

39th over: England 136-8 (Marsh 11, Ecclestone 0) Nothing I love more than seeing a Marsh block out a testing over of swing in the Ashes. Laura does a more than passable job, waiting until Schutt’s sixth ball before playing out to cover to farm the strike.

38th over: England 135-8 (Marsh 10, Ecclestone 0) A big over in all respects. Sciver had swept four from Jonassen, then skipped down to smack a lovely straight drive back past her. But one sweep too many has ended her day.

37th over: England 127-7 (Sciver 56, Marsh 10) Megan Schutt is back, pinning down Marsh for half the over, then leaving Sciver to do the cautious thing and just take a single from the last ball.

36th over: England 125-7 (Sciver 55, Marsh 9) The slow boat tootles on. A couple of singles from Jonassen, as she comes back with her stingy left-arm tweak. Un-four-hittable, that’s what you are.

35th over: England 123-7 (Sciver 54, Marsh 8) Wide and short again from Wareham, she’s actually lost control more as her day has gone on rather than less. Marsh picks the gap and cuts four. England hanging in there as we break for drinks. If they could even get to 180 or so and just bat out most of their overs, that would be a decent result from their start.

34th over: England 116-7 (Sciver 53, Marsh 4) Two more singles from Gardner’s over. She’s got through five of them now for only 12 runs, plus a wicket. Life’s a stroll when the opening bowlers burn through four or five in no time.

32nd over: England 110-7 (Sciver 47, Marsh 2) I retract that statement about Marsh. She’s very happy to stay at home after Sciver takes a single from Gardner’s first ball. There’s an appeal for a caught behind off Marsh at one stage, but she survives that and safely sees out the over.

31st over: England 109-7 (Sciver 46, Marsh 2) So Marsh has at least been able to get off strike with a nudge to square leg both times she’s been on strike, and now Sciver is able to press a couple of runs to cover. She’s moving towards a half-century in an innings that has been very impressive in the circumstances.

30th over: England 104-7 (Sciver 43, Marsh 1) What Ashes series would be complete without a Marsh? Laura can bat, she used to open in the T20 side years ago. But she’s very much the batter of a decade ago in women’s cricket. Just needs to provide support.

29th over: England 102-6 (Sciver 42, Shrubsole 2) Kimmince to Sciver, who soaks up the whole over with a couple of defensive shots and a couple to the field before working a single from the final ball to keep strike.

28th over: England 101-6 (Sciver 41, Shrubsole 2) It’s not that Anya Shrubsole can’t bat at all. She’s the holder of one of the longest ever ducks in Test cricket – I think it was 54 balls, at Canterbury in 2015. Geoff Allott faced 77 and Jimmy Anderson 55 when he nearly drew that Test against Sri Lanka a couple of years ago. But Shrubsole is probably a solid defensive No10, not a No8. She’s off the mark in this match though, and adds a second run in Gardner’s over.

27th over: England 99-6 (Sciver 40, Shrubsole 1) Well, it’s all on Sciver now. She’s made some audacious hundreds but she’ll have to do so on her own if England are to post a competitive total.

26th over: England 96-5 (Sciver 39, Brunt 20) Double change, and Ash Gardner’s off-breaks will be the new entrant to the bowling book. She gets a couple driving back to her, which shows she’s landing them well. But when Sciver advances to turn a ball into a high full toss, she checks her shot and deflects it cleverly out through cover for a couple, following from another brace that she drove.

25th over: England 91-5 (Sciver 34, Brunt 20) Delissa Kimmince comes on. Seam-up, strong-shouldered, the safe-pair-of-hands type of all-rounder who is so useful in the 20-over format. Only played a dozen ODIs before today though. She’s back of a length mostly, picked off for a couple of singles, then Brunt gets a faint edge on a leg-side ball for four as Kimmince strays. This partnership heading towards 50 now, and vital for England.

24th over: England 84-5 (Sciver 32, Brunt 15) Edged and four! That’s extra pace for you. Sciver flirts with the ball outside off and draws a genuine nick, just past the diving Healy. It skipped away for four.

23rd over: England 77-5 (Sciver 26, Brunt 14) Wareham follows up to Sciver, who bolts a single and draws a direct hit at the non-striker’s end. But she’s home. A couple more singles follow.

22nd over: England 74-5 (Sciver 24, Brunt 13) Enough spin, Lanning wants a wicket. Perry comes back and immediately is up in an appeal for lbw. I’ll tell you what, Martin Saggers is never going to give another leg-before decision for the rest of his career. That gun is welded into the holster after his last misadventure. Brunt doesn’t mind, gallops down the track next ball and clobbers Perry over midwicket. Brunt has a particular personal friction with her fast-bowling counterpart.

21st over: England 68-5 (Sciver 23, Brunt 8) England really putting the foot down now, with four from the over. Slow down! Wareham gives them too much width and Sciver is able to dust off the cut shot a couple of times.

20th over: England 64-5 (Sciver 20, Brunt 7) Getting a bit more adventurous against Jonassen, is brunt. Skips down the pitch to drive back to the bowler on the bounce, then down again to cut a ball hard but straight to the field. Jonassen gives one more air and Brunt can’t unlock its secrets. Then finally she gets one away to deep backward point. Sciver taps and runs one to cover.

19th over: England 62-5 (Sciver 19, Brunt 6) Wareham has strayed onto leg stump too many times today, but it’s only costing her singles as they can’t afford to attack her. What a luxury for a leg-spinner. Four overs for 13 runs.

