Stumps - Australia 328 for 7
Quite the day’s Test cricket. Australia chose to bat and will be pretty happy with the result, though an England surge after the afternoon rain delay meant that things didn’t get entirely out of control. Had Perry still been there with one of her top-six colleagues then a monster score would have been pending. Now England can still hope to keep them under 400 and go big themselves.
Perry falling on 99 is quite the story, after she was so in control. Ecclestone was outstanding, 31 overs sent down, 3 for 71 in the process. Lauren Filer was exciting with 2 for 65, Bell 1 for 65, Cross 1 for 81. Ecclestone was the only England bowler to go for under 4 an over.
Tahlia McGrath made 61, Ash Gardner 40, and Annabel Sutherland will resume on 39.
We’ll be with you tomorrow, Megan Maurice and Tanya Aldred doing the honours for Day 2. See you then.
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85th over: Australia 328-7 (Sutherland 39, King 7) No we’re not, we’re playing until 7:24pm. Which is now. King gets a leg bye from Cross, Sutherland blocks the last two ball, and we’re done.
84th over: Australia 327-7 (Sutherland 39, King 7) On the front foot goes King, clubbing a cover drive that is mistimed but good enough to hit the gap, and she runs really well to complete three. Bell hoops down the leg side to Sutherland. Outside off. Leg side again. Can’t control her line with this moving Dukes ball.
We’re playing until 7:30pm tonight! They still have six overs to bowl after this, in ten minutes. Nope. Even women’s Tests are falling behind over rates: 27 in the first session today, 42 by drinks in the second session. The number required is adjusted after rain, of course, but it’s calculated by what should fit in the remaining time.
83rd over: Australia 324-7 (Sutherland 39, King 4) That’s classy from Sutherland. An immaculate square drive off Cross, smoothly across the grass to cross the rope at deep point.
82nd over: Australia 320-7 (Sutherland 35, King 4) All over the shop after the wicket. Bell just about misses the pitch on the off side, wided, bowls another down leg, not wided, pitches one up and gets it to swing, driven sweetly for four by King through mid off, then swings another into the pads that beats her thoroughly but takes a nick. Phew. The last ball is innocuously wide, but still shifting in its trajectory.
WICKET! Gardner c Jones b Bell 40, Australia 315-7
Late strike! New ball, Cross bowled one over with it, now Lauren Bell gets her turn and makes it count. Gardner pushing down the line at one, doesn’t look to have moved off the pitch but it does in the air, and Gardner is swung out. Outside edge, Jones takes it falling awkwardly to her right to get her glove down.
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81st over: Australia 315-6 (Gardner 40, Sutherland 35) Kate Cross from the Pavilion End, bowls a good over, still goes for a couple thanks to a Dunkley misfield. She’s having a few moments she’d rather not, late in the day. Understandable.
80th over: Australia 313-6 (Gardner 40, Sutherland 33) Donk! That ball deserves it. Or more generally, they collectively deserve it. Huge loop from Dunkley, and Gardner puts her into the press box. That nearly hit the window in front of me. Singles, byes, a dozen from the over, and that might be the end of The Sophia Experiment.
79th over: Australia 301-6 (Gardner 33, Sutherland 31) More quality from Ecclestone, beating the edge, before Sutherland flicks away a brace to raise a scoreboard milestone for the team.
78th over: Australia 299-6 (Gardner 33, Sutherland 29) Sophia Dunkley to bowl her leg breaks. These can be random. Huuuuge loop first ball, it does dip enough though that Gardner can only toe it to mid on. Stabs the next to square leg. Once they start to read the pace, four singles follow.
77th over: Australia 295-6 (Gardner 31, Sutherland 27) Two slips in place for Ecclestone to Gardner, who cuts, and a misfield at point gives her a couple of runs. Gets a single with a similar shot, good fielding this time to stop a boundary, keeps the strike.
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76th over: Australia 292-6 (Gardner 28, Sutherland 27) More runs from Filer, loses her line down leg and Sutherland glances it for four. A neater deflection than her dad at a press conference.
75th over: Australia 288-6 (Gardner 28, Sutherland 23) No run from Ecclestone’s over. Gardner being careful late in the day.
74th over: Australia 288-6 (Gardner 28, Sutherland 23) Filer has had a good day, but she must be tired. Into her 13th over, has the two wickets, but has gone for 61 in the process. Four of those as Gardner hurls the bat at width and gets her cut shot away over gully, after Sutherland has square driven three.
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73rd over: Australia 280-6 (Gardner 24, Sutherland 20) Explosive over late in the day from Ecclestone! She’s had a remarkable one. Beats Sutherland with turn away. Bowls a straight one from wide around the wicket that gets extra bounce in at the stumps, and misses them after missing the bat. Down the leg side. Then genuine turn takes Gardner’s edge and evades slip! Two runs there.
