AUS Women vs ENG Women, 1st ODI at Bristol, Jul 12 2023 - Match Result

8.00pm: Phew! Thanks for joining us tonight. A gripping finish to a mad game. Vish's report will be up shortly, but until then, this is Matt signing off on behalf of K Vairavan and Srinidhi.

Time for the presentations.

Alyssa Healy is first up: "We probably got outplayed a little bit at the end but we fought well to keep ourselves in it. We were probably 20 short with the bat and bowled 20-odd extras. That's 40 runs in the game. Our spinners did an outstanding job on that wicket. Areas we can improve on for the next game. [Pitch?] Everyone who came off said they couldn't quite get into the swing of things. The change of pace into the wicket and the spin came into it at the back end. [Three in a row?] The Ashes is on the line now proper, isn't it? If that doesn't galvanise the group, I don't know what will. We haven't been in this position a lot. It's up to us to turn it around. We've just got to be better, sharper in certain areas to get us over the line."

Heather Knight is Player of the Match: "It feels very good. It was hard work out there. I thought it was starting to slip away. Kate Cross, what a hero. She was nervous when she came in but we broke it down. To beat a very good side is outstanding - and we can be a lot better. The fight in the side is remarkable and we showed that again today. I was trying to keep [the emotion] in. I found it a really tricky wicket. It was hard to feel fluent and rotate the ball around. It was pure relief and ecstatsy. We kept making it hard for ourselves. I was a lot calmer than I would have been watching. [Cross?] It's her best shot and fine leg was up. We kept saying to each other 'Lauren Bell's in next, so keep going!' To see her do that was outstanding. [Improvement?] There was a lot we could do better. First 10-15 we were a little bit off. Not the best day in the field. But we're still winning. Clear tactic by us to take the powerplay on because it was the best time to score. [Series squared] Every game has been so close. It's been an awesome series. I wanted to be there at the end. It was pure joy. Home club, people watching, lots of family and friends here. We've kept growing as a team and we're still got a long way to go. We've kept calm in the big moments. We're got a lot of momentum. The support from the crowd was unreal again. It has really made the difference for us."

7.43pm: Wow! An unbroken partnership of 32 in 28 balls for the ninth wicket between England's captain Heather Knight and seamer Kate Cross to get them across the line. England had no room for manoeuvre against the Aussie juggernaut after losing the Test and the first T20I, but they've won three on the spin to draw level in the series with two to play. It's been a topsy-turvy game, with plenty of momentum swings, some sloppy mistakes from both sides and some moments of brilliance too. But England have come out on top!

Hypocaust on Twitter: "This is the first time Australia women have lost three consecutive matches in all formats since a run of two T20Is and an ODI against New Zealand in Feb 2017."

Sampath Bandarupalli tells me this is England's highest-ever successful run chase in a women's ODI.

Vish: "Enthralling series so far with a fascinating game today. Can we please have the next ODI rained off so we can have Final in Taunton."

Australia had won 15 ODIs in a row heading into today. Another streak comes to an end.

Karl: "Fair play to Kate Cross. Deserved victory for England. Australia didnt grasp the nettle at any point regardless of how many chance were handed to them. Need to give themselves a kick up the backside."

Priyank: "47.4 - From Mark Wood to Kate Cross... signature hits of the summer!"

Duncan Ward : "THE UNIVERSE CROSS!"

Single figures for England now.

10 to win off three overs for England, two wickets for Australia. Knight is on strike. Gardner is done, so Schutt returns. She chats with Healy and Perry to work out a plan to burst this game back open.

Knight has two balls to play with. Jonassen will come over the wicket to her.

Cross starts the 47th over on strike.

Gardner's spell is done.

How are your nerves?! 20 more for England. Healy runs over for another chat with Gardner. Her final over is coming up.

Jabba: "Please try to keep the strike this time Heather!"