3h ago 16.38 EDT Well that was a humdinger! Just a perfect nail-nibbling night’s cricket for the 20,000 who turned up at The Oval on a balmy July evening. Sixes! Fours! Catches! Spills! Stumps a-go-go. An England win for good measure and the Ashes alive. A cracking performance by England, led by Danni Wyatt’s powerful innings, wrestling back the initiative after that middle order implosion. Then wickets for the spinners, Sophie Ecclestone holding her nerve at the end. As Healy admitted, Australia were a bit off pace today: so-so in the field, 21 extras and their own middle-order crumple. They’ll be back. That’s all from me here today. We’ll be here for the first day of the men’s Headingley Test tomorrow, and the third women’s IT20 on Saturday. Till then, good night!

3h ago 16.26 EDT Heather Knight: “What a game. Packed house at The Oval. I took a look around at the end and soaked it up….Still got more in the tank and areas where we can get better. Danni managed to get balls from outside leg through point. Her maturity and experience came to fruition. She doesn’t get the credit she deserves for being a really smart cricketer. “Good striking by Sophie at the end. Deano can bowl at all stages of the innings. We definitely think that is our strength. Really nice to see Nat back and able to contribute a little bit [with the ball]. To win at only 80% is a very good effort. One game at a time. The equation is very simple. Hopefully another good crowd at Lord’s for the next game. We’ve really felt the support and people on our side.”

3h ago 16.22 EDT Alyssa Healy: “I’m not sure we were great in all three facets, bits to tidy up, the bowling at the back end, a heap of extras and …. . We’re allowed to lose games of cricket we play that many of them, I think getting that close was a pretty good effort. An outstanding surface, hopefully we get another one on Saturday. “To have 20 odd thousand people here is super special.”

3h ago 16.19 EDT As the crowds drift away at The Oval we move to the presentation on the pitch. The player of the match goes to Danni Wyatt. “ I found it a bit tricky early on, we did really well to make 186. ITs’ T20 you’ve just got to keep being brave and backing yourself. The crowd has been so good, theyve really got behind us, hopefully they can come again at Lord’s”

3h ago 16.16 EDT This is Australia’s first T20 defeat since the spring of 2021! England now trail Australia 6-2, with four games to play. The final T20 is at Lord’s followed by three ODIs at Bristol, the Rose Bowl and Taunton.

3h ago 16.11 EDT England win by three runs and the Ashes are alive! 20th over: Australia 183-8 (Perry 51 , Schutt 0) What. A. Thriller. Perry finishes the game with two successive sixes but only when the die was cast. England hold on by the skin of their teeth and we move to Lord’s with the Ashes still in the balance. Sophie Ecclestone takes the catch to dismiss Jess Jonassen as England win in South London. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Action Images/Reuters

Updated at 16.18 EDT

3h ago 16.09 EDT WICKET! Jonassen c Capsey b Ecclestone 6 (Australia 168-8) Ecclestone loops it, Jonassen goes high and long but not long enough. Capsey swallows the catch in front of the Australian dug out.

3h ago 16.06 EDT Australia need 20 from the last over to retain the Ashes 19th over: Australia 156-6 (Perry 36, Jonassen 6) Jonassen shovels Bell into the leg-side for four. The last ball goes skywards but falls safely and they take two. Perry to face the last over.

Updated at 16.07 EDT

3h ago 16.03 EDT WICKET! Wareham b Bell 19 (Australia 160-7) A beauty! Bells slips out a slower ball, Wareham doesn’t spot it and swings, losing her off stump. Bell punches the air. That’s it. Surely? Out! Georgia Wareham is gone for 19. Photograph: Andrew Fosker/Shutterstock

Updated at 16.13 EDT

3h ago 16.01 EDT 18th over: Australia 156-6 (Perry 33, Wareham 19) Wareham: pingo! FOUR. SIX. SIX! The Oval holds its breath. They take a single and Perry sweeps but just for two despite a fumble on the rope. 19 from the over. 31 needed from 12. Still England’s to lose.

