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Australia have been denied an unbeaten women's Ashes series by a defiant England, who produced a surprise 17-run win in the third Twenty20 match at Bristol.

Australia coach Matthew Mott insists losing the last match of the women's Ashes series will not sour his side's dominant efforts over the last four weeks.

England salvaged some measure of pride with a 17-run victory in the third Twenty20 international in Bristol as Sophie Ecclestone and Katherine Brunt claimed three wickets apiece, with Mady Villiers snaring two on debut.

The result gives Australia 12 points from the series while England ended with four, equalling the margin in England's favour during the 2013 series.

The fall of early wickets meant Australia were always behind chasing 140, despite player-of-the-series Ellyse Perry's unbeaten 60 off 50 balls.

But Mott thinks the defeat will be merely a footnote to a great tour.

"It was a bit disappointing but overall we're very satisfied with a great tour," Mott said.

"There was great leadership from Alyssa Healy at the end who brought everyone in together and said let's remember how great this tour's been.

"We came into the series expecting a great contest and we've had it at different times but to get the result we've had is incredibly special for this group and not something we'll take lightly."

Of particular importance to Mott has been the way the young players, now coming into the team as professionals, have dovetailed with the experienced ones and he expects them to keep on pushing to improve as they head into the Twenty20 World Cup on home soil in February.

"It's not just the senior players that are driving the group," Mott said.

"All the young players who've come into the group added something different and they've brought energy and enthusiasm and performed straight away.

"The nucleus of our side is really firing and leads us into the World Cup nicely."

The game seemed to be going Australia's way when Perry imposed herself on proceedings with a remarkable one-handed pick-up and 45-metre bullet throw to run out England skipper Heather Knight (23), leaving the score at 4-83.

But England's Lauren Winfield (26) and Brunt (25) put on an unbeaten 55-run partnership for the sixth wicket to push their total to 5-139.

Mott identified the key moment as Villiers' second over when Healy (28) hit a full toss to Ecclestone at long off and Ashleigh Gardner was dismissed first ball.

Equally important was the superb Ecclestone (3-22) trapping Meg Lanning (2) leg before - the first time an Englishwoman has dismissed the Aussie skipper in this format since March 2016.

With no other Australian reaching double figures it was beyond even Perry to take them home.