NEWS
Follow UsTwo of the most formidable sides in women's international cricket, England and Australia, lived up to all the hype and expectations in the one-off Test and the first two T20Is.
While the visiting side recorded wins in the red-ball format and opening T20I fixture, England bounced back in a commanding fashion to win a nail-biting thriller by three runs in the second outing.
Despite losing only their second game in the last 25 T20I matches, Alyssa Healy conceded there is not a lot of worry for the team, and they need to sharpen a few areas ahead of the decider at Lord's on Saturday, July 8.
"It felt like we were slightly off in every facet of the game again - and we mentioned that after the last game - but we were probably a little bit worse again tonight," Healy said after the game, as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo.
"I guess it's some sort of comfort to know that we didn't play our best and still only lost by four runs. We'll just pinpoint it over the next day and a half and hopefully put it all together for Lord's.
"We're allowed to lose games of cricket. England also came out at the start of the series and said this is their strongest format. So you've got to potentially think they're going to challenge you at some point, and they did tonight."
"We spoke about some areas we needed to improve on for the last game, and I think we improved in some of them. But we're still sort of letting ourselves down in some little one-percenters in the game - whether it be the fielding or execution with bat and ball - so there's not much you can do about it."
"You can train all you like, but if you turn up with a ruthless attitude and a want to win, you can get yourselves over the line. I'm not saying that's what the issue is, but we just have to reset, refocus."
The Aussie skipper also acknowledged the packed crowd at The Oval and credited the people for coming in large numbers to support women's sport.
"It was a great game of cricket at one of the most iconic grounds in England, which was a great showcase for women's sport. And you see what you can do when you play on good ground with a good wicket - people want to turn up and watch.
"We have set our sights on what is going to be an amazing occasion at Lord's on Saturday night. This Ashes series has been such an amazing one so far."
"We're playing at some of the biggest grounds in the country, and people want to turn up and watch because they know what they're going to get. So to tick Lord's off, it'll be a really special occasion for the girls who get that opportunity."
"But I'm sure that the girls that aren't playing, there's going to be plenty more opportunities in future Ashes series because they've set the benchmark now, which is really exciting," she concluded.
Australia need a win to clinch the Ashes and will have a chance to do so in the final T20I, which will be followed by three ODIs, each carrying two points.