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72nd over: Australia 276-6 (Gardner 22, Sutherland 19) Ecclestone finds a decent full length which Gardner plays well then. when the final delivery is given a little more air, she ruins the maiden by edging away for two. And with that my watch is over; here’s Geoff Lemon to croon you through the remaining half-hour of play. Ta-ra.
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71st over: Australia 274-6 (Gardner 20, Sutherland 19) Niiiice, Sutherland presenting Cross with the full face to time down the ground for four. These two are doing really well defending the gooduns while taking care not to miss out if there’s a ball beseeching treatment. A single into the leg side follows, and this partnership might just take the game away from England.
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70th over: Australia 270-6 (Gardner 20, Sutherland 15) Gardner reminds herself to watch the ball then, when Ecclestone invites her drive by tossing one up, she does, flaying four through cover just past Dunkley’s drive. She’s picking length really well.
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69th over: Australia 266-6 (Gardner 16, Sutherland 15) Cross replaces Bell, Knight going for short spells from her quicks, and Gardner drills her second ball to mid on for one. It’s the only run off the over, and England could do with another breakthrough, because as the bowlers tire these two look well-equipped to cash-in.
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68th over: Australia 265-6 (Gardner 15, Sutherland 15) The players take drinks then we go again, Ecclestone keeping at it. She sends down four dots, then Gardner turns around the corner for two before gloving a pull and the yields one more. These two are batting nicely, the partnership 27.
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67th over: Australia 262-6 (Gardner 12, Sutherland 15) Sutherland gets leg-side to Bell and twizzles four through midwicket then, after a dot, Jones decides she’ll stand up. Sutherland then edges, escaping when the ball drops short of Knight at two, then top-edges another flick through midwicket … which goes over square leg’s head … and races to the fence fo fo mo.
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66th over: Australia 254-6 (Gardner 12, Sutherland 8) Tell you what, these two are playing confidently, and when Ecclestone pushes one through a bit quicker, Sutherland takes a step down knowing there are four fields close to the bat, which means she can drive confidently to the cover fence for four. A single off the final ball of the over follows, and Australia are slowly rebuilding.
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65th over: Australia 249-6 (Gardner 8, Sutherland 1) I guess, given we can go till 7pm, Knight wants Filer for another spell, but still, one more over against two new batters wouldn’t have compromised that. Anyroad, Sutherland takes a single to deep backward square, then when Bell drops short, Gardner gets on the front foot and clobbers a pull through midwicket for four. And she thinks about going at one that’s well outside off too, before opting to scabbard the willow and watch it go by.
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64th over: Australia 244-6 (Gardner 8, Sutherland 1) Fielders around the bat for Sutherland, two slips, a silly mid off and a short leg; she retreats into her crease and flows through cover for one to get off the mark. It’s the only run from the over and Ecclestone looks set fora good, long bowl here, seamers rotating at the other end.
ON THE CHARGE!! 💪
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 22, 2023
Perry goes on 99! It's all go here. #EnglandCricket #Ashes pic.twitter.com/odZOShV0nL
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63rd over: Australia 243-6 (Gardner 8, Sutherland 0) I’m not sure why Knight takes off Filer – maybe she’s mindful of not overloading an inexperienced strike bowler – but still, one more over seemed sensible in the circumstances and what the batters would want least. But, we, nope! Bell returns, sends down five dots, then overpitches and Gardner turns away for four through midwicket.
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62nd over: Australia 239-6 (Gardner 4, Sutherland 0) I daresay Ecclestone will fancy a go at two new batters and shonuff sends down a testing over, Gardner’s single nurdled to leg the only run from the over. Since the break, England have been great.
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WICKET! Perry c Sciver-Brunt b Filer 99 (Australia 238-6)
Oh Ellyse! Again, decent bounce from Filer and Perry flings hands through it. But she can’t control her drive, slicing to gully where Sciver-Brunt takes a terrific reaction catch, as we knew she would when the ball went in her direction. Well batted Ellyse Perry – that’s a brilliant knock, not that you’d know it to look at the disappointment on her coupon – and the match has suddenly sped up!
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61st over: Australia 238-5 (Perry9, Gardner 3) Filer begins her 12th over with a no ball, then Gardner gets away with a drive through mid on, Bell scampering after it and saving one on the fence; they run three. A two follows, then a bit of extra pace and bounce means that when Perry opens the face she’s cramped a little … but gets four over gully anyway. She’s one away.
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60th over: Australia 228-5 (Perry 93, Gardner 0) If England are going to roll Australia for something lowish, you get the feeling Ecclestone will have to do most of the damage. She gets five dots in to Perry, who cuts the final delivery of the over for a single, retaining strike in the process. She’s nearing a very well-deserved ton.
