3 hours ago
2
Same result, different day.
A glimmer of hope, a door creaked slightly ajar, a creeping sense of "what if" drifting through the crowd and the commentary box - but in the end, Australia win.
This was England's long-awaited Ashes reunion, their first competitive meeting since the ill-fated 16-0 drubbing.
In some ways, this was a free hit, considering the fact that a semi-final spot at the Women's World Cup had already been secured for both teams.
Throughout the tournament, England have shown - despite being far from perfect on occasions - that this is not the same dejected England that left the Melbourne Cricket Ground back in February, having barely left a scratch on their opponents - let alone a punch.
Against their great rivals in Indore, they had spells where they competed - again, something that was nothing more than a pipe dream at the beginning of the year.
Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont dominated the first eight overs, cashing in as the Australian seamers bowled too wide and lacked control.
Alice Capsey played an enterprising cameo to get England to 244, which always felt below par, but when Lauren Bell removed Phoebe Litchfield's off stump with a beauty and Georgia Voll and Ellyse Perry were dismissed shortly after, England were in unfamiliar territory.
They were favourites.
But against a team of such greatness, a line-up littered with stardom from one to 11 and the three left on the bench, you cannot and will not win a game in moments.
England learned a harsh lesson in Indore. They have improved massively in the field, they look fitter, they look a more cohesive unit willing to fight and scrap for everything.
Still, you can do all of that, and still be outplayed. You can take four top-order wickets for 68 runs and the next two will add a chanceless 180 between them, turning a wobble into a crushing victory with nearly 10 overs to spare.
England's unbeaten run came to an end, ever so predictably, with a bump down to earth dealt by Australia.
In the end, it was Annabel Sutherland's main character energy which stood between England and Ashes vengeance.
Not content with being the tournament's leading wicket-taker, as she took her tally to 15 with the wickets of England's openers and Emma Lamb, she finally decided to join the run-scoring party too, after three single-figure scores to start the tournament.
The innings, from 112 balls and having come to the middle at 24-3, was symbolic of Australia's ruthlessness and what England need to learn from if they are to topple their great rivals.
While England rely heavily on Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight - though the recent returns to form from Jones and Beaumont are promising - there is no such trend for Australia.
Sutherland finished two short of a majestic century but Ash Gardner, her partner in the match-winning stand, made her second of the tournament with a brutal, counter-attacking 69-ball knock.
Beth Mooney rescued them from 76-7 with a century against Pakistan, while captain Alyssa Healy, sidelined by a calf injury against England, has made two of her own.
Alana King and Kim Garth have also played vital cameos from lower down the order.
The player in the leading role might change, but the result remains the same - someone always rescues them. It is almost like they lure teams into a false sense of security, allowing them to dream whether this is the day that the plan comes unstuck.
So far, they are showing no signs of giving that up.
In contrast, England's middle order is far less reliable.
Sciver-Brunt and Knight have been England's glue and have been world greats for a long time, but without their contributions, the difference is stark.
Capsey's performances with the bat have been better than the numbers suggest, considering the inconsistency of her position at number seven. She has either had to try and rescue England from a top-order collapse or attack from ball one, but at Indore she showed glimpses of her destructive best with a vital 38 that took them beyond 240.
Charlie Dean was, again, the calmness needed to post a respectable total, adding 61 for the eighth wicket with Capsey, but the struggles of Sophia Dunkley and Lamb are a concern.
Dunkley looked constantly torn between attack and defence as she nudged her way to a boundaryless 22 from 48 balls, her lack of intent leading Beaumont to play a reckless shot off Sutherland to try and ease the pressure, only to be brilliantly caught by a juggling Voll at long-off.
Lamb is being asked to play an unfamiliar role, batting at six for the first time professionally having scored all her runs in domestic cricket as an opener, and looks out of her depth with 36 runs in five innings.
King weaved a web of magic with her leg-spin, conceding 20 runs from her 10 overs as England got themselves stuck in the crease and looked utterly bewildered. There was sharp turn and she was relentless with her control, but not once did England look to throw her off her length, and she was the instigator of a 10-over period which defined the game.
Between overs 21-30, England added 26 runs. During the same period for Australia, Sutherland and Gardner crashed 77.
This defeat is not a hammer blow to England's World Cup chances, but it is a timely reminder - not only to them - of how perfect you have to be to dismantle the greatest to ever do it.
