Women’s Ashes: England captain Heather Knight calls for more ‘ruthless’ approach to batting in second ODI

Heather Knight admits England need to be more “ruthless” with the bat in the second match of the Women’s Ashes after losing the opening one-day international against Australia.

England travel to Melbourne for the second of the three ODIs, which starts at 11.05pm UK time on Monday, aiming to immediately hit back in the multi-format series after Australia comfortably won the Sydney opener by four wickets with 67 balls to spare.

That win means Australia hold an early 2-0 lead in a series in which the six white-ball matches (three ODIs and three T20s) being played this month each carry two points for a win before the single four-day Test, which takes place on January 30-February 2 at Melbourne’s MCG, offers four points for an outright victor.

Although England captain Knight said there were plenty of positives to take from the opening match, particularly with the way the side bowled having set Australia the target of 204, she said they needed to find a way to post bigger scores in the second match at Junction Oval.

“I think we did some stuff really well in this match,” said Knight, who was England’s top runs scorer with 39.

“I think with the bat – including myself – a few of us got off to starts and didn’t go on to get that big score or really big partnership, that’s something we can look to do a little bit better.

“Be a bit more ruthless when we do get in to really get that big score, that wicket it didn’t always feel like you were in, there was always a little bit in it throughout the innings.

“We get another 20 runs there and we’re really in the game.”

Bell: We can take early series confidence despite opening defeat

In praising the way England’s bowlers approached the task of trying to limit Australia’s runs after setting the target of 204, Knight reserved special praise for an “outstanding” Lauren Bell and said “that’s the best I’ve seen her bowl in an England shirt”.

Bell, who took the wicket of Ellyse Perry, said she felt “in a really good place” with her bowling and that, from a team perspective heading to Melbourne, “there are a few things we can definitely work on moving forward”.

“Obviously, Australia caught very well and we dropped a few at important moments,” she added.

“As a whole we can take a fair amount of confidence from the game.

“We’re one game into a pretty long series and we’re obviously 2-0 down but we’re going to have to start the next game, imagine it’s 0-0 and go again. That is the beauty of these series; we can come back. We’re just going to have to reset and bear with our plans and just go again.”

And on how they would approach the second ODI at Junction Oval, Bell added: “I think we will sit down as a team and review and our batting group will get together we will work out it all.

“It will be different conditions over in Melbourne, so we’ll have to adjust then. But we’ll get together as a group and work out the little bits we can tidy up and hopefully put on a better performance.”

Women’s Ashes 2025 schedule

All dates and times UK and Ireland

• First ODI: Saturday January 11 – North Sydney Oval – Australia won by four wickets
• Second ODI: 11.05pm, Monday January 13 – Junction Oval, Melbourne
• Third ODI: 11.05pm, Thursday January 16 – Ninja Stadium, Hobart
• First T20I: 8.40am, Monday January 20 – Sydney Cricket Ground
• Second T20I: 8.40am, Thursday January 23 – Manuka Oval, Canberra
• Third T20I: 8.10am, Saturday January 25 – Adelaide Oval
• Test: 3.30am, Thursday Jan 30-Sunday Feb 2 – MCG, Melbourne