AUS vs ENG 2nd T20I: In a dramatic rain-affected second T20 match, England’s misfortune handed Australia a key victory, securing the Ashes outright and bringing them closer to a potential whitewash.

The series now heads to Adelaide for the third and final T20 on Saturday night, ahead of the landmark Test match at the MCG, which starts next Thursday.

England captain Heather Knight led her team to the brink of an unlikely victory, only to be forced off the field when they needed 18 runs from five balls due to the rain interruption. Knight, visibly frustrated, shook hands with Australian captain Tahlia McGrath but pointedly avoided shaking hands with the umpires, confirming Australia’s six-run win under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.

Knight, unbeaten on 43, threw her bat in anger when the rain halted play and remained visibly upset throughout the delay.

Heather Knight was in fine form, unbeaten on 43 from just 19 balls, having sent the first delivery of Annabel Sutherland’s final over to the boundary. However, umpires Ben Treloar and Eloise Sheridan deemed the rain in Canberra—already responsible for a 20-minute delay earlier in the match—too heavy to continue. Knight was visibly upset as she left the field but later acknowledged that her reaction stemmed from “frustration” at missing the opportunity to pull off something remarkable.

Earlier in the match, Australia posted a strong total of 5-185 in their 20 overs, with McGrath (48 not out) and Grace Harris (35 not out) finishing off what Beth Mooney (44) had started. In response, England, led by Danni Wyatt’s 52, ended their innings at 4-168 from 19.1 overs, falling short due to the DLS ruling.

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