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.