Ashes: Australian Women’s On The Brink Of Series Win After ODI Sweep

The women’s cricket team of Australia is on the brink of a first-ever Women’s Ashes win, requiring just two more points to win the coveted series. With their victory by 86 runs in the final match of the 2025 Women’s Ashes ODI series, Australia has now taken an unbeatable lead. Even if they were to lose all three matches in the T20 series and the Test match is drawn, Australia would still emerge victorious in the Ashes.

Australia’s Dominant Victory in the Last ODI

The Australian women’s team sealed a clean sweep of the ODI series with an 86-run victory over England in the fifth and final match. This ensured that Australia had already sealed the series, and England played just to restore some pride and honor after their struggles.

Toss and Early Innings: Australia Under Pressure

Australia won the toss and decided to bat first. However, England’s bowlers put the Australian top order under early pressure, and Australia soon found themselves in a precarious situation at 59/4. The game seemed to be slipping away from them, but Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath stepped up to stabilize the innings. Mooney scored 50 runs off 64 balls, and McGrath added 55 runs from 45 balls, which helped rebuild Australia’s score.

The headline stealer of the match was, however, all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner. The all-rounder thrilled the fans with a delectable knock, bating her first ODI century. She scored 102 runs from 101 balls, anchoring Australia’s total and getting her team to a respectable score of 308.

England’s Chase—Slow and Stuttering

Returning to Australia’s set target of 308 runs, England’s chase was a slow and stuttering affair. Tammy Beaumont (54 runs from 77 balls) and Nat Sciver-Brunt (61 runs from 68 balls) tried hard to keep the hopes of England alive. The rest of the batting failed to make any contribution, and England was bowled out for 222, losing by 86 runs and giving Australia another comfortable win.

Australia’s bowling attack, led by Alana King, played a critical role in England’s downfall. King was brilliant with the ball, taking 5 wickets for just 46 runs in 8.2 overs. Her devastating leg-spin kept England’s batsmen in check, ensuring that Australia maintained control throughout the match.

Australia’s Path to Ashes Victory

With the win in the final ODI, Australia is now just two points away from securing the Women’s Ashes. Even if they lose the upcoming T20 series 3-0 and the Test match ends in a draw, they will still emerge as the Ashes winners. It has managed to bring England into a terrible situation as they need to win all four of the remaining matches-three T20s and a Test-to snatch the Ashes away from Australia.

Although the task seems daunting, the fortunes may turn around for England in the T20 series. T20 cricket, with its fast-paced nature, often closes the gap between even the most dominant teams, so England still has a chance to come back strong.

Looking Ahead: The T20 Series

The focus now shifts to the T20 format with the hopes of England coming down purely to a spectacular turnaround. The SCG on Monday will host the opening game of the three-match T20 series. England will be under tremendous pressure to win all three T20 matches and keep their Ashes dream alive.

The tourists have their work cut out as Australia looks very impressive. The win for Australia gave them an enormous comprehensive victory for the final game of the ODI and has thus drawn them close to the victory clinch in this Women’s Ashes. So, Australia simply needs to ensure two more points to clinch the series. So, both these departments came and delivered in a crucial, match-winning play.

While England’s chances of winning the Ashes now seem slim, they will look to fight back in the upcoming T20 series, knowing that a 3-0 sweep is crucial to keeping their hopes alive.

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