England Women will have to wait to seal a series victory against Australia after falling to a 26-run defeat in the second of three One Day Internationals.
After winning the toss at the MCG, the hosts elected to bat and opened with Meg Lanning and debutant Nicole Bolton. Danielle Hazell bowled Lanning in the 9th but Bolton and Jess Cameron added 95 for the second wicket, the latter caught off Danielle Hazell.
When Bolton finally departed for 124, bowled by Natalie Sciver, Australia were 209-3 after 42.6 and she left the field as the first Australian to score a century on her Women's ODI debut.
The next two wickets fell for ten runs, Ellyse Perry trapped by Kate Cross first ball and Alyssa Healy caught by Nottinghamshire’s Wyatt to give Sciver her second.
At the culmination of the innings, Australia posted 266-7, with Sciver, Hazell and Shrubsole taking two wickets apiece.
England’s reply stuttered early, the hosts striking with the first ball of the seconding innings. Holly Ferling bowled Charlotte Edwards, who has now captained more ODIs (103) than any other player in the history of women’s cricket.
Ellyse Perry trapped Lydia Greenway for 4, but Heather Knight and Sarah Taylor both passed 50 to keep England in the hunt. Knight was stumped off Hunter for 55, before the run out of Taylor for 63 tipped the contest in Australia’s favour.
At 151-4, England had 17 overs to add 116 runs and Natalie Sciver batted well, keeping the target within reachable distance, but lost partners regularly. Danielle Wyatt and Jenny Gunn both became victims of Erin Osborne before they could get started, and the Australian attack cut through the tail effectively.
When Sciver was eventually caught off Osbourne, who finished with figures of 3-49, England had fallen 26 short of their target after 46.2 overs.
England Women currently lead the hosts 8-2, with a total of eight points remaining from the last ODI and three Twenty 20 fixtures.