Australia prevail in nail-biting opener

Australia have drawn first blood in the women's Ashes, edging home by two wickets in a nervy encounter at Leicester's Grace Road.

In what turned out to be a low-scoring thriller, a stunning new-ball display from quicks Ellyse Perry and Megan Schutt handed Australia a dream start to the opening ODI of the multi-format series, leaving England's top-order in disarray at 4-19 before Natalie Sciver's fighting 64 helped the hosts reach 177.

Alyssa Healy (66) then looked poised to guide the Australians to victory – despite key wickets falling cheaply at the other end – but her dismissal in the 26th over the opened the door for England.

Image Id: AE6066C01E6241B38D163C96E98DA4ED Image Caption: Healy salutes her latest Ashes ODI 50 // Getty

A brilliant spell from 20-year-old left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone (3-34) piled the pressure on Australia's lower order, before the calm head of experienced Queenslander Delissa Kimmince ultimately steered the tourists home in the 43rd over.

After their bowlers tore their way through England's powerful batting, the Australian batters found themselves in a similar position in pursuit of a target thought to be well below par.

Reinstalled at the top of the order in her return to international cricket, Nicole Bolton managed just two runs from 15 deliveries faced, caught behind slashing at a wide delivery from Anya Shrubsole.

Katherine Brunt, on her 34th birthday, found herself in the unfamiliar position of not opening the bowling for the first time in her 119 ODIs. But when she was introduced in the 11th over she picked up the perfect present, trapping Australian captain Meg Lanning lbw for 16.

Perry struggled to get going before falling to a piece of magic from wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor, stumped off a Sciver wide. Her dismissal opened the door for England and it creaked wider still when Rachael Haynes (10) was trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone.

Image Id: 154E12CADB0D47FCA1B6986C2FEDA1DF Image Caption: Captain Meg Lanning made 16 before she was lbw // Getty

At the other end, Healy looked to be batting on a different pitch to her teammates. Given a life on 40 when put down off at mid-on off the bowling of Brunt, she otherwise batted superbly to bring up a half-century from 57 deliveries with a maximum.

But the game turned in England's favour – for the first time all day – when she holed out on 66, caught by a diving Fran Wilson, a disappointing end to a 71-ball innings featuring eight boundaries and two sixes.

Beth Mooney steadied Australia but when she was bowled on 25 attempting to ramp off-spinner Laura Marsh with 28 runs still required, the match took another twist.

Jess Jonassen and Kimmince inched Australia closer to victory, but with 11 runs needed off 62 balls, Jonassen – who until that point had been calmness personified – inexplicably went after Ecclestone, holing out for 19.

Image Id: 7464330FD998401DBAD7C1F30092DC53 Image Caption: Sophie Ecclestone put the Aussies in a spin // Getty

But Kimmince held her nerve, seeing off the rest of Ecclestone's overs. She struck a much-needed boundary to leave Australia needing five to win, before a wide delivery from Brunt missed everything, Australia home by two wickets in the 43rd over.

Ecclestone finished with 3-34 from her 10 brilliant overs, with Marsh (2-22 off six) the other multiple wicket taker.

Earlier, Australia's superb new-ball bowling set the scene as England were bowled out for 177.

After Lanning won the toss, England opener Tammy Beaumont smartly dispatched the first delivery of the Ashes off Schutt to the boundary, but from there things turned rapidly in the tourists' favour.

Perry took just two balls to claim the first wicket of the series, cramping up Amy Jones (0) with a short ball, top-edging a simple catch to Alyssa Healy behind the stumps.

Beaumont found the boundary twice more, only to become Perry's second victim when she chopped on and Schutt joined in on the action one ball later when Taylor was deceived by an inswinger, bowled for one.

Image Id: E11B24E554874AD0BEF69BA24BF3299F Image Caption: Schutt celebrates bowling Taylor // Getty

And when Perry struck with the first ball of her next over to trap England captain Heather Knight lbw after the England skipper walked across her stumps to another inswinger, the hosts were in disarray at 4-19.

Wilson reached 21 from just 14 deliveries when given out lbw to left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen in the 12th over, appearing baffled as the umpire raised his finger – and justifiably so, with replays showing the ball had clearly struck her on the gloves. But with no DRS available she had no avenue of appeal, leaving England 5-44.

A 50-run stand between Sciver and Brunt steadied England before the latter was trapped in front by Kimmince, out for a 49-ball 20, while Haynes reeled in a stunning one-handed catch at mid-off to send Shrubsole (2) packing.

Sciver's half-century came off 80 deliveries, but her hopes of batting through the innings were thwarted when she became the fourth batter to fall lbw, gone for a 95-ball 64. A run-a-ball 27 from tail-ender Ecclestone provided the late boost for the hosts before they were bowled out for 177 after 46.5 overs.

Image Id: 02FE2EB9790942B98FE470C96FF4137F Image Caption: Perry bowled Beaumont for her second // Getty

Perry finished with 3-43 from her seven overs, while Schutt (2-19 off 8.5), Jonassen (2-21 off eight), Gardner (2-27 off eight) and Kimmince (1-29 off five) were the other wicket takers.

Australia and England will meet again at the same venue on Thursday in another day-night encounter, beginning at 2pm local time (11pm AEST).

England XI: Amy Jones, Tasmin Beaumont, Sarah Taylor (wk), Natalie Sciver, Heather Knight (c), Fran Wilson, Katherine Brunt, Laura Marsh, Anya Shrubsole, Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone.

Australia XI: Alyssa Healy (wk), Nicole Bolton, Meg Lanning (c), Ellyse Perry, Rachel Haynes, Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Georgia Wareham, Megan Schutt.

CommBank Ashes Tour of England

Australia lead England 2-0

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

England ODI squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Jenny Gunn, Amy Jones, Laura Marsh, Nat Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Sarah Taylor, Fran Wilson, Lauren Winfield, Danni Wyatt 

July 2: Australia won by two wickets

July 4: Second ODI, Grace Road, Leicester

July 7:  Third ODI, St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury

July 11-13: England Academy v Australia, Marlborough College, Swindon

July 18-21: Only Test, The County Ground, Taunton

July 26: First T20, County Ground, Chelmsford

July 28: Second T20, The County Ground, Hove

July 31: Third T20, Bristol County Ground, Bristol

A Test victory is worth four points (two each for a draw), two points are awarded for ODI and T20 wins