18th over: England 60-5 (Sciver 18, Brunt 5) Sciver again forcing the pace, bolting back for a second run after clipping Jonassen to deep square, then cutting a single and dashing for one. That’s what they need, to make the most of every chance to score.

17th over: England 57-5 (Sciver 15, Brunt 5) How many times would Katherine Brunt have been 4 off 20 balls? She loves a clout. But Wareham keeps floating the ball up at her pads, a threatening line in these circumstances. Finally Brunt gets one leg-side enough that she can bunt a single. Then they get a little busier, with a brace and a single from Sciver.

16th over: England 53-5 (Sciver 12, Brunt 4) The main thing for England though is not losing any more wickets. Even if they go at 1 run per over for the next 20, that would be vastly preferable than hitting out and getting bowled out in a rush. A single from Jonassen’s over, and it’s time for drinks.

15th over: England 52-5 (Sciver 12, Brunt 3) England becalmed. Wareham to Brunt, and bowls a gorgeous over. Beats the top edge with an over-spinner that bounces, gives a lot of loop to balls that dip on the bat. Brunt looks all at sea, finally stabbing a single off the last ball.

14th over: England 51-5 (Sciver 12, Brunt 2) The spinners racing through the overs here, apologies for the brief posts. A single for Brunt from Jonassen is all they’ll get.

13th over: England 50-5 (Sciver 12, Brunt 1) Georgia Wareham the leg-spinner comes on, and bowls tidily enough aside from a ball that Sciver punches over cover for four. A single to Brunt raises England’s 50. Their 100 looks a long way off.

12th over: England 44-5 (Sciver 7, Brunt 0) Another wicket maiden. Katherine Brunt to the crease with a fire to fight.

11th over: England 44-4 (Sciver 7, Wilson 15) Schutt, pitching up and looking for something. Nearly gets it with a ball that beats the edge. Draws the drive from Wilson twice more, stopped each time, before an eventual single squeezed away is the only run from the over.

10th over: England 43-4 (Sciver 7, Wilson 14) England lucky they picked Fran Wilson today. She nails a drive through cover, then slashes Perry high off the top edge over backward point for another four. Perry oversteps with a fuller ball, then Wilson steps back for an almighty hoick off the free hit, soaring way up in the air before dropping next to Lanning behind point. A dozen runs from the over, and England salvage something from the first Powerplay. If you ignore the four wickets down, that is.

9th over: England 31-4 (Sciver 5, Wilson 5) Nat Sciver gets a fair working over now. A ball that zips past the outside edge. A drive struck well but straight at cover. Then a ball that cuts back in and takes her high on the thigh pad, drawing a shout from Schutt, but Sciver is preoccupied with the ball rolling back from the collision and just missing her off stump. Sciver goes right back into defensive mode, and plays out another maiden.

8th over: England 31-4 (Sciver 5, Wilson 5) Could any linguists out there confirm my suspicion that Vlaeminck would be the antecedent of the name Fleming? Probably deriving from... Flemish, chances are. Perry bowls a maiden that has Wilson defending half the over before nicking one on the bounce to Healy behind the stumps.

7th over: England 31-4 (Sciver 5, Wilson 5) So after a couple of overs of Fast & The Furious level swerve, Schutt loses it completely with a wide outside off then a wide down leg. Then a long-hop that Sciver thwacks for four.

6th over: England 25-4 (Sciver 1, Wilson 5) On the Tuffers & Vaughan show on BBC radio this week, Tammy Beaumont was bemoaning the fact they wouldn’t be able to watch the England women’s team in the football tonight. At this rate...

Fran Wilson comes in, having surged into the side on the back of recent good form. She’ll need every shred of it. She blocks out Perry’s hat-trick ball, works a single, gets the strike back and then slashes a cut for four. That’s more like it.

5th over: England 19-3 (Knight 0, Sciver 0) Jeepers creepers. It’s a wicket maiden for Schutt, and a vicious start from the Australians by now.

3rd over: England 9-1 (Beaumont 7, Taylor 0) Schutt is still hooping the ball in the way she does, and Beaumont is equal to it for a single, but Taylor is taking things very carefully to begin with, seeing out the rest of the over.

2nd over: England 8-1 (Beaumont 6, Taylor 0) Just two singles and the wicket from Perry’s first over, and if there’s one thing you don’t want to donate to Perry, it’s an easy entree to the series.

1st over: England 6-0 (Beaumont 4, Jones 0) Lovely start for Beaumont! Schutt swings the ball wildly into her pads, but Beaumont was waiting for the inswing and drove the full length away through mid-on for four. That’s the only scoring shot off the bat though, with a leg bye and a wide adding to the score as Schutt doesn’t give anything to swing through.

If you’ee puzzled by that last reference and need an introduction, find a record called As Heard on Radio Soulwax. A giant of the mash-up genre.

We’re getting what can only be described as an extremely rousing rendition of Jerusalem, my favourite song about artichokes, from a local soprano whose name I have unfortunately missed, my apologies. She finishes with an enormous flourish, backed by what is either an invisible choir and brass band, or a backing tape. The PA then gives way to Run the World by Beyoncé. Classic mash-up, that must have been a 2 Many DJs jam.

The teams are warming up out in front of us at the Leicester County Ground. The English women started with a round-ball football, the Australians with an oval Aussie Rules ball. By now they’ve reverted to actual cricket kit. The Australians are formidable, and the English are stewing. I also wrote a preview to fill you in on the details.