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59th over: Australia 227-5 (Perry 92, Gardner 0) England will be desperate to have a go at Gardner – who’s sporting a whopper of as shiner – and Perry trusts her, shoving Filer’s second ball to cover and taking a single. During the break, I caught some of an interview with her, in which she discussed spending time on tour trying to make the world a better place. Learn more about her here, she’s extremely sound.
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58th over: Australia 226-5 (Perry 92, Gardner 0) A double wicket-maiden from the best bowler in the world, and England need to push on here.
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WICKET! Healy b Ecclestone 0 (Australia 226-5)
Absolute nut! Ecclestone sends down a quicker one that lands on middle-and-off, turning just enough as Healy – who bagged a pair in her last Test and faced just three balls here – plays inside it and loses her off peg! Out of nowhere, England are back into this, and the next 90 minutes should be serious.
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57th over: Australia 226-4 (Perry 91, Healy 0) Fine first delivery from Ecclestone, rapping the pad as Healy presses forward; there’s an appeal but it was a little high.
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WICKET! Jonassen c Beaumont b Ecclestone 11 (Australia 226-4)
England took their time opting to review that, but when Jonassen missed the ball with the bat she feathered it with her glove, and that’s a big wicket for England – even if all it does is bring Alyssa Healy to the wicket.
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57th over: Australia 220-3 (Perry 91, Jonassen 10) Jonassen goes down on one knee looking to sweep, misses, the ball loops up and is caught by Beaumont at short leg … but was there an edge involved? The umpire says no so England review!
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56th over: Australia 226-3 (Perry 91, Jonassen 11) Back to Wong, I’d wager the Aussies are glad she’s missing. But here we are, Filer returning and Perry waiting for a short, wide one, cracking a cut to the fielder at deep point. A single to Jonassen follows, then Perry under-edges into the ground before playing a similar shot but uppishly, cutting over the slips for four. The tourists are going nicely here.
55th over: Australia 220-3 (Perry 86, Jonassen 10) England aren’t really threatening a wicket here, but Ecclestone is restricting the scoring well, wheeling through a maiden. Problem being Australia are in no hurry – I’m pretty sure they’d feel confident of taking 20 wickets even if they batted until tea tomorrow.
54th over: Australia 220-3 (Perry 86, Jonassen 10) I was surprised England would’ve fielded had they won the toss – the pitch and conditions didn’t look like the sort that’d see them take all 10 Aussie wickets today, which is what you’ve need to happen in that situation. In that context, it’s even harder to understand why they left out Issy Wong. Filer has done well and looks like she might be a bowler, but to dismiss a side this good twice, you need all the star quality you can get and Wong has that in major quantity. Anyhow, back in the middle, Jonassen flicks a single to midwicket, the only run from the over.
53rd over: Australia 219-3 (Perry 86, Jonassen 9) Ecclestone continues and Jonassen pushes past mid off and they run one. Dots follow, so let’s mention how great it is to have this Test not only at Trent Bridge but at a time when cricket is buzzing and people are desperate for more of it. One off the over.
52nd over: Australia 218-3 (Perry 86, Jonassen 8) Cross completes her over, racing in and Perry defending then letting one go. A no ball follows and then due punishment, a bit of away movement seeing the extra ball fenced away between gully and second for four.
“Why are the players mucking about on the field and not playing?” wonders John Price.
Er, I guess from inspection to resumption needs minimum 15 minutes, so they’re filling the time. But we’re good to go now…
This next mini-sesh could go a long way towards decide the match. If Perry and Jonassen are sill batting at stumps, England are in all sorts, but if they can grab another couple of wickets, they’ll have a chance.
Play to resume at 5.07pm BST
And not 5.06pm or 5.08pm.
The umpires and captains are gabbing on the boundary. Hopefully not long to go.
The rope’s going around the outfield and the weather looks set fair. I’d hope – nay expect – that from here, we go through till 7pm.
These pages are for sharing cricket, yes, but I like to think they’re also for sharing general joy and other important stuff so, just before I took over here, I was reading this about how to talk to kids. Check it.
Thanks Geoff. Our umpires are coming out and I’d expect them to conclude that we’re good to resume at 5pm BST, so in 14 minutes … but let’s see.
It’s a quiet moment as we await that umpiring verdict, as slow as the fingers of Ahsan Raza and Marais Erasmus were to move at times at Edgbaston over the last week. Today it’s Anna Harris and Sue Redfern in charge at Trent Bridge.
For now, I’m going to hand over to Daniel Harris.
Inspection at 16:45
We’ve got an inspection coming. Which means, if my umpiring instinct is correct, we’ll be back on at 5pm.
This is your latest update in the CBC! Cover By Cover updates, live, from the most exciting sport arenas in the world.
Right, we’ve got the sopper doing its work on the eastern side of the square, and the covers there are clear. Now to start on the other side.
They’ve taken one cover off. Now we’re just hanging out.
Looks like the rain has stopped?