3h ago 15.56 EDT 17th over: Australia 137-6 (Perry 31, Wareham 2) Back to back fours for Perry off Ecclestone, but she loses the strike and Wareham only manages a single from the last two balls. A packed Oval looks on as the sun starts to slip away. 50 needed from 18 balls.

4h ago 15.52 EDT WICKET! Sutherland c Knight b Glenn 20 (Australia 125-6) Extra-cover snaffle by Knight as Sutherland tries to reach the rope. Annabel Sutherland leaves the field after being dismissed for 20. Photograph: Steven Paston/PA

Updated at 16.06 EDT

4h ago 15.51 EDT 15th over: Australia 120-5 (Perry 20, Sutherland 16) Australia sniffing for boundaries here. Searching. They need them. Sutherland plays an air shot off Bell. Then the penultimate ball is pinged straight down the ground for four, just bouncing before the rope. The second is slung across the grass to the same spot and Ecclestone can’t get round in time.

4h ago 15.46 EDT 14th over: Australia 109-5 (Perry 18, Sutherland 7) REVIEW for a caught behind off Glenn– as Perry steps back to slash the ball away and Jones appeals for a caught behind. It goes upstairs and there is a spike but at the wrong time. Perry who had started walking off, returns. Shrugging in apology. It’s the Australian way.

Updated at 15.47 EDT

4h ago 15.41 EDT 13th over: Australia 101-5 (Perry 16, Sutherland 1) Sutherland almost goes straight away, beaten by some wicked bounce; Perry snatches four with a top-edged sweep.

4h ago 15.39 EDT WICKET! Harris b Dean 9 (Australia 96-5) Harris beaten by a quicker ball from Dean as she prepares to shimmy the ball legside. She shakes her head as she strolls off, the custard yellow pyjamas fast diminishing in potency. Charlie Dean celebrates bowling Grace Harris for 9. Photograph: Warren Little/Getty Images

Updated at 15.54 EDT

4h ago 15.35 EDT 12th over: Australia 95-4 (Harris 9, Perry 11) Glenn drifts legside and Harris takes advantage, Glenn screws up her face in annoyance. A fistful of singles follows. Graham writes from Helsinki. “Tanya: Any idea of TMS links? “ I can’t help but hopefully the hive mind can.

4h ago 15.33 EDT 11th over: Australia 87-4 (Harris 3, Perry 9) Australia may be four down, but Ellyse Perry is at the crease. She cover-drives Gibson most gloriously for four before wellying Gibson down the ground.

4h ago 15.31 EDT 10th over: Australia 77-4 (Harris 2, Perry 0) That was Ecclestone’s 100th T20 wicket – the fastest woman ever to collect it too, beating Anya Shrubsole. She’s fired up, and exhorts her teammates onward.

4h ago 15.28 EDT WICKET! Gardener c and b Ecclestone 9 (Australia 75-4) The ball after Gardner pulls her for four, Ecclestone collects a dolly sent with a first-class stamp straight back at her. Sophie Ecclestone is congratulated as Ashleigh Gardener is out for 4 runs. Photograph: Warren Little/Getty Images

Updated at 15.37 EDT

4h ago 15.27 EDT 9th over: Australia 71-3 (Gardner 5) Er could someone please slow this down a bit? Australia doing most un-Australian things,

4h ago 15.25 EDT Mooney c Wyatt b Gibson 22 (Australia 71-3) And another! Gibson’s first wicket in internationals is a huge one. Mooney strides and flicks but Wyatt is waiting on the rope and collects with both hands. Roaring along with the crowd. Danielle Gibson celebrates taking the wicket of Beth Mooney for 22. Photograph: Steve Bardens/Getty Images for Surrey CCC

Updated at 15.29 EDT

4h ago 15.22 EDT 8th over: Australia 66-2 ( Mooney 21, Gardner 1) Two huge overs for England! This is what they need to haul Australia back after Healy had pressed the accelerator.

