Jones: England keep ‘finding a way’ | Winning masked Aussie problems

Sky Sports Cricket‘s Mel Jones says it is a nervous time for Australia as England keep finding a way to win in the Women’s Ashes having levelled the series.

Australia took a commanding lead early on in the series, winning the Test match and first T20I to go 6-0 up and set themselves as the clear favourites to retain the Ashes.

However, England have since fought back, winning the following two T20Is and first ODI to level the series and wrestle the momentum in their favour.

After going 6-0 down, England knew they had to win every remaining match and despite some mistakes in the first ODI at Bristol in the field, captain Heather Knight’s brilliant 75no innings and Kate Cross’ 19-run cameo sealed another famous victory.

It is England’s current ability to win, even when not performing at their best, that Jones believes should be worrying the Australia camp.

“It was a rollercoaster ride,” Jones told Sky Sports News.

“I think if you ask anyone in the England side, they would say they did their best to throw it away. Five dropped catches and a missed stumping – how are you going to get yourselves back from that?

“But there is something about this team at the moment that has this super belief in themselves and as a team collectively that keep finding a way.

“They have drawn the series level and winning three games on the trot against Australia, they haven’t done that since 2013.

“So, there is something, as an Aussie, that is nerve-wracking about the form of England at the moment.

“The wicket at Bristol allowed Australia to put on 263 and they probably left 20 in the shed but it was a tricky wicket.

“The way in which Heather Knight played, particularly against the spinners in the middle overs, shows she is the general in this team and managed it so very well.

“If it wasn’t for the knock of Knight, it would have been exceptionally difficult for them to get over the line.”

Prior to the Ashes, Australia had been on a landmark run in the ODI format, winning 41 of their last 42 matches.

However, with a changeover of leadership and personnel affecting Australia, Jones thinks they are starting to see that winning has been masking some of their problems and will need to regroup quickly if they are going to claim victory in this series.

“I think some of the Australia girls have mentioned it too. Winning can mask over little cracks in the way in which they have been performing,” added Jones.

“I think for the Australians, they need a lot of their senior players to step up.

“There are six within this time who have been part of a magnificent, successful run for Australia where they have, prior to this game, won 41 of 42 ODIs.

“There has also been a change in leadership, a coach and a captain.

“I am certainly not saying they are not great at their job, they are fantastic, but they do things slightly differently than what the team has been dealing with, with Meg Lanning and Matthew Mott running the ship for the last 10 or so years.

“It is a change in personnel, everyone is trying to get used to a different style, but they are going to have to get used to it pretty quickly to stay in the hunt for the Ashes.”

Watch the second ODI of the multi-format Women’s Ashes between England and Australia on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.30am, ahead of the first ball at 11am. Stream this summer’s men’s and women’s Ashes series on NOW.