Australia were crowned Women’s Ashes champions after defeating England by six runs (DLS) thanks to a record-breaking partnership between Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris.

McGrath and Harris helped Australia recover from 114-5, adding 71 to make Australia’s highest sixth-wicket stand in WT20Is.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge smashed 52 to close England in on the required 186 but after two quick wickets, the rate climbed. To the frustration of Heather Knight, who almost carried England home, rain ended play with 18 required from five.

Mooney on fire again

Despite a significant improvement in Freya Kemp’s first over, Beth Mooney continued where she left off in Sydney. She clubbed 14 runs off Lauren Bell in the second over, ten in Kemp’s next and added another eight against Charlie Dean’s spin. By the end of the fourth over, she was flying: 32 off 23.

Georgia Voll looked to get in on the action in the fifth, cannoning Bell over midwicket for her first boundary but by the end of the over, she was back in the pavilion.

They tried to turn two into three after a spectacular effort from Maia Bouchier prevented the boundary, but the opener lasered a throw over the top of the stumps. A sprawling dive from Voll wasn’t enough to make her ground.

After a lull, Knight played her trump card in the eighth over – Sophie Ecclestone. The world-class star had been at the centre of controversy in the build-up to this match after she was called out by Alex Hartley for declining an interview. However, she seemed to have put that to the back of her mind as she got the crucial wicket of Mooney with a bit of magic.

While Mooney was assessing the field, Ecclestone sneakily signalled to Amy Jones that she was going to fire one down the leg side, and sure enough, Mooney charged and was left halfway down the wicket as the ball shot past her: as simple a stumping as Jones will ever get. She finished on 44 off 31.

England stemmed the flow of runs through the middle overs as Dean picked up her first and second wickets of the match. She first found Ellyse Perry’s leading edge, giving Bouchier a simple catch, before an over-exuberant Phoebe Litchfield lost her middle stump while scooping.

McGrath and Harris carry Australia up to a good total

Annabel Sutherland smashed 18 from her ten deliveries at the crease but when she picked out deep square leg, the home side found themselves in trouble at 114-5.

However, a phenomenal partnership between Harris and McGrath shepherded Australia to 185-5. Harris deposited the ball over the rope for three huge sixes, finishing on 35* off 17, while McGrath used her power to pick up eight boundaries. The skipper made 48*.

The Aussies were helped by yet more poor fielding – the story of the WAshes. Within the space of one over, England conceded two stoppable boundaries and dropped McGrath. They were punished for their mistakes, conceding 13 from the final over.

Wyatt-Hodge stars for England

As she always tries to, Danni Wyatt-Hodge took the attack to Australia, racing to 30 inside four overs. She opened up the off side beautifully for her first two boundaries, before lofting one over mid-on and tickling another fine. Bouchier followed suit with a couple of boundaries of her own.

With 4.5 overs gone, a flash of lightning illuminated the sky. England needed one more ball bowled before DLS kicked in, and they managed to squeeze it in.

With more than a hint of glee, the openers charged off the field, leaving behind a dismayed Australian team. However, to the glee of the home side, the crowd jeered as the umpires called them back.

Would this slip in concentration bite England in the arse? Yes. Six balls later, Bouchier threw her wicket away, spooning an attempted scoop back to Sutherland.

Eventually, the rain came down and the players evacuated, with England just ahead of the DLS, but they were back on the pitch 20 minutes later, with no overs lost.

Wyatt-Hodge and Dunkley continued to express themselves, bringing up a fifty partnership just after the former reached her half-century. However, an electric over from Megan Schutt turned the tide, dismissing both set batters, including a snorter that nipped back to get Dunkley.

Rain spoils Knight’s charge

England had to rely on their experienced heads to guide them over the line, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight, requiring 87 from 42.

The two ticked along, with the run rate climbing, biding their time before exploding against Schutt, taking 17 from her last over. But from the final ball of the penultimate over, Sciver-Brunt chopped on.

With rain drizzling down, England needed 22 from the final over. This was going to be a challenging task, but with Knight flying, it wasn’t completely out of the question.

The England captain carved the first ball through point for four. Eighteen from five. But with the weather worsening, Knight threw her bat to the floor the umpires said enough was enough and called the players off the field.

Australia took an unassailable 10-0 lead and will be celebrating the series win tonight, but they won’t be able to go too hard with just one day off before the final T20I in Adelaide.

For more information on England’s losses, head here for a feature on England Men’s loss to India in their opening T20I.