England’s Ashes hopes turned to dust on another frustrating night of missed opportunities in Sydney.

A spectacular burst of hitting from Sophia Dunkley could not stop Australia winning the first T20 international by 57 runs to take an 8-0 lead in the multi-format series. The best England can now do is to draw the series as they did in 2023.

Beth Mooney’s classy 75 and some punishing cameos pushed Australia to an imposing score of 198-7. They were helped by some nervy bowling and scruffy fielding from an England side who looked understandably low on confidence.

England lost both openers for nought, including the dangerous Danni Wyatt-Hodge first ball, but Dunkley gave them hope with an exhilarating innings on her return to the side. She smashed six fours and four sixes in a 30-ball 59, and at the drinks break England were still in the hunt at 96-3.

Heather Knight fell to the first ball after drinks, Dunkley was bowled soon after and Australia rushed to victory with four overs to spare in the game – and three matches to spare in the series.

“We’re just very disappointed. We came here with a positive attitude, we wanted to bring a lot of energy, but we fell short.

“I just wanted to give it my best shot and try to put pressure on Australia as that was our best chance of winning. But there’s definitely a lot to reflect on. We can still draw the Ashes, it’s not completely gone I suppose, so that’s what we’re going to focus on.

“I’ve made a lot of changes in the last 18 months, both mentally and with my grip. It was nice to see the hard work pay off a little bit tonight. I’ve always had the power in my game so I’ve working on my timing; sometimes I can try to overhit it. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough today but it was good to get back out there.

“If we come away 8-8 it’s not too bad. Obviously we came here wanting to win the Ashes but there’s still plenty on the line.”

“I thought it was an outstanding innings from Moons. She makes it so hard for bowlers when she plays like, the way she walks around the crease. We let them get 20 or 30 runs too many; had we not done that I think we’d have been with a real shout.

“Sophia Dunkley gave us a chance with the way she batted. It was a brilliant pitch as well. Soph was outstanding in her first game of the tour – she played with so much freedom and took smart options. She hits the ball so cleanly and it’s beautiful to watch.

“It’s frustrating today, but onto the next one.”

The first delivery of the series will be bowled at 23:30 UK time with live coverage on TNT Sports 1, commencing at 23:00.

TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms, offering a line-up of up to four TV channels (TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports 3, TNT Sports 4), and up to six digital or red-button channels (TNT Sports 5 to 10), and TNT Sports Ultimate plus TNT Sports Box Office HD.

“We were feeling pretty confident with 199 on the board. I thought our bowlers did an excellent job to contain the England batters.

“The pitch was pretty flat. The England bowlers threw a few plans at me so I had to deal with that.

“[On Georgia Voll getting her T20 debut] Yeah that was pretty cool. I couldn’t be prouder of her; she came out and took the game on from ball one. Hopefully she spends a long time at the top of the order when she gets her chance.”

They go 8-0 up in the multi-format series after four wins on the spin. The best England can do is draw 8-8 but on current form they will be more worried about 16-0. A disconsolate Heather Knight leads her team out to shake hands with the opposition. England have been competitive in patches of all four games, but on each occasion Australia have broken them down towards the end.

Australia have held the Ashes since August 2015; they will keep them for at least another two years.

Australia have retained the Ashes! Bell slogs Sutherland high in the air and is caught by Beth Mooney.

Oh dear. Sarah Glenn has been run out without facing a ball. She tried to get back for a second run to keep Kemp on strike but was beaten by an excellent throw from the deep and a smooth take by the bowler Sutherland. Australia need one wicket to retain the Ashes.

England just cannot get to grips with Australia’s legspinners. Wareham and King have combined figures of 5-39 from six overs.

It’s ending in a hurry. Dean top-edges a slog-sweep and is easily caught by Beth Mooney behind the stumps.

Ecclestone hoicks Wareham to long on to end a cameo of 13 from six balls. England’s Ashes dreams are turning to dust.

Sophie Ecclestone won’t die wondering. She pulls Megan Schutt for six to kickstart a good over for England; it goes for 17, with Kemp slashing her first boundary past short third. England need 62 from 36 balls.

Sophie Ecclestone biffs her first ball for four.

Another England batter is undone by low bounce. Georgia Wareham gets one to skid on and hit leg stump as Jones misses a whip across line. She throws her hands out as if to say, ‘What am I suppose to do about that?’ If England had their time again they would surely bat first: three of their top six have been undone by varying degrees of uneven bounce.

Freya Kemp is the new batter. England need 87 from 48 balls.

Brilliant bowling from the stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath! She bowls Sophia Dunkley with a cutter that keeps slightly low and evades Dunkley’s slog sweep. It’s the end of a marvellous innings, 59 from 30 balls, and surely the end of England’s Ashes hopes.

