Australia’s retain women’s Ashes a reward for employing extra spin | Geoff Lemon

The tourists played three specialist slow bowlers to beat England, learning a lesson from their male counterparts in 2005

With one ball to come in the 100th over of the match, it was Natalie Sciver-Brunt on her haunches holding the handle of her bat, puffing for air. She needed six to win, four to tie and force a super over. After her final swing of the match, one that didn’t connect cleanly enough to find either variety of boundary, it was the whole ground that was short of air, one long exhale from the England-supporting crowd. Taking back the trophy had still been a chance, then it was gone.

As the men’s and women’s Ashes series have unspooled side by side across the past few weeks, the comparisons to 2005 have not stopped. That year is still the emotional lodestone of cricket in England, for locals and Australians alike. Both English teams wrestled a series win from Australian opponents who at the time were so dominant as to seem unapproachable.