Last Updated on 1 year by Charbel Coorey

Cricket News: Kate Cross trends at #4 on Twitter as England keep women’s Ashes alive | Kate Cross & Heather Knight lead ENG to win

The English women defeated their Australian counterparts in a nail-biting chase at the Gloucestershire Cricket Stadium to go 1-0 up in the three-match ODI series on Wednesday.

Chasing 264, the game went right down to the wire but the home side prevailed thanks to some terrific batting under pressure by the duo of Heather Knight and Kate Cross.

Twitter reacts to Kate Cross & Heather Knight magic

Cross came out to bat at No. 10 and scored four clutch boundaries to get to 19 off 20 deliveries, which led to Twitterati going berserk over her performance. Incredibly, England have now beaten Australia in the last three matches (two T20Is, one ODI) to keep the Ashes alive.

Post the game, Cross said she channelised her inner Chris Woakes to come out triumphant in this match.

“I was just thinking to myself, ‘I do not want to lose this game’ – I have seen us lose too many Ashes. I thought I’d channel my inner Chris Woakes and show number 10s can bat. We know we have still got a lot of work to do – they are the best team in the world, but we are clinging on,” she mentioned after the victory.

Australia, who are the incumbent World Champions, were on a peerless streak of having won 41 out of their last 42 ODIs prior to this defeat. Cross explained that England have been actively trying to take the aura off the Australian unit.

When she came on to bat, Knight apparently told Cross that it’s just an off-spinner bowling to her and not Ashleigh Gardner. “That mindset has done wonders for us so far,” Cross quipped.

England have now levelled the Ashes after being down six points to nil. But, they must still win the remaining two ODIs to reclaim the Ashes, starting at the Rose Bowl Cricket Ground in Southampton on June 16.