Women’s Ashes Australia vs England live blog, second ODI from Junction Oval

Bang! Boundary first up from Healy. Filer dropped it in short and Healy stood up to pull it in the air over the infield and to the boundary for four.

Four more! Filer over corrects. Too full this time and it’s a classical drive through the covers for four.

Like it was in the first game, it seems it will be a story of two ends.

Bell metronomic from one, Filer slightly erratic from the other.

It’s better from Filer for the third ball of the over. Good length, outside off and left alone by Healy.

She follows it up with a wide. Filer falls over upon release for the second time in the over.

She’s struggling to find her footing and there’s a break in play as a group of players are doing their best to scuff up the crease.

Bang! Four more for Healy! Through the covers again, slightly squarer but equally as flowing.

Two dots to finish the over but the damage had already been done.

0/15 after an over each from the two Lauren’s.

A couple wides from Bell, but otherwise a typically miserly start from the right arm pacer.

Only the two extras from the first over.

The 2025 Women’s Ashes is a multi-format affair.

Three ODIs will be followed by three T20s before the series is rounded out with a one-off test at the MCG.

Two points are handed out for each limited overs victory, while a win in the longest format is worth four.

A tie in the limited overs matches is worth one point a piece, while a draw in the test will mean both sides are rewarded with two.

With Australia very strong test match favourites, it is vital that England get some points on the board pronto.

It’s 2-0 to Australia, courtesy of a relatively comfortable four wicket win at North Sydney Oval on Sunday.

Alyssa Healy’s level-headed 70 was a welcome return to form for the Australia captain, while Alana King, Kim Garth and Annabel Sutherland all took two wickets in a stifling bowling performance.

But Australia’s most impressive player was Ash Gardner.

Some tight middle-overs bowling rewarded her with figures of 3/19 before an unbeaten 42 guided Australia home in the chase.

England, on the other hand, struggled for momentum.

Captain Heather Knight, Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Amy Jones all made starts with the bat but were unable to cash in on promising starts.

Lauren’s Filer and Bell were, in my opinion anyway, the tourist’s best bowlers.

The pair looked particularly dangerous in the opening 10 overs.

News from the middle is England captain Heather Knight has won the toss and elected to bowl first.

For the first time in the series, Alyssa Healy’s Australia will be setting a target.

Good toss to win for England, bowling first at Junction Oval is definitely the done thing.

Teams are unchanged and as follows:

Australia: Alyssa Healy, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ash Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown

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

Hello! Welcome back to our live coverage of the 2024/25 Women’s Ashes, as the second ODI takes us to Junction Oval in Melbourne.

After a resounding win in the opening game on Sunday, Australia has the chance to put itself in a dominant position early in the series — victory here would have it halfway to the points tally it needs to retain the Ashes already.

But England will be determined to respond, setting up a critical and intriguing second game. Join myself and Henry Hanson for all the action as we see what unfolds today.