McGrath’s all-round power guides Aussies to special win

Tahlia McGrath has produced one of the greatest individual all-round performances in T20I history to steer Australia to a record-breaking nine-wicket victory in the opening match of the Ashes at Adelaide Oval.

England had promised to be bold in their mission to make amends for a 2019 campaign that was anything but, and opener Danni Wyatt immediately made good on that promise with a belligerent 70 from 54 balls that led her side to 4-169 despite McGrath's three-wicket haul.

If left Australia needing to pull off their highest chase in T20I history to claim the first Ashes points – and they needed to do it without Beth Mooney – but McGrath's heroics saw them do it at a canter, reeling in their target with three overs to spare.

The South Australian allrounder finished unbeaten on 91 from just 49 deliveries, sharing an unbeaten 144-run stand with captain Meg Lanning, who answered any questions over her own form with 64 not out from 44 deliveries.

Questions had swirled all week around who would replace the injured Mooney at the top of the order; Lanning did it in a warm-up on Tuesday but suggested it was but a stop-gap measure while they canvassed their options across both the senior and 'A' squads.

Ultimately, it was the Australia captain who strode to the middle with Alyssa Healy, opening in a T20I for the first time since 2017 – coincidentally also a match at Adelaide Oval and the scene of a forgettable collapse against New Zealand.

Their a task became that bit more difficult when Nat Sciver held sharp catch at mid-wicket to remove Alyssa Healy off the bowling of Sophie Ecclestone for seven.

A newly promoted McGrath joined Lanning, and no doubt buoyed by confidence from her earlier success with the ball, helped Australia to 1-42 after the Powerplay.

Bossing the English attack on her home turf, McGrath reached her maiden T20I half-century from 28 deliveries, then continued cutting, driving and pulling to all corners.

Their 100-run stand came from 58 balls, as the pair reeled in the required rate into a run-a-ball.

Such was McGrath's dominance, it achieved the rare feat of overshadowing the Australian captain, who celebrated her return to the top with a 38-ball half-century.

Back-to-back boundaries carried McGrath into the nineties, remarkably, she has yet to be dismissed in her three-game T20 career, with her 91 not out following unbeaten knocks of 42 and 44 against India last October.

Earlier, Lanning sent England in after the hosts rang the changes from their most recent T20 XI of October last year, most notably dropping Ellyse Perry, handing a debut to Alana King and recalling Grace Harris for the first time in five years.

Both teams went in underprepared after the change in schedule and COVID-19 restrictions scuppered their best-laid plans.

It was England who settled first, and after Wyatt and Tammy Beaumont took stock while Megan Schutt and Tayla Vlaeminck fired the opening salvos – including a savage bumper from the latter that struck Beaumont on the helmet – they began to assert themselves.

The first boundary came via a Beaumont scoop, before Wyatt welcomed Jess Jonassen back to international cricket with back-to-back sixes straight down the ground.

Pouncing on bowling that erred to the short and wide side from the Australians, the England openers piled on 51 from the opening powerplay and carried their side to 0-82 at the midway point of the innings.

King, who earlier received T20I cap No.57 from assistant coach Shelley Nitschke, finally found the first breakthrough in the 11th over, with a return catch that ended Beaumont's day on 30.

The introduction of DRS for the first time in a women's bilateral series in Australia yielded mixed results; Lanning's review of an lbw shout in the 13th over was turned down, while Nat Sciver successfully appealed after she was given out in the same manner shortly after on five, with replays showing she had indeed hit the ball before it struck pad.

Lanning rotated through her options, with only Schutt managing to tie down the aggressive English pair, as Wyatt brought up a half-century from 39 balls.

Local hero McGrath finally (and briefly) swung the momentum in Australia's favour with two wickets in three balls to dismiss both Sciver and Wyatt, then Amy Jones two overs later, but a 14-run final over from Heather Knight (10no) and Sophia Dunkley (10no) lifted England to 4-169, the highest first-innings total conceded by Australia in a T20I.

McGrath (3-26) and King (1-28) claimed the wickets, but Jonassen (0-23) and Nicola Carey (0-27) bowled just two overs apiece after copping the brunt of Wyatt's attack.

Commonwealth Bank Women's Ashes v England

Australia Ashes squad: Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes (vc), Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Meg Lanning (c), Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck

England Ashes squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver (vc), Anya Shrubsole, Mady Villiers, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt

Australia lead the multi-format series 2-0

Jan 20: Australia won by nine wickets

Jan 22: Second T20, Adelaide Oval, 2.10pm AEDT

Jan 23: Third T20, Adelaide Oval, 2.10pm AEDT

Jan 27-30: Test match, Manuka Oval, 10am AEDT, 

Feb 3: First ODI, Manuka Oval (D/N), 2.10pm AEDT

Feb 6: Second ODI, Junction Oval, 10.05am AEDT

Feb 8: Third ODI, Junction Oval, 10.05am AEDT

Australia A v England A

Australia A squad: Georgia Redmayne (c), Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns (OD only), Stella Campbell, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Heather Graham, Phoebe Litchfield, Katie Mack (OD only), Courtney Sippel, Molly Strano (OD only), Elyse Villani, Georgia Voll, Courtney Webb, Amanda-Jade Wellington

England A squad: Emily Arlott, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Alice Davidson-Richards, Georgia Elwiss, Kirstie Gordon, Eve Jones, Beth Langston, Emma Lamb, Bryony Smith, Ellie Threlkeld, Issy Wong

Jan 20: Australia A won by three wickets

Jan 21: Second T20, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide, 3pm AEDT

Jan 23: Third T20, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide, 10am AEDT

Jan 28: First OD, Philip Oval, Canberra, 10am AEDT

Jan 30: Second OD, Philip Oval, Canberra, 10am AEDT

Feb 2: Third OD, Philip Oval, Canberra, 10am AEDT