Live: Australia out to build on strong start in second Women’s Ashes ODI

Litchfield goes BANG! Straight back over the bowler’s head and it’s a one bounce four.

A bit of relief for the opener, who was nine from 32 before that shot.

She follows it up with a nice swivel and pull to the on-side for a single.

A couple dots to finish and that’s the end of the powerplay.

Ellyse Perry is out in the middle, and after missing out in the first game, she’ll be wanting to stamp her authority on the series today at Junction Oval.

The first ball she faces is a wide followed by two dots.

Shot! Perry is off the mark with a trademark back foot drive through the covers. Four runs as the seagulls spread on the boundary.

Two dots to finish a breakthrough over from Bell.

Again, England’s miserly right hander has been excellent early on today and richly deserved her wicket.

Australia’s captain looked in total control but she’s nicked one through to Amy Jones.

Maybe a little away movement from Bell as Healy was trying to play an expansive drive.

She’s gone for 29 from 19 deliveries.

The world’s premier all-rounder is into the attack and Amy Jones is up to the stumps.

Shot! Healy pounces on a bit of a loosener from Sciver-Brunt and it’s four runs, courtesy of a lofted pull shot in front of square.

A dot followed by a single each to Healy and Litchfield, both off the hip to the leg side.

Defended from Healy straight back to the bowler.

The last ball of the over is worked behind square on the off-side for a single.

Seven off the first Sciver-Brunt over.

Edge to start the over! Healy tried to leave it but the ball just caught the bat on the way through. It dribbles away and they scamper through for a single.

Great delivery! Litchfield is looking uncomfortable. The ball brushes her back pad as she’s trying to defend but missing. Ball pitched outside leg so no real appeal.

Probing stuff from Bell to finish off the over. Litchfield faced the last five balls and was unable to even really look like scoring.

Pressure building, from this end at least.

Lovely drive from Healy to start the over. But she picks out the sweeper on the point boundary and it’s just a single.

Pulled for four! A bit of a nothing length from Filer and Litchfield swivels and shovels it for four. First boundary for Phoebe.

There’s a stifled LBW appeal to finish the over, but it’s easily pitching outside leg.

Three probing deliveries have Litchfield defending.

She’s two from 15 and looking uncharacteristically conservative thus far.

Another dot. Flat batted to the off-side. Tight stuff from Bell.

Uppish but safe! Litchfield flicks a slightly fuller ball to the on-side. It has just enough on it to get over the infield but plugs before the boundary and it’s two runs to the total.

A play and miss on outside off stump to finish the over.

A really good one from Bell.

A good looking drive from Litchfield to start the over, although this time it doesn’t get past the in-field.

Under edge from Litchfield! It squirts off to the leg side and they scamper through for the single.

Filer then bowls a good short one to Healy, who ducks underneath it.

Healy hits another four! It was shaping up to be a really good over from Filer, but the last ball is too straight and full. Healy clips it through the on-side and it just makes it to the boundary.

Wide! Big swing down the leg side and Amy Jones gets a hand on it behind the stumps. They scamper through for an extra extra.

That’s five wides from the 2.1 overs.

Lovely shot! Healy pushes forward and chips it back over Bell’s head for a boundary.

Flicked off the pads, collected on the square leg boundary and it’s a single.

Litchfield off the mark. Full and at her legs, she digs it out for a single behind square on the leg side.

Bang! Boundary first up from Healy. Filer dropped it in short and Healy stood up to pull it in the air over the infield and to the boundary for four.

Four more! Filer over corrects. Too full this time and it’s a classical drive through the covers for four.

Like it was in the first game, it seems it will be a story of two ends.

Bell metronomic from one, Filer slightly erratic from the other.

It’s better from Filer for the third ball of the over. Good length, outside off and left alone by Healy.

She follows it up with a wide. Filer falls over upon release for the second time in the over.

She’s struggling to find her footing and there’s a break in play as a group of players are doing their best to scuff up the crease.

Bang! Four more for Healy! Through the covers again, slightly squarer but equally as flowing.

Two dots to finish the over but the damage had already been done.

0/15 after an over each from the two Lauren’s.

A couple wides from Bell, but otherwise a typically miserly start from the right arm pacer.

Only the two extras from the first over.

The 2025 Women’s Ashes is a multi-format affair.

Three ODIs will be followed by three T20s before the series is rounded out with a one-off test at the MCG.

Two points are handed out for each limited overs victory, while a win in the longest format is worth four.

A tie in the limited overs matches is worth one point a piece, while a draw in the test will mean both sides are rewarded with two.

With Australia very strong test match favourites, it is vital that England get some points on the board pronto.

It’s 2-0 to Australia, courtesy of a relatively comfortable four wicket win at North Sydney Oval on Sunday.

Alyssa Healy’s level-headed 70 was a welcome return to form for the Australia captain, while Alana King, Kim Garth and Annabel Sutherland all took two wickets in a stifling bowling performance.

But Australia’s most impressive player was Ash Gardner.

Some tight middle-overs bowling rewarded her with figures of 3/19 before an unbeaten 42 guided Australia home in the chase.

England, on the other hand, struggled for momentum.

Captain Heather Knight, Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Amy Jones all made starts with the bat but were unable to cash in on promising starts.

Lauren’s Filer and Bell were, in my opinion anyway, the tourist’s best bowlers.

The pair looked particularly dangerous in the opening 10 overs.

News from the middle is England captain Heather Knight has won the toss and elected to bowl first.

For the first time in the series, Alyssa Healy’s Australia will be setting a target.

Good toss to win for England, bowling first at Junction Oval is definitely the done thing.

Teams are unchanged and as follows:

Australia: Alyssa Healy, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ash Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown

England: Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Amy Jones, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Lauren Bell

Hello! Welcome back to our live coverage of the 2024/25 Women’s Ashes, as the second ODI takes us to Junction Oval in Melbourne.

After a resounding win in the opening game on Sunday, Australia has the chance to put itself in a dominant position early in the series — victory here would have it halfway to the points tally it needs to retain the Ashes already.

But England will be determined to respond, setting up a critical and intriguing second game. Join myself and Henry Hanson for all the action as we see what unfolds today.