by Emotional England captain Heather Knight admitted she was holding back tears after her team’s latest defeat, which leaves Australia on course for an unprecedented 16-0 Ashes sweep.
England fell by 72 runs in the third and final T20 at the Adelaide Oval to trail Australia 12-0 with a Test match to follow at the MCG next week.
Beth Mooney scored a brilliant 94 as England set a target of 163, but they were reduced to 39 for five and then dismissed for just 90 runs, only captain Knight (40) and Danni Wyatt-Hodge (17) achieving double figures.
Asked how she was feeling after her team’s latest setback, Knight told BBC Radio Five Live Sports Extra: “I’m trying not to cry, you always try to do that. I’m empty. This has been a disappointing tour.
“I’m frustrated and it wasn’t a great performance. We felt it was a total we could chase down, but the wickets cost us dearly and we failed to gain any momentum.
“We have competed at times (during the series) and fought hard, but the tour has been brutal so far and we need to learn, be better and remember these moments to make sure it doesn’t happen again .”
In terms of runs, the defeat marked England’s second heaviest in the T20 format. Knight’s team will now travel from Adelaide to Melbourne for a one-off Test in the hope of avoiding an embarrassing whitewash.
Knight continued: “We are going to keep fighting and we need to put the white balls behind us and focus on the Test match. We will consider it a one-off match to get something out of this Tour.
Asked about the prospect of a draw, Australia’s stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath said: “The next match is going to be a big challenge for both teams, with White, four days, strategies and tactics different.
“But the MCG for a day-night game, since it was announced, has been a game that has really excited everyone.”