4h ago 15.21 EDT WICKET! McGrath run-out Dean/Jones 4 (Australia 66-2) Chaos! Mooney is first dropped by Dean at mid-off then run-out as Dean throws on her knees to Jones, who collects and dives, throwing the ball at the stumps. McGrath is out by a rolling pin. Amy Jones runs out Tahlia McGrath for just 4 runs. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Action Images/Reuters

Updated at 15.26 EDT

4h ago 15.17 EDT 7th over: Australia 63-1 ( Mooney 20, McGrath 2) Mooney’s exit brings in McGrath – the World’s No. 1 female T20 batter. Relentless these Aussies.

4h ago 15.15 EDT WICKET! Healy b Glenn 37 (Australia 59-1) The big one! Healy is eager to attack but is foxed by a slow one as she goes to swipe. She punches her bat in frustration as she hurries off. Sarah Glenn celebrates after bowling out Alyssa Healy. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Action Images/Reuters

Updated at 15.16 EDT

4h ago 15.12 EDT 6th over: Australia 58-0 (Healy 37, Mooney 18) Nine from Dean’s over feels miserly – no sixes but two more eggs-over-easy powerful fours from Healy -one through cover another flying back over Dean to the rope.

4h ago 15.09 EDT 5th over: Australia 49-0 (Healy 29, Mooney 17) Who to stem the flow? NSB. Not so fast says Healy slapping two mega sixes with such a free swing of her arms.

4h ago 15.04 EDT 4th over: Australia 33-0 (Healy 15, Mooney 16) An expensive set of six from Bell. Beginning with a hoopla on the leg side for four by Mooney and ending with a Healy toe end to deep third for four more. Seventeen big runs. At this stage England were 35-0 so nowt in it.

4h ago 15.01 EDT 3rd over: Australia 16-0 (Healy 11, Mooney 5) Knight plumps for off-spinner Dean. She’s got a touch of Dom Bess about her, baggy trousers and scampish hair. Australia can’t get her away until a full doughnut which Healy sends flying over cover.

5h ago 14.54 EDT 2nd over: Australia 9-0 (Healy 6, Mooney 3) In springs Bell, long legs floating across The Oval, untucked shirt. Keeps it tight till the last ball when Mooney uses the angle of the bat to squeeze the ball away to the point boundary.

5h ago 14.51 EDT Australia's innings 1st over: Australia 2-0 (Healy 1, Mooney 1) It’s NSB, knee creaking back into action. It is full and tight, Mooney edging just short of Knight’s paws at slip. Just an old-style two from the over.

5h ago 14.39 EDT Australia need 187 to win 20th over: England 186-9 ( Dean 2) Ecclestone survives an lbw shout, only to fall to the last ball. Five squeezed off the over and in the end a superb effort for England – despite the middle-order malfunction. It will – if I’ve heard this right – be Australia’s highest chase in a T20. Time for a quick glass of water, back shortly.

5h ago 14.35 EDT WICKET! Ecclestone run out Gardner/Healy 22 ( England 186-9) Quick thinking by Gardner who collects the ball at the bowler’s end and fires it down to Healy, who whips the bails off just before Ecclestone arrives.

5h ago 14.30 EDT WICKET! Glenn c Brown b Gardner 10 (England 182-8) Beautifully caught at short third where a diving Brown gathers with both hands. Glenn danced to conquer, but it was a top edge too far.

5h ago 14.28 EDT 19th over: England 181-7 ( Ecclestone 20, Glenn 10) Ecclestone wants to bat up the order – and pushes all the right buttons, pulls all the right levers: 4/6/4 off the last three balls from McGrath’s over with a scything bat. After the small implosion, England have slathered 62 from the last four overs.

5h ago 14.25 EDT 18th over: England 165-7 ( Ecclestone 5, Glenn 9) A close run-out call against Ecclestone goes upstairs, but Sue Redfern can’t find definitive proof – so she is reprieved. . Glenn, immaculate eye make up, sweeps Jonassen for four. Tries it again and picks up four byes as the ball bypasses bat, leg and Healy’s gloves.

5h ago 14.22 EDT 17th over: England 154-7 ( Ecclestone 3, Glenn 4) Glenn picks up four straight away with a lean and thread through to deep third. A warm standing ovation for the disappointed Wyatt from a sunny Oval crowd.

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