The new batter Amy Jones belts her second ball through mid-on for four to bring up the England hundred. This is Alana King’s first T20 international in two years but she is having as big an impact as she did in the ODIs. In such a high-scoring game, figures of 3-1-14-2 are exceptional.

She’s gone! It pitched on leg stump and straightened sharply; three reds and Heather Knight goes for 18. England are running out of capable batters.

Knight misses a reverse sweep at King’s first ball after the drinks break. It’s given not out on the field but Australia review. This is really close; in fact I think Knight’s in trouble.

Dunkley pulls a Sutherland slower ball for a single to reach a sensational 24-ball fifty, England’s fastest against Australia in a women’s T20 international.

No boundaries in that over but England take at least a single (or a leg-bye) off every ball. Time for the drinks break. When the players resume, England will need 103 from 60 balls to win.

The captain Tahlia McGrath quietens things down with an over that costs only five. England are still up with the rate; the bigger worry is that they will run out of batters.

Legspin from both ends, with Georgia Wareham into the attack. Knight pops her over mid-on for four to move into double figures. Never mind that because Sophia Dunkley is playing gloriously. She ends the over with successive boundaries through extra cover – one over the top, one lasered along the ground. Dunkley is 48 not out from 22 balls.

Dunkley, not quite so comfortable against spin, is beaten by a perfect legbreak from King. She does the sensible thing by getting down the other end. This allows Knight to get off the mark with a high-class chip for four.

Annabel Sutherland takes the final over of the Powerplay. Dunkley doesn’t care who’s bowling. She picks Sutherland up over midwicket for her fourth six and then smashes four more over extra cover. This is blistering stuff: Dunkley is 38 not out from just 16 balls. All bar two of them have come in boundaries.

Just two leg-byes from King’s over, so she starts with a wicket maiden.

Alana King strikes first ball! It’s the big wicket, too. Sciver-Brunt tried to pull a short ball that turned from well outside leg stump and kept slightly blow. She missed and the ball took a slight deflection off her leg and onto the stumps. That’s a savage blow for England.

Dunkley sees Sciver-Brunt’s fours and raises them by smashing Garth’s first two balls for six. The first was lofted down the ground, the second walloped over midwicket.

This has been a remarkable response to the loss of both openers for nought. Dunkley belts four more through the covers before carting six more over long-on to make it 22 from the over. All 46 of England’s runs off the bat have come in boundaries.

Sciver-Brunt looks in defiant mood. She clips, pulls and flicks Schutt for three fours in four balls; while she’s at the crease, England have hope.

Nat Sciver-Brunt edges her second ball for four to get off the mark. That could easily have gone to Litchfield at first slip as well. Australia are getting more swing with the new ball than England managed; Sciver-Brunt softens her hands to ensure a thick edge runs away safely for four more.

The Ashes are staying in Australia’s hands. Danni Wyatt-Hodge, England’s most likely matchwinner, has gone for a golden duck. She pushed at a good ball from Kim Garth and edged it straight to Phoebe Litchfield at first slip. This is turning into a nightmare for England.

The new batter Sophia Dunkley larrups her third ball over midwicket for four to get England up and running. She’s almost cleaned up by the final ball of the over, a big inswinger that hits the pad and drops safely at Dunkley’s feet. It was going down leg side but could easily have deflected onto the stumps.

A nightmare start for England. Bouchier smacks her second ball straight to deep midwicket, where Georgia Wareham crouches to take a good catch. Bouchier’s tough Ashes continues: she has made scores of 9, 17, 0 and 0.

Maia Bouchier, whose shoulder must be okay, and Danni Wyatt-Hodge walk out to the middle.

That would equal their record T20I run-chase; they reached a target of 199 to beat India in Mumbai seven years ago. Danni Wyatt-Hodge made a century that day; she will be the key batter tonight as well.

Wareham misses an almighty swipe at Bell, but in doing so he puts Jones off and the ball goes through her gloves for four byes. Wareham rifles the next ball through mid-off for four more – Knight probably should have done better – and hoicks two off the last delivery of the innings. Australia don’t quite make 200 but they are still in a brilliant position.

Harris cuffs a full toss for four and then slices high to short third. Australia have four balls remaining.

A majestic last over from Ecclestone, full of deception and variety, costs only four runs and a wide. In the context of such a huge score, Ecclestone’s figures are outstanding: 4-0-26-2.

Harris lofts Kemp effortlessly over long-on for her first six. She’s fortunate to survive the next ball after mistiming a slower ball high into the leg side. Two overs to go; Australia will be eyeing 200.