Looks like I’ll be writing about Ellyse Perry today, hey? One fun thing that I’ve been tracking: her score today was racing her average. She’s 81 not out, live career average up to 83.3.
I have shown the foolish optimism of a non-British visitor. Managed to find my way to the other side of the pavilion with a north-west facing perspective, and the rain vista in that direction is yuck. The fall is heavier and the cloud providing it isn’t going anywhere.
Want to know the good thing? We have five days to play in this Test. So often before this, rain has meant a draw in a four-day contest. Hopefully we’ve got time here for a result.
Ok, maybe that was optomistic. The part of the sky that I can see out the press box window, ahead of us, is very bright and airy. Unfortunately the rain si coming from the direction that I can’t see, including the rain cloud sitting right on our heads at Trent Bridge.
The heavier rain has stopped and there’s only a light sprinkle continuing. Looks like it might be done soon.
A good minute of heavy rainfall on the pitch before they get the hovercraft out there. Wonder if that will give England any juice after this passes over.
Rain delay
That didn’t look likely when it was warm and sunny this morning. Boo, to the heavens. Boo it all.
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51st over: Australia 213-3 (Perry 82, Jonassen 8) A couple of singles from the Ecclestone over, knocked into the off side. There’s a solitary rain cloud coming over, wonder if it’s going to collect us.
50th over: Australia 211-3 (Perry 81, Jonassen 7) Classy back-foot punch from Jonassen! Stands up and hits Cross to deep cover. Only two runs, the outfield hasn’t been fast today. Jonassen adds three more off the pads to midwicket. Runs flowing all day. There’s another no-ball as Perry bats out the over.
49th over: Australia 205-3 (Perry 81, Jonassen 2) Digs out the drive against Ecclestone, off middle stump, but Perry finds mid off. Set deep, that spot, with cover close for a catch. Two slips for the spinner, Knight and Sciver-Brunt forming a leadership cordon. Perry stretches well down to defend. Maiden over.
48th over: Australia 205-3 (Perry 81, Jonassen 2) Filer bowls a fourth over in this spell, Perry off strike smartly. Appeals on hitting Jonassen’s pad, but that pitched about three stumps outside leg for the left-hander. Jonassen pokes and fumbles at a couple more, not getting her feet moving properly yet.
47th over: Australia 204-3 (Perry 80, Jonassen 2) Batting higher than in any of her four Tests so far is Jonassen, but she did make 99 on debut batting at six in 2015. That was at Canterbury, a funny old match in a lot of ways. She made fifty in the second innings as well from memory? Anyway, can bat, and the Australians can pick in any order really, they all bat. Jonassen being a left-hander breaks up the order with Healy, Gardner, Sutherland to come. Off the mark with a cut for two.
WICKET! McGrath b Ecclestone 61, Australia 202-3
What a ball! And just in time for England. Filer looks weary as she starts the over chasing to deep third to collect a late cut. Hands on her hips in the gully. But she’s energised when Ecclestone drifts a ball, drawing McGrath into a defence on middle and leg, then turns it with some bounce as well, past the edge to tip the off bail from its spot.
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46th over: Australia 200-2 (Perry 80, McGrath 59) Ooof! That was close, on both counts! McGrath backs away to give herself room to hit, but Filer is fast and straight at middle stump. McGrath pushes a drive in hope and succeeds in getting an outside edge. So she’s not bowled, and instead of going to the keeper it runs a touch wider for four.
That doesn’t deter McGrath from backing away. She cracks a ball that is well stopped at point, then gets one through cover point for two runs, then does the same backward of point. Backing away each time, and Filer’s bounce was over stump height both times. McGrath is the one who looks in control of those, with the shorter length.
45th over: Australia 191-2 (Perry 79, McGrath 52) A quiet over from Ecclestone, just a Perry single to start it as McGrath sees out the rest.
44th over: Australia 190-2 (Perry 78, McGrath 52) Lauren Filer, who starts off her approach to the crease like a power walker before breaking into a full run, shoots down a couple of pacy ones. Cutting into Perry and taking pad, before darting away to deep third, making Filer think she was close to an uncontrolled edge. Not quite. Tahlia McGrath backs away to get a similar run, before Filer gets too straight looking for those pads and Perry whips her for four! Deep backward square, beats the sprawling attempt on the rope.
43rd over: Australia 182-2 (Perry 72, McGrath 50) Perry does start turning over runs against Ecclestone, first backing away to punch the spinner through cover, then going back to play a late cut. Two runs per shot.
G’day all from Trent Bridge. Mild day today with some big jumbles of cloud and a fair bit of blue sky in between the cumulo columns. It’s been absorbing cricket so far, Australia scoring at a very good clip.
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42nd over: Australia 178-2 (Perry 68, McGrath 50) After just three expensive overs, Kate Cross is replaced by the pacy Lauren Filer, who surname had a Freudian autocorrect. She could go round the park but it’s worth the risk because England desperately need a wicket.
