All-round Perry returns to form as Australia seal Ashes win

For somebody as predominant in the game as Ellyse Perry has been, a seven-game dry spell without an ODI wicket is in excess of a gentle astonishment. Odd as it might sound, her last scalp in the configuration was Sri Lanka's Yasoda Mendis in October 2019. Spider webs, assuming that there were any, were tidied off in style at Junction Oval in Melbourne on Sunday (February 6) as Perry drove Australia's prevailing bowling execution with figures of 3 for 12. Britain, who were all the while holding onto any expectations of evening out the Ashes series on focuses, ala 2017, were bowled out for a stingy 129 - an objective Australia pursued down inside 36 overs, with Perry top-scoring with 40. Meg Lanning's choice to bowl originally was justified breathtakingly when Perry had Tammy Beaumont got expertly by Alyssa Healy from the get-go. It was an antecedent to a great handling show from the hosts, with skipper Lanning herself culling a shocker at slip later on to excuse Danny Wyatt. Notwithstanding the early loss of their opener, England advanced consistently to arrive at 40 toward the finish of the PowerPlay before Laura Winfield-Hill was out LBW to Alana King. The legspinner consolidated splendidly with Jess Jonassen and the pair joined to gag England through the center overs, yielding a sum of 48 runs from 19 consolidated overs for three wickets between them. Nat Sciver and Heather Knight tumbled to the left-arm spinner in this period, sinking England further into the soil. Perry was brought once more into the assault in the 24th over and quickly added the wickets of Sophia Dunkley and Charlotte Dean while Tahlia McGrath took three of her own in 3.2 overs. That England even got to 129 was down to commitments from Amy Jones (28) and Sophie Ecclestone, the last option staying unbeaten on 32. Australia didn't lope to triumph in the pursuit and had a top-request wobble of their own to battle with. Rachael Haynes and Lanning fell inside six bundles of one another, the last option for a duck, to leave at Australia 18 for 2. That before long became 49 for 3 when Healy tumbled to Sciver. Perry (40) sewed a little stand effortlessly the nerves. The veteran all-rounder was run-out for 40 yet not prior to taking her group to inside 30 runs of England's score. Ashleigh Gardner saw the group over the line and to an unassailable affirmative series lead. Brief scores: England 129 in 45.3 overs (Sophie Ecclestone32*; Tahlia McGrath 3-4, Ellyse Perry 3-12) lost to Australia 131/5 in 35.2 overs (Ellyse Perry 40, Ashleigh Gardner 35*; Kate Cross 2-46) by five wickets.