Ellyse Perry’s knock of 91 runs followed by Ashleigh Gardner and Alana King’s three-wicket hauls respectively helped Australia defeat England by three-run in a nail-bitter second ODI of the three-match series at The Rose Bowl on Sunday.

Australia secured a three-run victory over England in the second ODI to retain the Women’s Ashes series with a game to spare. The result gave Australia an 8-6 lead in the multi-format series ahead of the final ODI at Taunton on Tuesday. The third ODI of this series will take place in Taunton on Tuesday, where England can level the series. Nat Sciver-Brunt scored the highest for England with an unbeaten 111 off 99 balls however it was not enough to guide her team home.

Chasing a target of 283, England got off to a fast start in their pursuit of the target, but Alana King stopped them with three top-order dismissals, including the dangerous Tammy Beaumont for 60.

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The chase was being held together by Nat Sciver-Brunt’s superb hundred, but Australia were closing to an Ashes-clinching win when Ashleigh Gardner took two wickets in the space of four balls, including Amy Jones for a fluent 34. Just 3 wickets away from clinching the Ashes when Ashleigh Gardner claimed two wickets, including Amy Jones for a stunning 34.

Sciver-Brunt had help from Sarah Glenn to bring the score to 15 from Jess Jonassen’s penultimate over and 5 from the final ball, but she was unable to locate a boundary to force a super over or clear the ropes to secure the victory.

Earlier, Ellyse Perry gave Australia hope of retaining the Ashes in Southampton after rescuing her side from an early collapse and taking them to 7-282 in the second ODI. Desperate to snap a three-game losing streak and keep the Ashes in their grasp, Australia slumped to 2-27 and 4-102 early against a buoyant England team.

Perry saved Australia by batting a calm 91 before succumbing to Sophie Ecclestone in the deep in the last overs.

After that, Georgia Wareham smashed 26 off Lauren Bell’s penultimate over, allowing England to complete the second-highest chase in women’s ODI history. But Perry was the one who made the largest difference. Together with Ashleigh Gardner, she added 56 runs to their partnership, and with Annabel Sutherland (50 off 47), they added 81 runs for the sixth wicket.

Before Alyssa Healy hammered the seamer straight to short third on 13, Phoebe Litchfield was out in the second over after being trapped lbw by Bell (3-85).

Before Tahlia McGrath attempted to cut leg-spinner Sophie Glenn and was caught behind for five, Beth Mooney was also out after brushing a ball down legside off Sophie Ecclestone. Australia was on track for a low score at that point.

However, Perry made sure her team had something to bowl at by moving the ball further down the pitch and once hitting Ecclestone for six over her own head.

Australia’s seasoned batswoman appeared to be on track for another century before being out trying to take Ecclestone (3-40) on again, while Sutherland, who had just reached her first ODI half-century, also fell in the same over.

Brief score: Australia 282/7 (Ellyse Perry 91, Annabel Sutherland 50; Sophie Ecclestone 3-40) vs England 279/7 (Nat Sciver-Brunt 111*, Tammy Beaumont 60; Alana King 3-44).