It’s not a brilliant first over, with too many deliveries drifting down leg. A bouncer beats both McGrath and Perry en route for two wides. It’s time for drinks, after which Geoff Lemon will join you. Bye!
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41st over: Australia 174-2 (Perry 66, McGrath 50) The field for Ecclestone is still attacking, with a short leg, slip and gully. That makes sense with Ecclestone taking the ball away from the two right-handers.
Not much good when she sends down a low full-toss, however. McGrath lashes it for four. A single brings her to an authoritative fifty, her second in four Test appearances: 67 balls, seven fours. She’s a class act.
40th over: Australia 168-2 (Perry 65, McGrath 45) Perry thick edges Cross to the point sweeper for a single; that was nicely bowled. Australia are scoring runs at will off the seamers, though, and that single is one of four from the over. Perry has 65 from 91 balls, McGrath 45 from 62.
39th over: Australia 164-2 (Perry 63, McGrath 43) A maiden from Ecclestone to McGrath. I wouldn’t be particularly critical of England’s performance; they’ve just run into a great team on a first-day pitch. But even at this early stage, it’s hard to see them ever beating Australia again, ever, in any format, women or men winning this Test.
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38th over: Australia 164-2 (Perry 63, McGrath 42) No slips for Cross now, with Jones up to the stumps as well. It helps to restore a bit of order, with three singles from the over.
37th over: Australia 161-2 (Perry 62, McGrath 42) Just wide of slip! Ecclestone tempted Perry to drive with a gorgeous delivery that drifted and dipped before turning off the straight. It flew off the edge and just wide of the diving Knight at slip.
The problem for England is that Australia have been savage on anything loose since lunch. Ecclestone’s last ball is a touch short and cut witheringly for four by Perry.
36th over: Australia 151-2 (Perry 56, McGrath 40) Kate Cross comes on for Lauren Bell, whose four overs after lunch went for 23. Perry guides her first ball deliberately past gully for four to bring up one of the more predictable half-centuries of the summer: 76 balls, nine fours.
She clips the next ball to the deep midwicket boundary as well. Four of this England team were on the field when Perry made an unbeaten 213 at Sydney six years ago; they may be experiencing some unwelcome deja vu.
McGrath makes it 16 from the over – and 33 from the last three – with successive cover drive for four and three. It’s just brilliant batting.
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34th over: Australia 138-2 (Perry 47, McGrath 33) Perry and McGrath bat well together in all formats, with an average partnership for Australia of 57. Perry gets four more with an elegant cover drive off Ecclestone. After a slightly nervous start, particularly against Lauren Filer, Perry is looking ominously secure for England.
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33rd over: Australia 133-2 (Perry 42, McGrath 33) Bell bowled pretty well to the left-handers this morning but she’s struggling here. McGrath gets consecutive boundaries with a tickle off the pads and a ferocious clout through the covers.
Bell is a bit unfortunate to concede a third boundary when McGrath gets a thick edge that drops short of gully and flies away. That was a good delivery. The boundary brings up a good fifty partnership from 72 balls.
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32nd over: Australia 121-2 (Perry 42, McGrath 21) A rare long hop from Ecclestone is put away by Perry for the seventh four of her innings. In her last five Ashes Tests, going back to 2017, she averages 191.
Ecclestone is causing McGrath one or two problems with the ball that straightens from around the wicket. But for now anything that has sneaked through to hit the pad has been going past leg stump.
31st over: Australia 115-2 (Perry 37, McGrath 20) Yep, replays confirm that McGrath got an inside edge to that delivery from Ecclestone.
McGrath is beaten, trying to cut a wide ball from Bell that keeps a little low. There’s still a lot of batting to come for Australia, so they could do with breaking this partnership quicksmart. At the moment, Ecclestone looks the better bet.
30th over: Australia 113-2 (Perry 37, McGrath 18) Ecclestone has an attacking field – slip, short leg, silly point – and is flighting the ball beautifully now that she is in rhythm. She really is an artist.
McGrath survives a big LBW appeal after pushing outside the line of an arm ball. Ecclestone wanted to review but Heather Knight decided against it. I think there was an inside-edge.
A fine over is tarnished by a poor last ball that McGrath flicks through midwicket for three.
30th over: Australia 110-2 (Perry 37, McGrath 15) Bell is struggling to find a consistent line to the right-handers. McGrath thumps a cover drive for three, the only runs from the over. It has felt like a relatively sedate morning but Australia are still scoring at 3.6 per over.
29th over: Australia 107-2 (Perry 37, McGrath 12) Sophie Ecclestone, who bowled nicely before lunch, resumes after the break. There’s are a few oohs and aahs when Perry pushes defensively down the wrong line – missing leg – and then leaves a delivery that goes just past off stump. It was well judged by Perry, but she looks a little bit becalmed against Ecclestone.