More brilliant wicketkeeping from Amy Jones. Mooney is beaten by Freya Kemp and overbalances slightly. Jones takes the ball with soft hands and flicks the bail off before Mooney has chance to get back. That ends an outstanding, potentially Ashes-winning innings of 75 from 51 balls.

There’s a stumping referral when Harris threatens to overbalance. She got her foot down safely. Ecclestone pulled that over back well after conceding nine from the first three deliveries.

After conceding a couple of boundaries earlier in the over, Ecclestone yorks McGrath to end a brutal cameo of 26 from 9 balls. Very good bowling, but the big hitters keep on coming: here’s Grace Harris.

The wheels are starting to come off. Mooney pulls or flicks Bell round the corner for three boundaries in four deliveries. McGrath ends a very expensive over, 17 from it, by smashing a slower ball through the covers for four. Australia have scored 110 from the last 10 overs.

Bouchier is in the action straight away, with McGrath slicing just short. Another mishit shot bounces just in front of Dean at short third and scuttles under her for four. Australia bat so deep that they can afford to keep swinging; McGrath cuffs Glenn for six to move to 18 from just six balls.

Sophia Dunkley, who is mic’d up in the field, reckons 170-180 is a par score on this pitch. McGrath moves Australia four runs closer to that mark with a sweep for four off Glenn.

The next ball is driven down the ground for two. Bouchier makes a terrific tumbling stop but injures her left shoulder in the process. She’s in a lot of pain at first but is able to continue after treatment. At first that looked like a potential dislocation.

Charlie Dean finishes with figures of 4-0-38-1.

Sutherland slog-sweeps Dean to deep midwicket, where the reliable Danni Wyatt-Hodge makes an awkward catch look straightforward.

Very good from Ecclestone, who has figures of 2-0-11-1. England’s other spinners, Charlie Dean and Sarah Glenn, are going at more than ten an over.

Ellyse Perry charges Ecclestone, is beaten in the flight and beautifully stumped by Amy Jones. Perry was this close to jabbing her back foot behind the line, but Jones’s hands were too fast.

This has been a nervous performance in the field from England. A full toss from Glenn is put away for four by Mooney, who then works a single to reach a terrific fifty from 37 balls. Both with her hitting and running, she has put England under pressure from the first ball.

Even though they lost a wicket, Australia still managed to take 12 runs from Sciver-Brunt’s over. Mooney steered a boundary behind square on the off side, then Perry launched her first ball over mid-on for four.

A bonus wicket for England straight after the drinks break. Litchfield tries to steal a single to mid-off and is beaten by a direct hit from Heather Knight. After all that shoddy fielding, a much needed moment of brilliance.

This is getting away from England. Litchfield reverse sweeps Dean for four, then Mooney slashes another past backward point. A sweep for one brings up the fifty partnership from 39 balls.

England need a game-changing spell from Sophie Ecclestone like never before. After a solid start, three from five balls, she is lofted back over her head for four by the fleet-footed Mooney. England are under serious pressure now.

Sarah Glenn, a skiddy, wicket-to-wicket legspinner, comes into the attack. Her first ball is poor, miles outside off stump, but it almost brings a wicket when Mooney slices not far short of deep point.

Litchfield gets her first boundary with a majestic shot, rifled past the two England fielders in the covers, and then goes even bigger with a stunning switch hit for six. That’s a phenomenal shot.

A very bad over for England ends in minor farce when Mooney mishits Glenn over the covers. Dean and Sciver-Brunt run back but then leave the catch to each other. That feels like an insight into England’s mental state right now.

Mooney is dropped by Amy Jones! She’s normally so immaculate standing up to the stumps but she couldn’t hang on when Mooney edged a big shot off the new bowler Nat Sciver-Brunt.

Litchfield lofts over mid-on for three, then Mooney drags a slower bouncer over midwicket for four. That’s a fine shot, the first boundary since the third over.

Kemp returns to the attack. Mooney, such a busy batter, takes a tight but beautifully judged single to mid-on. Litchfield works a couple behind square to get off the mark and pushes a single down the ground. Another good over for England though. The first three overs disappeared for 38, the last three have cost just nine.

No second wicket for England but they have at least restored order – just three runs from that Dean over and five from the last two.

Beth Mooney misses a sweep off Dean and is given out LBW after being hit on the arm. Australia have only one review left but Mooney has decided to use it. She might have been hit outside the line of off stump. My word, she’s not out but not for the reason I expected. The technology suggested the ball was bouncing a long way over the stumps.

