Clare Polkinghorne provided Australia's equaliser, scoring a powerful header in the 84th minute to cancel out Fran Kirby's 21st minute opener, in a match largely controlled by the hosts.

Chasing a sixth consecutive win, and fresh from a 1-0 triumph over Brazil on Friday, World No. 3 England started the game strongly, and it took just over 20 minutes for Women's Ballon d'Or nominee Fran Kirby to put them in front.

The Chelsea forward punished the Matildas for a sloppy turnover in their defensive third, finding space with a sublime turn before powering the ball low and hard past scrambling Australian goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold.

Kerr and Kumagai are joined by another 13 of the best players in the world in the nominations, chosen by editorial staff of French publication France Football.

The 2018 edition of the Ballon d'Or is the first in the award's 62-year history that will recognise female footballers and the nomination is an honour for both players as they buildup to the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup France.

The ceremony to announce the winner will take place in Paris on December 3.

An early goal from 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup top scorer Li Ying set the Steel Roses on their way, before Ren Guixin doubled their lead in the 15th minute as they took advantage of Portugal's earlier 0-0 draw with Finland.

The success, which follows an impressive silver medal performance at the Asian Games last month, is the latest positive step for a side which has gone from strength to strength since former men's international Jia was appointed in May.

Any pressure the home side may have felt going into what was effectively a tournament decider evaporated within four minutes, as Li got the end of Wang Xiaoxue's flick-on to make it 1-0, although goalkeeper Yada Sengyong ought to have done much better with the striker's tame effort,

China PR were two ahead when Ren Guixin lobbed the Thai custodian from distance a little over 10 minutes later, leaving Thailand staring down the barrel of their fifth loss against the Steel Roses in 2018.

Thailand's Silawan Intamee had a goal ruled out for offside just before the hour mark, before substitute goalkeeper Sukana Chor Charoenying made a number of saves to minimise the damage.

While Chaba Kaew fell to a sixth successive international loss - a cause for concern just eight months away from France 2019 - China PR will look to continue their run of good form in next months EAFF E-1 Football Championship qualification tournament in Chinese Taipei.

A brace from star forward Eugénie Le Sommer ultimately decided the match in favour of World No 4 France, who fully merited their win the over sixth-ranked Matildas.

Significantly, Kerr is the female player in Australian domestic football to be designated as a marquee player, which allows her to be signed outside the W-League's salary cap.

Football Federation Australia revealed Kerr's wages will be supported through the national organisation's marquee player fund, as part of its commitment to make the league a home of female footballing heroes.

Kerr will return to Perth, where she led the scoring charts in the 2017-18 season, fresh from a typically lethal run of form in the US-based National Women's Soccer League, which produced a league-leading 16-goal season for Chicago Red Stars.

Australia are now sixth in the world after moving up two spots.

The Matildas' surge up the rankings can be attributed to their run in the 2018 Tournament of Nations, finishing second in the United States where the host nation emerged the victors due to a greater goal difference.

Japan dropped two rungs to seventh while DPR Korea remain third, down one spot to 11th.

Fourth placed Korea Republic moved up by one to 14th in the world, while China PR improved two rungs to 15th as Asia's fifth best ranked team.

In some ways that methodical and measured approached is reflected in the way her sides play. Japan’s various national teams – Takakura has coached all three – demonstrate a uniform method based on technique and intelligence over physicality and brawn.

Appointed in 2016 following the lengthy and highly successful reign of Norio Sasaki, Takakura had big shoes to fill. But the former long-serving team midfielder relished the opportunity to continue the trademark Nadeshiko style – a method that delivered great success at junior international level.