Women’s Ashes 2025: England collapse as Australia take 4-0 lead

Wilting under pressure was already a worrying trend for Heather Knight’s England, but after this latest shambolic display, Australia will be even more confident of retaining the Ashes sooner rather than later.

Great teams find a way to win from nowhere, as Australia have proven once again, but it was at times brainless cricket from England which handed it to them – the hosts successfully defending their lowest ODI total since 2006.

At 84-5, England were wobbling but they had more than 28 overs to eke out another 97 runs.

Instead, Jones went into her shell alongside Capsey, who made 14 for 35 balls – and Australia, who need no second invitation to prey on any sniff of fragility, pounced.

Capsey was trapped on the crease lbw by Kim Garth, who bowled a miserly spell of 3-37, Charlie Dean attempted an inexplicable ramp to be caught off King and next ball, Sophie Ecclestone edged behind off the same bowler.

Lauren Filer was run out after Darcie Brown’s phenomenal swoop and throw from short third, and it took that final throw of the dice for Jones to start playing her shots but it came far too late, coupled with her inability to manage the strike with Bell.

Even before the free hit error, Jones twice turned down singles on the fifth ball of an over only to fail to get the strike a ball later.

It twice exposed Bell to the start of the next over and she could only defend – the 46th over was a maiden by Ash Gardner – meaning the required run-rate spiralled.

King, meanwhile, was immense for her 4-25, having also claimed the huge scalps of Nat Sciver-Brunt for 35 and Danni Wyatt-Hodge for a golden duck earlier in her spell.

England faced an uphill task even before the series began and few would have expected them to win the ODI series, which is comfortably Australia’s strongest format, but they cannot make any excuses for failing to take away what would have been a precious two points from Melbourne.