Wet win keeps Australia's Ashes whitewash bid on track

Australia have kept their hopes of a "special" Ashes whitewash alive, defeating England by six runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in a rain-affected second Twenty20 International in Canberra.

The win secures an outright series victory for Australia who move to 10 points, with only six points left up for grabs across the final T20I in Adelaide and the one-off day-night Test in Melbourne.

Stand-in skipper Tahlia McGrath (48) led the way for the Aussies after they were sent in to bat on Thursday night, guiding the hosts to 5-185 after another dominant display by opener Beth Mooney (44).

England appeared on track to notch their first win of the series - and keep their bid to draw it alive - when, ahead by two runs on DLS, play was suspended as heavy rain and lightning arrived over Manuka Oval.

But when play resumed, two quick wickets to Megan Schutt removed the dangerous Danni Wyatt-Hodge (52) and Sophia Dunkley (32), with the hosts doing enough to restrict a plucky England side to 4-168 before play was abandoned in the final over.

Not just content with the win, McGrath was hungry for a series clean sweep.

"It'd be pretty special to us," she said after the game.

"We've been hungry for a while and looking forward to these Ashes for a very long time. We've been playing some really good cricket, but still feel like there's areas to improve."

Captain Alyssa Healy (foot) and star allrounder Ash Gardner (calf) were again absent for the hosts, with their participation for the rest of the series still in doubt.

While she said she would love to have Healy back, McGrath said she was relishing the opportunity to be captain.

Taking over the captaincy has coincided with a return to form for the allrounder.

"I like to take the game on, I like to move around the crease," she said.

"I sort of went away from that and went into my shell a little bit the first two games."

The visitors started their run chase brightly.

Wyatt-Hodge and Maia Bouchier (13) blasted 46 from 35 balls for the opening stand before Dunkley joined in on the run-fest.

But the rain delay cost England valuable momentum.

Wyatt-Hodge brought up her half-century but mistimed an attempted paddle and dollied the ball straight up into the air and into the hands of McGrath.

Dunkley was bowled soon after, backing away and missing a cut shot off the top of off stump.

Heather Knight (43no) and Nat Sciver-Brunt (22) combined for a 65-run partnership before Sciver-Brunt inside-edged onto her stumps.

With 18 runs needed off five balls, the rain returned and ended play for good, leaving England six runs short of their DLS target.

McGrath shone brightest for Australia with the bat, top-scoring with a blistering 48 not out off 35 balls.

Opening the batting alongside rising star Georgia Voll, Mooney had once again put Australia in a commanding position, following her player-of-the-match performance in the opening T20I in Sydney.

The 31-year-old monopolised the strike as she raced out to 47 runs after the first five overs.

Voll, content to watch from the non-striker's end as her experienced partner dispatched seven fours from 31 balls, had to wait until the fifth over to get off the mark.

The 21-year-old then powerfully pulled Charlie Dean over midwicket for a boundary before being run out by Bouchier for five.

Soon after, Mooney was stumped by Amy Jones when charging a wide Sophie Ecclestone delivery down leg, falling six runs short of a second consecutive half-century.

Momentum shifted England's way with the wickets of Ellyse Perry (2) and Phoebe Litchfield (17) falling in quick succession.

McGrath steadied the ship alongside Annabel Sutherland (18) as the pair saw Australia into triple figures before Grace Harris (35), stepped up the run rate in the dying stages, belting successive sixes off Charlie Dean as the tweaker was smashed for 17 in one over.