England’s dismal Ashes tour ended with an innings-and-122-run hammering in the one-off Test as they became the first side to be whitewashed 16-0 in the history of the multi-format series after slumping against Australia’s spinners again.
The loss on day three of the pink-ball game at the MCG followed six successive white-ball defeats, with England swept in both the one-day international and T20 international legs.
Heather Knight’s team had actually impressed earlier on Saturday in Melbourne, taking the final five Australia wickets for nine runs to dismiss the hosts for 440 before reaching 79-1 in their second knock through Knight (32) and Tammy Beaumont (47).
However, once the skipper was caught at short leg off Ash Gardner (4-39) midway through the second session, those familiar frailties against spin came to the fore once more as they were bundled out for 148 in 68.4 overs.
Australia leg-spinner King bagged nine wickets across the pink-ball Test at the MCG and 23 in total in the multi-format series
Leg-spinner Alana King (5-53) fittingly took the winning wicket of tailender Lauren Filer (14 off 45) as she earned her ninth scalp of the game and 23rd of the series.
The 29-year-old earlier pinned Nat Sciver-Brunt (18) lbw before bowling Sophia Dunkley (4) with a stunning delivery that pitched outside leg stump and turned back to hit off – a ball her idol, the late Shane Warne, would have been proud of.
King then castled Beaumont off an inside edge, with that wicket sandwiched by off-spinner Gardner’s dismissals of Danni Wyatt-Hodge (2) and Amy Jones (6), with the batters out sweeping to backward square and snicking behind respectively.
That England collapse of 5-17 left the tourists 117-7 at the dinner break and still trailing by 157 runs, all but guaranteeing that Australia would win the game with over a day to spare.
That duly happened with Ryana MacDonald-Gay (1) heaving a King full toss to deep midwicket, Ecclestone (18) hacking a half-tracker from Gardner to mid-on and Filer, after a dogged 10th-wicket stand with Lauren Bell (0no off 30) that lasted 48 deliveries, spooning leg-side.
The England and Wales Cricket Board will now conduct a thorough review into the nightmare tour, which will surely include discussion over the futures of Knight and head coach Jon Lewis.
Mooney makes Australia history before Ecclestone clinches five-for
Earlier on, Beth Mooney (106) became the first Australian to score a century in all three formats of women’s international cricket.
Mooney joins England’s Knight and Beaumont and South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt in achieving the feat after three one-day international tons and two T20I hundreds.
Beth Mooney is the first Australian – and fourth player overall – to score a century in all three formats of women’s international cricket
She was eventually bowled by England quick Lauren Filer (2-86) as Australia were all out for 440 with a first-innings lead of 270.
Tahlia McGrath (12) and Kim Garth (0) gifted their wickets after Australia resumed on 422-5 – McGrath spooning Ecclestone (5-143) to mid-on and McGrath edging a delivery from Filer.
Ecclestone – who removed McGrath for the seventh time in internationals – trapped King (3) lbw and then clinched her third five-wicket haul in Tests, all against Australia, by catching Ellyse Perry (2) off her own bowling as the batter aimed to work into the leg-side.
Perry slid down the order to No 10 after suffering a hip injury in the field while Australia rolled England for 170 on day one.
England opener Maia Bouchier’s rotten run in the multi-format series then continued as she was bowled through the gate for one by Darcie Brown’s quick nip-backer.
Bouchier scored just 46 runs across seven innings with a best of 17 in the second ODI, a knock that was followed by successive ducks in the ODI finale and first T20 international.
Knight and Beaumont went on to share a stand of 73 for England’s second wicket, with Knight getting off the mark courtesy of a gorgeous cover-driven four off Garth.
But once spin came on, the match ended in a hurry as Australia underlined their status as the best women’s team on the planet, sealing the sweep and putting England out of their misery.
