Aussies build partnership after England wreak havoc early in third ODI – LIVE

England are off to a strong start in the third ODI, claiming four early wickets at Bellerive Oval, but the Aussies are fighting back.

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Beth Mooney and Ash Gardner are at the crease looking to stabilise the home side. Their partnership is now worth over 65 runs.

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Australia will bat first and have recalled leg-spinner Georgia Wareham for today’s third ODI of the Women’s Ashes series.

“The wicket looks a little bit dry, could get hard later on but we’ll hopefully get out there and set a good total,” captain Alyssa Healy said.

“Confidence is high, both teams learned a little bit out of the other day. We didn’t play that well ourselves, so we reflected on that and how we can be a little bit better. We know we’re up against a really good side.”

England will go in unchanged, although seamer Kate Cross was “pretty close” to returning from a back issue, while Darcie Brown makes way for Wareham for the Aussies.

Alana King was chief destroyer in the second match of the Women’s Ashes series taking four wickets, while all-rounder Ash Gardner has also proved pivotal across the start of the series.

“We thought the Bellerive wicket might have a bit more grass on it, but it looks like it’s going to be a pretty even wicket, and spin may come into play,” Australian assistant coach Dan Marsh said earlier in the week.

Despite opening the Women’s Ashes series with a 4-0 lead, Australian superstar Ellyse Perry says her side are searching for a “more positive” brand in the final one-day international.

The Aussies successfully chased down England’s 204 in the series opener, before defending 180 at the Junction Oval on Tuesday.

That score of 180 was the lowest the Aussies had posted batting first on home soil since 2009.

Perry was the pick of the batters at Junction with a well-made 60, while openers Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield both made 29 each.

“The last couple of matches, both wickets we’ve played on have been quite conducive to spin and haven’t been super easy,” Perry told reporters on Wednesday.

“(But) there was probably an opportunity in both of those innings to be more positive at different times and put some pressure back on England.

“We’ve spoken about that, and this Friday is a great opportunity to come out and play as positively as we can.

“It’s our last 50-over game in this multi format series (and) we want to put together a complete game.

“We’ll have to have a look at the wicket, but I think (Bellerive) lends itself to some really positive cricket.”

Perry said her side were looking at increasing their intent when they head to Hobart for Friday’s encounter.

“We’ll reflect on the last couple of games, but for us, there’s been a style of play that we’ve been chasing the last little bit (and) we’ve spoken at length about that,” Perry said.

“There’s been a real focus on the way we want to play, regardless of who we are playing.

“Friday is another opportunity to try and put a really good marker out there and play the roles individually and then as a team.”

Meanwhile, England captain Heather Knight has called for her side to be “braver” after letting slip a huge chance of levelling the series.

“I feel like it was there for the taking,” Knight said post-match.

“We need to be braver with the bat. We’re really close, we just need to do a few things better in a few areas.”

England star Nat Sciver-Brunt hinted at a change of style as the Poms look to combat the red-hot Aussies.

“Trying to shift up the momentum in our way, we have to make some changes and look forward, we can’t dwell too much on what’s already happened,” she said earlier this week.

“It’s not a massive thing, really, and the skills required for it are already within us.

“It’s just a little bit of a mindset shift in terms of sticking to our strengths and being willing to use those in any moment – when the pressure’s on, when we feel like we might have to rebuild, or when we feel like we’re in a really good place with the bat.

“Being a bit more proactive and playing to our strengths a little bit more, not necessarily being reckless, but being smart with that, and using our strengths to take pressure off ourselves.

“It’s important for us to get on the board, but I think it’s important for us more so to play the play the way that we want to play.

“That’s something that we’ve spoken about in the last couple days, to put those things right, and just be happy with our performances a little bit more.”

Australia might add a second leg-spinner in Wareham to the playing XI given England’s struggles against Alana King this series, but England could also receive a big boost of their own.

England pace bowler Kate Cross could also make her first appearance of the series as she recovers from a back issue.

“She’s doing well, obviously with backs you don’t really know how they’re going to be from one day to the other, but the plan was if the rehab went well, she’d be here, so we’ll see how she goes,” Sciver-Brunt said.