Isn't cricket a Gentlewoman's game too?

It was Nat-Sciver Brunt, of course. With those tender but fearsome eyes watching and with a swish of the bat, the ball disappeared over mid-off for a boundary; and came 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. Her resistance finally ended in the 48th over as Jess Jonassen tempted an airborne pull into the safe hands of Ashleigh Gardner.

Australia and England engineered a grandstand finish to the ODI series, as England ran out comfortable winners to the delight of a capacity crowd, while a batting collapse left the visitors scrambling to survive after being bowled out for 199 in 35.3 overs.

As a result, 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.

Under 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."

Each match of the series has had twists and turns to offer with different starring roles - Tammy Beaumont hitting 208 in the Test at Trent Bridge, while Sophie Ecclestone scalped a 10-wicket haul.

Also Read: Mauled and humiliated: The rise of West Indies declinism in cricket

Since the format switched to white-ball cricket, Sophia Dunkley, Danni Wyatt, Alice Capsey and Knight have all had key contributions and in doing so further cemented their place as role models for the next generation. It certainly does not sound too far-fetched to be true, but the impact of this summer's battle will be significant regardless of what unfolded in the final two ODIs.

"We didn't get over the line in the white-ball stuff but I'm proud of 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."

Almost more importantly, this tournament has been a great evangelical exercise for England, and women's cricket in general. In a historic first, the venues selected truly reflected the prestige of the tournament. A whole new audience, who might not have thought of going to watch women's cricket for its own sake, were exposed to it. And, impressed by it.

I hope that, for the five-year-old girl next door and her friends, women playing sports to a high level is normal, and that watching it, in mixed company, is normal too. This tournament has taken a huge step to ensuring that is the reality.

Not many global sporting contests predate the countries that play them, but few contests are as old as the Ashes, ask any cricket loyalist. To have the greatest players contesting a game that remained fairly balanced between bat and ball, before adoring crowds, has been the most wonderful of all things. And without a game washed out too.

It is a good thing that the Ashes follow, as any other series might risk being an anti-climax. Even if it is between two of the also-rans of this tournament.

The ODIs this time were still played at county grounds, but the Test and T20 matches showcased some of England's most premier locations: with Lord's, The Oval, Trent Bridge and Edgbaston all opened up to host the stimulating, nerve-wracking contests. Having big grounds to play signals to fans that a match is crucial, that attending it is desirable, even history-making. As much as it is an indication towards the right direction, it also elevates the contest and makes it something people want to witness.

When over 30,000 fans packed the stands at The Oval for the T20, it was the first time a women's international match had been played at the venue since 2009. And while the record crowd cheered England to a three-run triumph, it left the Australians facing their first outright defeat since September 2021.

"I remember being part of the 2005 Ashes and we were spurring each other on. People didn't really know we were playing back then so that is probably the difference to now but there is something in the air. It feels a really seminal moment for our sport," former cricketer and now commentator Isa Guha told the PA news agency.

Also Read: Humidity lingers, traffic worsens, but cricket wins the race: A diary of an Indian on tour

Slowly but surely, the times are changing.

Few would deny fan interest in the men's game is the main driver of women's cricket revenue but, until recently, the lack of investment in women meant inequity was a self-fulfilling prophecy. Nothing accrues nothing. If women had few chances to prove themselves, developing any form of parity would be limited.

"I think women's cricket is only going in one way. It is the fastest growing area of our sport and to see that investment paying off, that makes us all feel good about the bigger picture of women's cricket at the top level. There is still a lot more to be done at grassroots level and in the pathways, but certainly the inspiration that is coming out of this whole series is incredible," added Isa.

The ICC has also changed its mindset, as they seek to grow the game.

As groundbreaking as the Ashes series was, it is not the only area where women's cricket is making huge strides. Last week, in a ground-breaking move towards gender parity and inclusivity in cricket, Jay Shah, Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), expressed his enthusiasm on Twitter, announcing a major step forward.

This announcement came after the International Cricket Council (ICC) declared equal prize money for men's and women's teams at ICC events, surpassing the predetermined timeline for achieving prize money parity. As a consequence, teams will receive equal prize money for finishing in similar positions at comparable events, as well as the same amount for winning matches.

In the same week, Cricket Australia revealed the draw for the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) will include standalone matches at the MCG and SCG for the first time. There is potential for even more growth in viewing figures at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 in Bangladesh.

Come next year, it will be another chance for women's cricket to stand alone and shine on the world stage and serve as a reminder of where the game has come from and all that is still waiting to be achieved.