Alyssa Healy helped steer the Aussies to a four-wicket victory in the first ODI against England, kicking off the women’s Ashes series in style.

The skipper was at her best with bat in hand, blasting 11 boundaries as she brought up a half-century at North Sydney Oval on Sunday afternoon.

Healy finished with an eye-catching 70 off 78 deliveries as the hosts chased down England’s total of 204 with four wickets in hand.

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The opener was supported by Ash Gardner (42 off 44), while a plethora of dropped catches from England proved costly.

Gardner was dropped not long after Healy’s departure in a moment that could have swung the momentum in England’s favour.

“It felt like they [England] were a little bit off the boil in all three facets,” Mel Jones said on Fox Cricket after the match.

“It was led brilliantly by Alyssa Healy. That run chase was really set up by the skipper.”

Australia’s series got off to a bizarre start after it appeared as though Megan Schutt had taken the wicket of Maia Boucher with the third ball of the match.

However, replays showed the experienced quick overstepped for a no-ball and the decision was overturned by the third umpire.

England overcame a slow start as captain Heather Knight (39) and all-rounder Danni Wyatt-Hodge (38) made starts, but they failed to go on to make big scores as Gardner finished with impressive figures of 3-19 for the green and gold.

It was a quality all-round display from the Sydney product, who looms as a crucial figure for the Aussies throughout all seven games.

“It was a pretty tricky wicket, to be honest,” Gardner told Fox post-game.

“With the bat, it was trying to counteract that and play good shots off good bowling.

“It’s just about putting a lot of time and effort in at the moment, equal time into both skillsets and being really clear in my thinking.

“I’m really clear in what my strengths are. I’m still striving for something better.”

The clash was the highest-attended women’s international ever at North Sydney Oval.

The second ODI as part of the multi-format Ashes series is scheduled for Tuesday at Melbourne’s Junction Oval.