28th over: Australia 106-2 (Perry 37, McGrath 11) The sun is out, the pitch is slow, the ball is approaching middle age: it’s a great time to bat. Perry forces Bell’s second ball past backward point for a couple, then flicks an attempted yorker off her pads for four.
The players are back out on the field. Lauren Bell is coming on to replace Lauren Filer.
Lunchtime reading
Lauren Filer speaks to Sky Sports
It’s been very good. It’s gone very quickly actually, I’m trying to take everything in, but to get the wicket was great. I think I saw a few tears from my mum and dad [during her cap presentation]. I’m not that emotional but it was really nice.
[How did you feel before you bowled your first ball?] Nervous, definitely nervous, but excited. I just wanted to bowl as fast as a I can and as straight as I can.
[On the Perry LBW] I did hear two noises but I wasn’t sure if it was pad first or not. Bit unfortunate but yeah, a great start.
[On the Mooney wicket] I didn’t actually see the ball! I looked up and it was in Crossy’s hands. It was a great feeling.
[On the pitch] There’s a bit of bounce from back of a length but I think it’s trying to go a bit fuller to find the edge. We’re happy with our start, I think it’s pretty even.
Two debutants caught the eye in that session. The Australian opener Phoebe Litchfield raced to 23 before making a double misjudgement – first she offered no stroke to Kate Cross, then she decided not to review the resulting LBW decision.
England’s pacy Lauren Filer lived up to the hype. She almost dismissed the great Elysse Perry first ball, when an LBW was overturned on review, but she did get Beth Mooney for 33 with a very sharp delivery.
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Lunch
27th over: Australia 100-2 (Perry 31, McGrath 11) Perry opens the face to drive Ecclestone for a single, which brings up the Australian hundred. That’s also the last run of an excellent morning session.
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26th over: Australia 99-2 (Perry 30, McGrath 11) This is Filer’s fifth over, which is quite a lot for a shock bowler, but there are only a few minutes until lunch so you can understand it.
McGrath cuts to the cover sweeper for a single; Perry does likewise for two runs, with the sprawling Wyatt saving the boundary, and then waves a single down the ground. She looks more comfortable against Filer now.
25th over: Australia 95-2 (Perry 27, McGrath 10) Ecclestone replaces Sciver-Brunt, who bowled a mixed spell of 5-0-25-0, and starts with a maiden to Perry. I’d imagine she will have a long spell after lunch.
24th over: Australia 95-2 (Perry 27, McGrath 10) Another really sharp over from Filer, with just a single to Perry off the first ball. The batters don’t look entirely comfortable against her.
23rd over: Australia 94-2 (Perry 26, McGrath 10) The new batter Tahlia McGrath gets off the mark in style, thumping Sciver-Brunt through mid-off for four. Sciver-Brunt hasn’t been at her best in this spell, and McGrath clips another loose delivery off the pads for four.
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22nd over: Australia 83-2 (Perry 25, McGrath 0) What a start Lauren Filer has made to her Test career: her figures are 3-1-12-1. That was a fine delivery: perfect length, a bit of movement and, most of all, raw pace.
A sharp catch by Cross in the gully too #Ashes pic.twitter.com/eGNIsviaXj
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) June 22, 2023
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WICKET! Australia 83-2 (Mooney c Cross b Filer 33)
Filer’s extra pace means she has a more orthodox field, with two slips and nobody on the drive. Perry pulls a short ball confidently round the corner for four, bisecting the fielders at deep square and long leg.
Filer will always bowl bad balls – there were two sprayed down the leg side in that over – but she is extremely exciting. She also looks like she’s having the time of her life, which isn’t always the case for England Test debutants. When she drops the ball during her aforementioned cockney walk, she smiles broadly as she walks back to her mark.
She’s even happier now! Mooney pushes at a length delivery outside off stump and edges to gully, where Kate Cross takes a very sharp catch. Lauren Filer has her first Test wicket!
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21st over: Australia 78-1 (Mooney 33, Perry 20) Amy Jones comes up to the stumps for Sciver-Brunt to stop Mooney in particular moving outside her crease.
A short ball is pulled smoothly for four by Perry. That’s not the right length on this pitch, not at Sciver-Brunt’s pace. The follow-up delivery is much better: fullish and shaping in to Perry, who meets it with a textbook forward defensive.
Big fan of Lauren Filer's cockney walk into her delivery stride #Ashes
— Vithushan Ehantharajah (@Vitu_E) June 22, 2023
20th over: Australia 72-1 (Mooney 32, Perry 15) Perry tries to pull a leg-side short ball from Filer and misses. Filer’s pace* and unorthodoxy have extracted Perry from her bubble. England may have found one here.
* Her fastest ball so far is 76.5mph.
