Southern Stars reclaim Women's Ashes trophy

Southern Stars celebrate their Ashes victory

Hosts England won the T20 portion of the multi-format Ashes 2-1 but have lost the Ashes. Australia, nick named Southern Stars reclaimed the series trophy with a margin of 10 to 6 from the points secured in the ODI and Test match legs. A 2-1 ODI series win and a comprehensive victory in the one-off Test match fetched them four points each, the Southern Stars needed just one victory from the three T20 Internationals to reclaim the Ashes.

England had won the first T20 in Essex by seven wickets. In the second T20 Australia were restricted to 7-107 from 20 overs the series looked to be heading to Cardiff for a winner-takes-all finale. But Meg Lanning had other plans, marshalling her team with precision to set an England collapse of 5-28 which they never looked to recover.

Australia won the game by 20 runs and thereby the Ashes. England got a cold comfort in the third & final game with a 5 wicket win. /the Australian top order misfired again and was reduced to 4-25. But Blackwell, Healy and Harris chipped in at the right time to take Australia to a par total of 111. England had an initial hiccup and seemed to repeat their previous performance until all-rounder Natalie Sciver played a match winning knock to secure England a win and herself the player of match award.

Southern Stars may not quite have finished as they would have liked, but the young players’ dominance with the team’s average age being 24 may well begin to show. Although determined to lift the trophy with a win and but disappointed to lose the last game, the champagne should taste as sweet, with the triumph in England being the first by an Australian team, male or female, since 2001.

Most of the top ranked players from both sides will be in Australia this summer for the inaugural edition of the Women's Big Bash League before the T20 World Cup in India next March. The Stars are determined to capitalize on their success and turn the inaugural women’s Big Bash into a landmark competition for women’s sport.