England enquire for caught behind when Phoebe Litchfield walks across and misses a ramp shot. It wasn’t the loudest appeal but Heather Knight decided to review the decision; there’s nothing on UltraEdge and Litchfield survives. England’s use of DRS hasn’t been great in this series. But that was a really good comeback from Bell, with just two runs and an important wicket from the over.

Well bowled Lauren Bell! She has made up for dropping Voll by dismissing her in the next over. Voll missed a big swipe across the line at a fullish delivery and was hit plumb in front. She reviewed the decision, though I’m not sure why: it was smashing leg stump.

The offspinner Charlie Dean, who is used to bowling in the Powerplay, replaces Kemp. Mooney continues to apply pressure, skipping down the pitch to loft the second ball over the covers for four. That’s a superb shot – as is the ferocious sweep that brings Voll her second boundary. She looks a class act.

But she should be back in the pavilion. She tried another sweep but top-edged it towards short fine leg, where Lauren Bell dropped an awkward but eminently takeable chance. To make things worse she inadvertently punched tbe ball for four more.

Voll makes it three boundaries in a row, and 17 from the over, with another aggressive sweep. She has 21 from 10 balls; England are in trouble, already.

Beth Mooney gets her first boundary, flicking a loose delivery from Lauren Bell past short fine leg. Australia look keen to put England under pressure right from the start – and it’s working. Voll gets two bonus runs, the first after a misfield from Dunkley and the second from an overthrow.

The left-arm seamer Freya Kemp, recalled to the side today, opens the bowling. She starts nervously, with a couple of leg-side wides, before being crashed over mid-on for four by the debutant Georgia Voll.

Kemp beats Voll outside off stump with one really good delivery; apart from that it’s not the greatest start.

It’s now or never for England, who look in good spirits as they gather for the obligatory team huddle.

The first delivery of the series will be bowled at 23:30 UK time with live coverage on TNT Sports 1, commencing at 23:00.

TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms, offering a line-up of up to four TV channels (TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports 3, TNT Sports 4), and up to six digital or red-button channels (TNT Sports 5 to 10), and TNT Sports Ultimate plus TNT Sports Box Office HD.

The SCG pitch did all sorts for the seamers during the men’s Test match between Australia and India and it looks grassier than usual. Lauren Bell, Freya Kemp and Nat Sciver-Brunt will hope to get some movement with the new ball.

Australia Voll, Mooney (wk), Litchfield, Perry, Sutherland, McGrath (c), Harris, Wareham, King, Garth, Schutt.

England Bouchier, Wyatt-Hodge, Dunkley, Sciver-Brunt, Knight (c), Jones (wk), Kemp, Dean, Ecclestone, Glenn, Bell.

England bring in Sophia Dunkley, Freya Kemp and Sarah Glenn in place of Tammy Beaumont, Alice Capsey and Lauren Filer.

Australia are without Alyssa Healy and Ash Gardner, who are both injured. Georgia Voll (who averages 87 in her fledgling ODI career) and the hard-hitting Grace Harris replace them.

They chased nervously in the ODIs but the format – and an unusually grassy SCG pitch – should in theory be more conducive to batting second. England will also hope the ball skids on under the lights.

Australia’s win in the third ODI in Hobart included an astonishing catch from Ash Gardner, who had already made her maiden international century earlier in the day.

Teams will earn two points for a win in the white-ball matches (one-day and T20 internationals) or share a point apiece in the event of a washout.

Four points will be awarded to the winners of the Test match, with teams earning two points each with a draw or tie. Australia currently lead 6-0 with another 10 points on offer.

Australia will be without their captain Alyssa Healy, who has had a recurrence of her foot injury and could miss the remainder of the Ashes. Tahlia McGrath will captain the side in her absence; the precocious Georgia Voll will make her T20I debut at the top of the order.

For England, there are no more next times: if they lose today Australia will regain the Women’s Ashes at the earliest possible moment. That’s the bad news. The good news is that T20s are probably England’s best chance of beating Australia, who for the first time since 2018 are not the reigning world champions.

All England can do is win today and see where it takes them – like they did in 2023, when they were 6-0 down and fought back to draw 8-8. That wouldn’t be enough to retain the Ashes, but they’d take it right now.

It’s now or never for England.

Australia hold a 6-0 lead in the Women’s Ashes after sweeping the ODI matches and only a perfect run of results from here in the T20s and Test match will see England triumph.

The first delivery of the series will be bowled at 23:30 UK time with live coverage on TNT Sports 1, commencing at 23:00.

TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms, offering a line-up of up to four TV channels (TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports 3, TNT Sports 4), and up to six digital or red-button channels (TNT Sports 5 to 10), and TNT Sports Ultimate plus TNT Sports Box Office HD.