Room to improve despite England’s dream run: Capsey

Alice Capsey has issued a warning to Australia, insisting England have only been playing "at 80 per cent" through their remarkable Ashes resurgence.

Just two games into the multi-format series England found themselves backed into a corner that left them needing to win all remaining five games to reclaim the trophy.

They had not beaten Australia in over three years in any format, but after hanging on for a three-run win in the second T20I at The Oval, England have gone on a spree, taking out the third T20I and then first ODI in Bristol to inflict three consecutive defeats on Australia for the first time since 2017.

Now the series is on a knife-edge, with both teams locked on six points and with two ODIs – each worth two points – remaining.

Australia’s only edge is the fact they currently hold the Ashes and will retain them if they can win one of the remaining games.

"I think this whole series, we haven't been at our best," Capsey told reporters after England sealed a tense two-wicket win in Bristol.

"Even in the T20s we were probably playing at 80 per cent and we weren't our best again today.

"But to get over the line, and especially in pressure moments where previously maybe we would have crumbled a little bit – we really held strong and we looked really calm out there which has been something that we've been focusing on.

"So it's really exciting that we haven't played our best cricket yet and it's now six-all when it's all to play for."

Heather Knight’s unbeaten 75 steered England to their highest successful ODI chase in Bristol on Wednesday, but Capsey’s aggressive display at No.3 and 77-run stand with Tammy Beaumont meant the pressure was off their skipper when she arrived in the middle.

It followed Capsey’s match-winning 46 off 23 at Lord’s, with the 18-year-old imposing herself on the series after missing the Test in Nottingham and being dismissed for three and five in the first two 20-over matches.

"The idea of me going at three in ODI cricket is if we do lose a wicket in the powerplay then (I’ve) got license really to just try and get us ahead of the game really," she said.

"I thought Tammy batted brilliant in the powerplay, she really took the pressure off me and I was able to just get myself in and then then go from there.

"I think in cricket, all you need is one good shot or one good knock to get you back into the rhythm of things.

"It was an amazing game at Lord's and I was buzzing to contribute, because I didn't feel like I'd done much before that for the team ... so it's always nice to back it up and bring that form into the ODIs; what an exciting series it's going to be."

England have now won more matches in this series than Australia (who claimed four points for winning the sole Test) and Capsey believes the team’s fresh mentality under coach Jon Lewis, who took over last December, has been instrumental to their success in recovering from an early six-nil deficit.

It has been a startlingly different response from England to the previous two Ashes series, where they won a sole dead rubber T20 across both campaigns.

CommBank Ashes Tour of the UK 2023

Multi-format series level at 6-6

Test: Australia won by 89 runs

First T20I: Australia won by four wickets

Second T20I: England won by three runs

Third T20I: England won by five wickets (DLS)

First ODI: England won by two wickets

Second ODI: July 16 at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, 11am (8pm AEST)

Third ODI: July 18 at The County Ground, Taunton, 1pm (10pm AEST)

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, HGrace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

England ODI squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver-Brunt (vc), Issy Wong, Danielle Wyatt