England star Kate Cross is backing the women's team to win the Ashes

England star Kate Cross is backing the women’s team to win their remaining ODI’s against Australia and regain the Ashes urn after their recent sensational victory

• Kate Cross believes England will beat Australia to regain the Ashes urn
• Cross starred as England won by two wickets in Wednesday’s ODI clash
• Two more ODI’s will follow and Cross is up for the challenge against the Aussies 

What was I saying about the scripts of both the men’s and women’s Ashes being packed with plenty of twists and turns?

Well, there was another twist at Bristol in our first ODI and it was one that ended with me and Heather Knight adding the 29 runs needed to beat Australia by two wickets on Wednesday.

To be there at the end with the captain in front of our families and friends with the Ashes on the line was so special. I’ll never forget that winning moment.

My mum and dad were there supporting and they were the first to fight their way through the crowd afterwards to give me more big hugs. Mum, Christine, doesn’t rate my batting and she told me that when I came in she turned to dad and said: ‘This has got first-baller written all over it, Dave!’ Thankfully that wasn’t the case and it means, from 6-0 down, we have fought our way back to 6-6. With two games left to play, the Ashes are very much alive.

I’ve had messages from all sorts like Chris Woakes, Jimmy Anderson, Bumble, Michael Vaughan. So many eyes are on our Ashes and we know now after three victories in a row we have to win two more, at the Ageas Bowl on Saturday and Taunton on Tuesday, to lift the trophy for the first time since 2014. 

Kate Cross believes that England’s women will beat Australia in the remaining ODI’s and regain the Ashes urn

Cross went in at No 10 batting against Australia and produced a brilliant ramp shot

I would have liked us to have needed fewer than 29 when I went in at No 10 but I was quite calm. Heather’s been in those positions before and knows how to speak to me. So even though there was a lot of pressure, I didn’t really feel it.

My mum said to me afterwards: ‘Why was Heather giving you the strike?’ But if we hadn’t taken the singles it might have got a lot tighter. We decided to take it in increments. First: ‘Let’s get this down to 20.’ Then: ‘Let’s get it down to 10’. Then it was five and when we did that Heather said: ‘Right, let’s try to win this now.’ Simple planning amid the chaos.

It was Heather who came down to me and said ‘the ramp’s on’, before I played the shot that has received a lot of attention. It’s a shot I practise a lot and she gave me the confidence to do it.

Cross (left) and Heather Knight held their nerve to beat Australia by two wickets on Wednesday

England will be hoping for similar fortunes when they resume battle with Australia on Sunday

It’s not often I go out to bat for England and I’d never been there at the end in any successful chase for any team since a game for Lancashire nine years ago!

Heather’s elation when she hit the winning boundary was telling. She is usually this cool ice queen, so that goes to show how much it meant.

I did feel as if I’d let the team down with the ball, so this was my chance to pull it back. Heather keeps on calling it the great escape and it does feel like we could be on the cusp of something extra special now.

We know Australia will come back hard but we feel there’s better cricket to come from us and we will keep on focusing on ourselves rather than worry about them. Bring on the Ageas Bowl!

Source: Read Full Article