Australia retain Women's Ashes as England collapse to fourth straight defeat despite Sophia Dunkley efforts

Australia retained the Women’s Ashes in dominant fashion as England collapsed to a 57-run victory in the first T20 international.

Heather Knight's side arrived at the Sydney Cricket Ground having lost all three one-day internationals and knowing only victory would keep their slim Ashes hopes alive.

They were well beaten again, though, as the hosts bowled England out after 16 overs to take an unassailable 8-0 lead in the series.

Beth Mooney smashed a 51-ball 75 at the top of the order as Australia posted 198 for seven, before England then lost openers Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge within seven balls of the chase.

Despite a thrilling 59 off 30 balls from Sophia Dunkley, England fell well short.

The second of three T20s, worth two points each, will be played in Canberra on Thursday. Even victory in both of the remaining T20 matches and then the one-off Test, worth four points, will not be enough for England to claim the Ashes.

“I thought it was an outstanding innings by Beth Mooney,” England captain Knight said. “She makes it really hard for the bowlers to execute.

“We gave them 20-30 too many runs, if we'd conceded less we'd have been in with a real chance.

"We felt like we were in it, Sophia Dunkley's innings was really smart. She was outstanding, played with freedom. It was frustrating today."

Dunkley said: "I think we're just really disappointed, we wanted to bring a lot of energy and we fell quite short.

“I wanted to go out there and give it my best shot and put the pressure on Australia. We can still draw the Ashes, it's not completely gone, so we'll focus on that.”

After the early loss of both Bouchier and Wyatt-Hodge with just four on the board, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Dunkley set about the task of rebuilding the innings with relish.

The returning Dunkley hit Kim Garth for three sixes in the fourth over as they reached 48 for two, only for Sciver-Brunt to be bowled for 20 by Alana King from the first ball of the fifth.

England emerged from the power play three down - but with 62 runs to their name - and as Dunkley completed her 50 off just 24 balls and they reached the halfway point on 96 for three.

Knight fell leg before for 18 attempting to reverse sweep King from the first ball after drinks and when McGrath bowled Dunkley for a 30-ball 59, the writing looked to be on the wall.

Amy Jones made 12 from 11 balls and Sophie Ecclestone was caught for 13 in the deep as she attempted to ignite a late charge, and swift exits for Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn and Lauren Bell saw Australia home in style.

Knight had earlier put Australia in and saw them get off to a flying start as a combination of enterprising batting, wayward bowling and poor fielding hampered the tourists' efforts to limit their intent.

The opening three overs went for 38 with Dean's first alone costing 17, four of them after Bell had spilled a top edge from opener Georgia Voll and seen the ball trickle over the boundary.

However, the pace bowler made amends when she trapped Voll in front with only two more runs having been added and the early charge abated as Australia made it to the end of the power play on 47 for one.

Mooney was dropped behind on 16 and as left-hander Phoebe Litchfield opened up - at one point launching a switch-hit six over deep cover - the hosts reached the halfway point at 90 with the loss of just one wicket.

However, Litchfield departed for a 20-ball 25 after being brilliantly run out by Knight and although Mooney completed a half-century off 37 balls, Ellyse Perry and Annabel Sutherland soon followed after, lofting Dean to Wyatt-Hodge in the deep.

Mooney, who along with Australia captain Tahlia McGrath (26) added 45 runs from just 17 balls for the fifth wicket, finally fell when Freya Kemp lured her out of her ground and she was stumped by Jones with the score on 168 for six, and her side went on to add a further 30 runs for the loss of Grace Harris.

Additional reporting by PA Sport.