by Michael McCann

THE Women’s Ashes continues tomorrow as both England and Australia will be seeking to take the lead at New Road, Worcester, in the final one-day international.

The multi-format series is currently tied at 2-2 on points as both sides have won once, with the result of tomorrow’s fixture also affecting the ICC Women’s Championship, which decides 2017 World Cup qualification.

England won the opening match by four wickets at Taunton on Tuesday, as fifties from Natalie Sciver and Lydia Greenway helped them chase 239 for victory.

Elise Perry made an impressive 78 for the Southern Stars and is the now the top run-scorer in the series on both sides, after making 48 as the visitors levelled the series at Bristol on Thursday.

The hosts were defeated by 63 runs, as Meg Lanning hit 101, sharing a stand of 132 with Perry for the third-wicket that allowed the visitors to set an imposing 260 to win.

England were well positioned at 120-1 in reply as Charlotte Edwards scored 58 and Sarah Taylor 43 at more than a run a ball, but Megan Schutt took 4-47 as the hosts collapsed to 196 all out.

The encounter at New Road precedes a break of over two weeks before the only Test match of the series, at Canterbury on August 11, which is worth four points to the victor, two to each if drawn.

Then follow three Twenty20 internationals spread across six days at Chelmsford, Hove and Cardiff, a format that appears to favour the visitors.

The Southern Stars have won the three most recent Women’s World T20 competitions, defeating England in two of those finals, by just four runs in Colombo in 2010 and with six wickets to spare in Mirpur two years on.

England are seeking a third successive Ashes victory, after triumphing in the first multi-format series on home soil in 2013 12-4, before winning 10-8 in Australia in January 2014.