The Southern Stars will go into the pivotal Test of the women's Ashes series with soaring confidence after they again thrashed England, to take the lead in the seven-match series.

The last of the three one-dayers, rescheduled from Sunday to Monday in Worcester due to rain, went the hosts' way by 89 runs. It trumped even the 63-run margin in game two in Bristol.

"It's certainly nice heading into a break 2-1 up," explained captain Lanning, who with 85 off 89 deliveries combined for the second successive match with Ellyse Perry (67 off 58) to give the Stars a great platform after they were again sent in by England captain Charlotte Edwards.

"It's not often we get to have a few days off on tour - we're usually pretty quick with our games - so it's nice to [have a chance to] enjoy the [one-day] series win . . . it's important to celebrate those times.

"We've got a couple of days off. We'll go our separate ways and enjoy that, but once we come back for the couple of practice games we'll be ready to go. By the Test match [on August 11] we'll all be really excited to play in one of those again. We don't get the chance often so we're looking forward to that."

The Australians' 7-241 was a particularly good score given both their sluggish start and the sluggish pitch and outfield conditions at New Road.

After England were pummeled in the second one-dayer in Bristol last Thursday their vice-captain Heather Knights stressed the importance of taking half-chances offered by Lanning, who made a century on that occasion. While half-chances are important it was the spurning of two straightforward chances on Monday that were lethal to England's chances of victory.

Lanning was given lives on five and 46: the former when Georgia Elwiss fumbled a throw to her at the non-striker's stumps with Lanning stranded, the latter when Lydia Greenway failed to hold on to a firmly hit overhead chance at point off the combustible Katherine Brunt.

"You can't give someone with the quality of Meg Lanning one life, let alone two," lamented seamer Anya Shrubsole, who was the best of England's bowlers.

Those fielding blunders undermined the disciplined bowling, particularly from Shrubsole with 0-25 from 10 overs. The Stars were so concerned by their scoring rate when remaining opener Nicole Bolton departed in the 27th over, for a laboured 40 from 89 deliveries, they promoted Alyssa Healy to number four. The wicketkeeper's cameo of 17 from 18 balls began the much needed surge in the Stars' run-rate. Lanning and Perry added 85 from 78 balls for the fourth wicket to lift their total well in excess of 200.

Perry's contribution with the bat, which extended her marvellous form, was arguably matched by what she did with the new ball. It was not just that England lost two wickets within the first three overs but more so who the victims were. Within Perry's first eight deliveries she removed England's two best batters, Edwards for a duck and Sarah Taylor for 1, to leave their chase teetering. She was named both player of the match and of the now complete one-day series, with the latter also counting towards qualification for the 2017 World Cup.

Apart from Heather Knight and Lydia Greenway, who both fell close to half-centuries, and 31 from Katherine Brunt as a designated pinch-hitter no England batter reached double-figures.

Captain Lanning was grateful to Perry for following up her big innings, her seventh half-century in her past eight innings, with the early scalps of Edwards and Taylor.

"Ellyse has become a very important part of our batting line-up, but I think we saw today with her bowling that that's just as important. Early wickets are key in this format of the game and I think that really turned the game in our favour right from the word go," she said.

In addition to Perry's new-ball strikes the Stars were particularly well served by stingy seamers Sarah Coyte (2-38 off 10 overs) and then Rene Farrell (0-29 off nine overs). The visitors' hierarchy would also have been pleased that leg-spinner Kristen Beams, who was recalled along with Farrell, snared three late wickets to help erase any effects of her tough start in the first match. The pair came in at the expense of fast-bowler Holly Ferling and off-spinner Erin Osborne.

Even though the Stars dropped two catches, from Alex Blackwell and Beams, they were insignificant compared to the chances afforded to Lanning. The Stars' tenacity with their ground fielding came after their captain had challenged them to out-field their hosts, who outshone them in the first match.

England were given some causes for encouragement in the 33rd over, the start of their batting powerplay, when Greenway and Brunt reached their half-century partnership. Greenway's departure in the following over was the start of a collapse of 6-29 that saw them bowled out in the 44th over for 152. Given England lost 7-40 to finish game two it reinforced suspicions that their batting is fragile.

The result gave the Stars a 4-2 lead in the series points tally. With four points on offer for the next match, the Test in Canterbury, a victory for them would leave England needing to win all three Twenty20s at the end of the series to avoid relinquishing the Ashes.

The reporter is covering the women's Ashes with the support of Cricket Australia