Women’s Ashes LIVE: Australia take on England in final ODI

Australia are out in the middle with England’s Lauren Bell taking the new ball and will looking to get an early wicket.

Phoebe Litchfield on strike.

First ball: half hearted cut at the ball, no run.

Second ball: swept off pads for one run by Litchfield

Third ball: Healy facing her first ball of the game, pauses to get herself settled. Forward defence.

Fourth ball: Leaves the delivery completely.

Fifth ball: No run as Healy drives to cover.

Sixth ball: Could be wicket? England appealing for an edge as Healy swings and misses it. Healy not walking and looks fairly relaxed as it goes for review. Given not out as the ball hits the thigh pad. England lose a review.

Australia 0-1 (after one over)

Speaking of the English, it turns out that Sam Konstas has caught the attention of the press. Barney Ronay, who one of the major writers in the UK was far from complimentary about the wunderkind in the Guardian.

“There was a sense during the India series of Konstas being installed as a cricketing version of Raygun the Olympic breakdancer, a fun, gimmicky approximation of the real thing,” Ronay wrote.

“This is a nation that seems convinced the future of cricket is a spunky, mulletted, wispy-moustachioed bloke who hasn’t scored any runs but whacks it in interesting ways.

“But what are the odds he has already made his highest Test score?”

My colleague Tom Decent writes that David Warner has urged the young star to let it go and focus on what he does best, scoring runs.

Interesting stuff from Alana King on Fox Cricket, she reports that as expected the wicket in Hobart is nice and dry, but she says that she doesn’t expect their to be much bounce on it.

It could be really big day for her fellow leggie Georgia Wareham later in the day. But before that, Australia need to do a lot better than Melbourne where they really struggled with the bat, with the notable exception of Ellyse Perry.

They can make life a lot more easy for themselves with a decent total, but this is easier said than done when Sophie Ecclestone and Alice Capsey will be looking to get some early wickets.

Australia win the toss and have decided to bat and will look to build a big total after the small 180 posted in Melbourne. Georgia Wareham comes in for Australia, it is definitely a day for leg spinners.

Australia captain is many things, a wonderful leader, wicket keeper and batter, but after her terrible coin toss in Melbourne that including catching her own effort, she wisely delegates the gig to the British High Commissioner.

England captain said Heather Knight said that she would have done the exact same thing. England are unchanged and Kate Cross is still on the sidelines as she works on her fitness.

Australia: Alyssa Healy (c/wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ash Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Georgia Warehan, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt

England: Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Heather Knight (c), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Amy Jones (wk), Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Lauren Bell

Maths is absolutely not a strength of this writer, but bear with me. In very simple terms, each ODI and Twenty20 is worth two points, while the MCG Test will be worth four.

Australia as we have seen have won the last two ODIs, so if they win today in Tasmania, it will put them 6-0, and they will need just two more points to retain the Ashes, so either a win in one of the three upcoming Twenty20s, or a draw at the MCG to retain the Ashes.

England will have a psychological mountain to climb after letting the chance of levelling the series go begging in Melbourne, but the team are far from out of this contest. Sophie Ecclestone and Alice Capsey bagged four and three wickets respectively, and on this deck will be looking for more of the same.

The visitors will also work on their counting between overs, given Amy Jones unfortunate decision to not run on the last ball of the 48th over that put seamer Lauren Bell in at the crease before bowled out by Megan Schutt. Jones will rue that mistake and will not make it again. Star all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt also looked a lot more comfortable with the bat, making 35 runs and will hope for a lot more today.

Good morning and welcome to the final ODI of the women’s Ashes.

My name is Jonathan Drennan and it’s my pleasure to join take you through today’s action from the Bellerive Oval in Hobart, or to give its official name, Ninja Oval. Australia will be looking to streak into a 3-0 lead after their thrilling 21 run victory in Melbourne on Tuesday.

What can you say that about that game? To recap, Australia posted a total of just 180 runs driven largely by Ellyse Perry’s 60 and England came into bat very confident that they were going to level the series. Alana King was outstanding with four wickets and Kim Garth also delivered with three of her own. Australia really had no right to win that game, but they showed their resolve and mental toughness to return fire with the ball.

Now onto Tassie. I have just returned from that beautiful state and I have never felt quite so home in Australia as an Irish native. Green fields and summer weather hovering far below 20 degrees. Today is no different from the Apple Isle and Hobart will reach the lofty highs of 18 degrees today. A day for the woolly pullovers on the boundary for the Australian team at least, while the English will feel quite at home.

Although it will be relatively chilly, the wicket on this oval is renowned to be fairly dry, meaning that King could have another day to remember.

The toss will be crucial and I expect that both teams will want to have a bowl first. Here we go.