Aussies remain unbeaten, clinch Ashes series win as Test squad named
Australia's women had already retained the Ashes. Now they've won the series against England.
The Australians won the rain-affected second Twenty20 by six runs in Canberra on Thursday to extend their unbeaten start to the series and move into a 10-0 lead with just one more T20 and a Test match remaining.
The English were set 186 to win and reached 4-168 with five balls left when heavy rain fell and no further play was possible.
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They were six runs short of the required score set by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
The Australians, who have won all three ODIs and the first two T20s, have held the Ashes since 2015, when they won the multi-format series on English soil.
Beth Mooney (44), Tahlia McGrath (48 not out), and Grace Harris (35 not out) did the bulk of the damage as the Aussies reached 5-185.
Annabel Sutherland of Australia celebrates taking the wicket of Maia Bouchier of England. Getty
Megan Schutt then took two wickets.
"A whitewash would be outstanding. England got the better of us in the last series," Harris said.
"To me, (the last series is) a loss, a draw is boring. But 16-0, that would be very, very good if we could embarrass this England team because they're actually a very competitive outfit and they've got some really good players among them."
The teams head to Adelaide for a third T20 on Saturday, and then the Test match will be at the MCG from January 30.
Australia on Thursday night named its squad for the Test match, which includes the injured skipper Alyssa Healy as well as Ash Gardner, who did not play the T20.
"Alyssa has been named in the squad as a batter only and we'll give her as much time as we can to prove her fitness ahead of the match," selector Shawn Flegler said.
"Ash will continue to be assessed daily, and her availability for the third T20 remains uncertain. At this stage she is on track to be available for the Test match."
Georgia Voll is expected to make her Test debut in Melbourne.
AUSTRALIAN TEST MATCH SQUAD
Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (vc), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham.
- with AP
