Delissa Kimmince powered Australia to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three match ODI series, as Australia completed a comprehensive four-wicket win in the second Women’s Ashes ODI in Leicester on Thursday.
Kimmince registered her maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs as she finished with figures of 5-26, which helped bowl out England for 217 in 47.4 overs. The 30-year old picked up the key wicket of Natalie Sciver, before grabbing four more scalps in the space of a mere nine deliveries in her match-defining spell at the death.
“It probably hasn’t sunk in yet what I did today, but I’m sure when I look back it’ll be a memory that I won’t forget,” said the Player of the Match.
Ashes five-for for Kimmince!
She takes four wickets in back-to-back overs to bowl England out for 217. Tammy Beaumont's fantastic 114 was the only knock of note for the hosts.
Follow #ENGvAUS ⬇️ https://t.co/UmJDBXsJHL pic.twitter.com/sTsx9XmoiW
— ICC (@ICC) July 4, 2019
“I think that at the back-end of the innings, the slower balls seemed to be working much better than pace on the ball,” she said. “(They were) a lot harder to hit and I knew that I had to keep my plan simple. I have a few (slower balls) that I like to mix up. They probably know my slower balls are coming – that’s what I do in a lot of the T20 games – so I try and keep them guessing and at the same time try and keep it simple, which can be difficult.”
Earlier in the day, it was Tammy Beaumont’s fluent innings of 114 which powered England to their eventual innings total of 217. At 187-5 in the 40th over, England seemed well on course to put up a par score. However, Beaumont’s dismissal triggered a major collapse.
“I’ve been working really hard on trying to score off more balls,” Beaumont said after her sixth ODI century and her first in an Ashes series. “That’s the first time I’ve got 100 in 100 balls, so I’m really happy with that. I’m always trying to improve.”
💯 for Tammy Beaumont, in just 99 balls!
She's absolutely dominated England's innings, making 100 of their 152 runs so far! 🤯
Follow #ENGvAUS ⬇️ https://t.co/UmJDBXsJHL pic.twitter.com/RANIQLF44q
— ICC (@ICC) July 4, 2019
The opener rued the timing of her dismissal, admitting it to be the turning point of the innings. “I felt good, but I probably got out at the wrong time – I should have been the one to manage the back end of that innings and get us up to 230, 240 and give us a bit more of a chance.”
England captain Heather Knight praised Beaumont’s efforts, adding that the failure to capitalise on her impetus put England on the back foot.
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“A frustrating one from our perspective,” Knight said on England’s second successive loss. “Tammy played outstandingly. If someone had stayed with her we would have pushed the score to 250 and beyond. We tried to put pressure on them with the ball and took early wickets, but another 20-30 runs would have helped.”
The teams head to Canterbury for the third and final ODI of the series before the only Test begins on July 18 at Taunton.
