Synopsis
Australia Women's cricket team has made history by achieving a 16-0 whitewash against England in the 2024-25 Ashes series. They secured the trophy with an innings and 122 runs victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with Alana King shining as Player of the Series, taking 23 wickets.Key Takeaways
- Australia Women achieved a historic 16-0 victory over England Women.
- Alana King was named the Player of the Series.
- Annabel Sutherland made history with a century at the MCG.
- Beth Mooney became the first Australian woman to score centuries in all formats.
- The series showcased outstanding performances by the Australian team.
Melbourne, Feb 1 (NationPress) It has been an unforgettable summer of cricket for Australia Women, as they achieved a remarkable 16-0 whitewash against their fiercest competitors, England Women, in the 2024-25 Ashes series. The home team clinched the trophy with a resounding victory by an innings & 122 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Alana King was awarded the Player of the Series after claiming 23 wickets, including nine in the Test match, with an impressive average of 11.17, matching Ash Gardner's record of 23 wickets from the 2023 Ashes series.
Australia won the toss and opted to bowl first at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), applying relentless pressure on the visiting team.
Nat Sciver-Brunt was the top scorer in the first innings, making 51 runs in yet another disappointing batting display from England. Alana claimed four wickets, supported by Kim Garth and Darcie Brown, who took two wickets each, dismissing England for just 170 runs.
In response, Annabel Sutherland, who was named Player of the Match in the one-off Test, made history on Day Two by becoming the first woman to score a Test century at this iconic venue. The talented all-rounder delivered a spectacular innings of 163 runs off 258 balls.
Beth Mooney joined Sutherland at the crease, becoming the first Australian woman to hit a century in all three international formats with her contribution of 106 runs, leading the team to a total of 440.
After establishing a 270-run lead, Alana and Ash bowled an impressive 47.4 overs in tandem to claim the final nine wickets of the match, solidifying the victory. A standout moment came in the 37th over when Alana, bowling from the Shane Warne End, executed her own version of the legendary ‘ball of the century,’ a flighted delivery that drifted outside the leg stump and spun sharply to hit the stumps, dismissing Sophia Dunkley.
"We have to give credit to Tahlia McGrath, who led the T20 series wonderfully; it was truly a team effort. I couldn't be prouder of this group. Every time we thought England could make a comeback, someone stepped up and closed the door on them. The series has been a fantastic experience, playing at some of Australia’s finest stadiums against great opposition and drawing crowds back to cricket," stated Alyssa in the post-match series interview.
Brief scores:
Australia 440 all out in 130.3 overs (Sutherland 163, Mooney 106, Sophie Ecclestone 5-143) defeated England 170 & 148 all out in 68.4 overs (Beaumont 47, King 5-53, Gardner 4-39) by an innings and 122 runs.
