Nat Sciver-Brunt heroics power England to ODI series win as Ashes end all square

Nat Sciver-Brunt playing a shot (Pic: AFP)

Nat Sciver-Brunt came out all guns blazing with a fine century as England claimed a Women's Ashes series draw with a 69-run win over Australia under the DLS method in the third and final one-day international at Taunton.

Victory saw the multi-series format drawn 8-8 on points, the same score as when England last avoided Ashes defeat in Australia five years ago ¿ and meant England had won both the ODI and Twenty20 series 2-1.

Urn holder Australia had already retained the Ashes by winning the second ODI in Southampton on Sunday.

England trailed 6-0 after the opening two matches of the multi-format series ¿ the solitary test and the T20 opener ¿ but rallied to win four of the remaining five white-ball contests.

"To win two series against the world champions in both formats is brilliant,¿ said England captain Heather Knight, who scored 67. ¿The Ashes had gone the other day and the disappointment came out then. But the character in the side to turn it around here was unbelievable."

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Fresh from her unbeaten 111 at Southampton, Sciver-Brunt made her second hundred in three days, 129 runs from 149 balls, as England was put into bat and finished on 285-9 to set Australia a challenging target. Sciver-Brunt scored a fourth century from five ODIs against Australia, and the seventh of her England career in this format.

Sciver-Brunt's resistance finally ended in the 48th over as Jess Jonassen tempted an airborne pull into the safe hands of Ashleigh Gardner.

Gardner took 3-39 in 10 overs, and Jonassen 3-30 in five.

Australia's target was reduced to 269 from 44 overs by rain and, despite Gardner providing brief hope with 41 from 24 balls, the visitors were bowled out for 199 in 35.3 overs as England ran out comfortable winners to the delight of a capacity crowd. Ellyse Perry top-scored with 53.

"We didn't get over the line in the white-ball stuff but I'm proud the way the series has unfolded. It's been an amazing spectacle for cricket in general and really cool to be part of it," Australia captain Alyssa Healy said.

"It's no secret we haven't played our best throughout the entire series . . . We'll sit back now and see what's not quite gone well for us. In the long run it might do us good to have those reflections and know that we can be better.

(With agency inputs)