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19th over: Australia 72-1 (Mooney 32, Perry 15) Heather Knight is moving to a more subcontinental field, bringing herself in at short extra cover for Mooney. Sciver-Brunt says four runs (probably) off her own bowling with a good stop in her follow-through. And because of that, we have the first maiden of the day.
18th over: Australia 72-1 (Mooney 32, Perry 15) We’d heard a lot about how sharp Lauren Filer was and she has made a thrilling start. Perry tries to cut and is beaten for pace, then thick edges a drive short of gully.
Perry works a yorker to leg for a single, then Mooney clatters a high full toss to the cover sweeper. An extremely eventful over ends with Perry threading a back cut for four. That was a much calmer stroke.
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PERRY IS NOT OUT!
She wasn’t outside the line at all – but she did get a slight, and vital, inside edge onto the pad. Perry survives. Even so, that’s some statement of intent from Lauren Filer.
Perry gets a reprieve 😅
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) June 22, 2023
Almost the perfect start for Lauren Filer with her first ball in Test cricket #Ashes pic.twitter.com/RH1UglSru0
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Perry has reviewed and my hunch is she was just outside the line. It was a cracking delivery from Filer, perfect length and jagging back off the seam.
Almost the dream first ball for Lauren Filer... 😱
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 22, 2023
A review agonisingly denies the debutant 🖥️❌ pic.twitter.com/OgNvKBxyQ3
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WICKET? Australia 66-2 (Perry LBW b Filer 10)
Lauren Filer may have dismissed Elysse Perry with her first ball in Test cricket!
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17th over: Australia 66-1 (Mooney 31, Perry 10) Am I going mad or was that a chance? I suppose the two needn’t be mutually exclusive.
Sciver-Brunt continues and is waved to the cover boundary by Mooney – not once but twice. For such a giant of the game, Mooney hasn’t had much joy in Test cricket before today: four games, average 26, highest score 63. This is a great chance to correct the record.
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16th over: Australia 58-1 (Mooney 23, Perry 10) Ecclestone has a slip, short leg, short mid-off and silly point for Perry. And she almost strikes when Perry is dropped by Beaumont at short leg. It was a REALLY tough chance, one-handed to her right, and there was almost no reaction from the England players when she put it down. The commentators didn’t mention it either. I’m sure that was a chance. Wasn’t it? WASN’T IT?
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15th over: Australia 57-1 (Mooney 22, Perry 10) England are holding back the debutant Lauren Filer. Next into the attack is Nat Sciver-Brunt, who replaces Kate Cross (7-0-34-1) and starts with an accurate over to Mooney. Just a single off the last ball.
14th over: Australia 56-1 (Mooney 21, Perry 10) A better second over for Ecclestone, just one run from it, and that’s drinks. Australia have had the best of the first hour, though England have bowled quite well on a sluggish pitch.
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Here’s the overseas TMS link
You can listen overseas on YouTube (with some restrictions) https://t.co/aQg0GoVJl5
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) June 22, 2023
13th over: Australia 55-1 (Mooney 20, Perry 10) Mooney is dropped by Danni Wyatt! She fenced outside off stump at Cross and sliced the ball towards gully, where Wyatt put down a difficult low chance to her right. That's the second time Beth Mooney has been dropped this morning.
Perry, who has started with serene authority, drives pleasantly past mid-off for four.
12th over: Australia 50-1 (Mooney 19, Perry 6) Sophie Ecclestone, England’s left-arm spinner, is getting an early bowl. Her first ball is a loosener, a half-volley that Perry crunches to the cover boundary. That brings up Australia’s fifty.
On Sky, Mel Jones points out that, for all Ecclestone’s brilliance, her burgeoning Test record against Australia isn’t great: seven wickets at 54. England need a lot more in this game.
Here’s the wicket of Phoebe Litchfield
Kate Cross grabs the opening wicket of the #Ashes pic.twitter.com/3nxC72cX5m
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) June 22, 2023
11th over: Australia 46-1 (Mooney 19, Perry 2) A five-day Test is perfect for Elysse Perry, who is probably the best in the world at batting time. She gets off the mark by forcing Cross for a single.
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10th over: Australia 43-1 (Mooney 18, Perry 0) Oh my. It turns out Cross’s delivery to Litchfield would have missed off stump. Litchfield walked straight off, almost ignoring Mooney’s attempts to discuss a review. She probably felt a little embarrassed because she’d offered no stroke.
Mooney crashes Bell for successive boundaries, the first over the covers and the second through mid-off.
“It’s quite nice to not have endless chants and repetitive songs in this match!” writes Penelope. “Don’t miss the Barmy Army at all.”
I can see both sides!
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9th over: Australia 35-1 (Mooney 10, Perry 0) The great Elysse Perry, Test average 75, comes in at No3.
