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After winning the third ODI and getting two points on the board in the Women鈥檚 Ashes, Alex Hartley says England need to take their Coffs Harbour confidence into Sydney.

Hartley and her England colleagues were 4-0 down after the first two ODIs and another defeat would have left Australia needing only two further points to retain the Ashes. As it is, the series is once again nicely poised at 4-2 with a four-point Test match next on the agenda.

鈥淚f we had lost the third ODI we would have faced a really tough fight so it鈥檚 nice to know that going into the Test match we鈥檝e got some points on the board,鈥� said Hartley. 鈥淭hat doesn鈥檛 mean we鈥檙e going to be relaxing now but we鈥檝e got a foothold and we鈥檙e looking forward to the rest of the series.鈥�

The first ODI between the two sides was a close affair 鈥� going down to the final over 鈥� but Thursday鈥檚 second ODI was far more comfortable for Australia, who dominated from start to finish. England had not been without individual highlights across the first two games but Hartley credits the third ODI victory to a team effort.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about time we all put in a performance! It was a fantastic effort from our batters to put on such a competitive total and it was nice that the bowlers could back it up. We had to be patient with the ball but we kept our heads and kept taking wickets at important times.鈥�

The Surrey Stars spinner bounced back well from a slightly chastening day in the second ODI to take 3-45 yesterday, dismissing the dangerous Alyssa Healy, Elyse Villani and Jess Jonassen. From Hartley鈥檚 point of view, it was a case of better late than never. 鈥淚t was nice to bowl well and to get some wickets. I haven鈥檛 bowled superbly well so far on this tour so it was nice to come to the party!鈥�

Although coach Mark Robinson was keen to argue the third ODI was not a must-win game, having now won does Hartley think the visitors have wrestled back the momentum? 鈥淚 think we probably went some way to getting the momentum back with a win. Nobody wanted to go into the Test match having lost the third ODI so that鈥檚 good news for us. We just want to take the confidence from yesterday鈥檚 performance into the Test and I think we can do that.

The Test starts on Thursday November 9 and for all of England鈥檚 players that represents an opportunity to earn Test selection. As someone who鈥檚 yet to make her Test debut Hartley is desperate to pull on the England whites: 鈥淚t would be another thing ticked off the bucket list! There鈥檚 a bit of time between now and the Test and obviously it鈥檚 not a format we play too regularly so we鈥檒l all be working really hard in training and putting our hand up for selection.鈥�

The England team will play a three-day warm-up match at Blacktown CC this week ahead of next week鈥檚 Test, opener Tammy Beaumont is the only injury concern having picked up a thigh injury in the third ODI which is being treated as a low-grade quadricep strain.