WICKET! Australia 35-1 (Litchfield LBW b Cross 23)
A moment of fortune for Mooney. She tries to flick Cross extravagantly over square leg and gets a big leading edge that flies over the slips for two runs. Cross has tightened her line to the left-handers, though she still has all the catchers behind the wicket rather than in front.
Well, apart from herself: she has just dropped Mooney off her own bowling! Mooney checked a drive to the right of Cross, who couldn’t hold on to a difficult chance in her follow through.
While Mooney has been a little scratchy, the debutant Litchfield looks in glorious touch. She moves into the twenties with a beautifully timed drive through extra cover. But now she’s gone!
Litchfield offered no stroke to the next ball, which came back to hit the pad in front of off stump, and Anna Harris raised the finger. It looked a tight decision, probably hitting the outside of off stump, and Litchfield is on her way for a promising 23.
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8th over: Australia 28-0 (Mooney 7, Litchfield 19) Bell gets a bit of extra bounce to Litchfield, who has plenty of time to drop the ball well short of second slip. A good over from Bell ends with a yorker that is dug out by Litchfield.
It’s early, I know, but this doesn’t look like a great pitch.
A little disappointing to see that there isn’t much carry for the bowlers. Looks like plenty of runs are on offer #WomensAshes
— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) June 22, 2023
7th over: Australia 27-0 (Mooney 6, Litchfield 19) Litchfield is so good square on the off side. She cracks another widish delivery from Cross to the point boundary. “Just stay away from that line on this pitch,” says Mark Butcher. “Got to attack the stumps.”
“For the men’s Test you posted the TMS YouTube link for those of us not in the country,” writes Joe Kearney. “I’m desperate to get the commentary for the women’s but can’t find it! Do you have today’s link, if they’re streaming it abroad again?”
I’ve had a quick look but can’t find it. Can anyone help?
6th over: Australia 23-0 (Mooney 6, Litchfield 15) Too straight from Bell, and Mooney works a couple of runs on the leg side. She played well in the warm-up against England A, scoring 107 and 35*, and she has looked solid so far.
Bell has a strangled shout for LBW when Mooney inside edges onto the pad. After a slightly nervous start, England are getting into their work.
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5th over: Australia 21-0 (Mooney 4, Litchfield 15) That’s good from Cross, a length delivery that beats Litchfield on the angle. This looks a really slow pitch though; as Mark Butcher points out on Sky, the England wicketkeeper Amy Jones is taking a number of deliveries at ankle height. England have may to go into subcontinent mode, with catchers in front rather than behind the wicket.
Litchfield tries to leave Cross at the last minute and ends up guiding the ball on the bounce to slip. That’s a really good over from Cross, England’s best so far.
“Morning Rob, morning everyone,” says Guy Hornsby. “What a day this is, an Ashes Test we all love to see, over five glorious days.
“Brilliant on TMS hearing Ali Mitchell regale Ebony Rainford-Brent on the creation of the actual ‘ashes’ for the women in 1998 that involved a wok, some matches and a mini bat. It’s a sobering reminder that while things have moved on in all the right ways, they have historically had such a raw deal, however great the cricket has been. Australia are surely sure favourites this week but I can’t wait to see how this pans out. Wish I was there, along with all the Final Nerds at Trent Bridge today.”
It’s a good story isn’t it. For the uninitiated, here’s a primer.
A brief history of the Women's Ashes 🔥@AlisonMitchell with a little journey through Lord's as we get ready for the series 🙌#Ashes pic.twitter.com/NfP69EeS1q
— Cricket on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) January 19, 2022
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4th over: Australia 19-0 (Mooney 4, Litchfield 13) A widish outswinger from Bell is driven past backward point for four by Litchfield. It was a risky shot, away from her body, but she played it very well.
England are bowling an attacking, full length, trying to maximise any swing. The movement has been subtle rather than lavish, and for now the Australian openers look comfortable.
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3rd over: Australia 14-0 (Mooney 4, Litchfield 8) Cross continues over the wicket, a much better angle for the inswing to the left-hander that she is getting. A low full toss is driven crisply for three by Litchfield, who has made a very assured start. She has 8 from 12 balls, Mooney 4 from 8.
Meanwhile, on the subject of Mitchell Starc, here’s Mike Jakeman. “Nothing gets past Bharat!”
Mitchell Starc is here of course, waiting in an already crowded queue to get into Trent Bridge for the opening day of the #WAshes Test with Alyssa Healy captaining for the first time pic.twitter.com/wf6g7hUuut
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) June 22, 2023
2nd over: Australia 10-0 (Mooney 3, Litchfield 5) Lauren Bell, 22 and playing her second Test, will share the new ball. She starts around the wicket to Mooney, with some sharp bounce outside off stump. Mooney ignores those deliveries and then pats a full toss to mid-on for a single.
She has an unusual run-up, coming from out to in rather than from behind the umpire, and because of that her follow through is taking her close to the business end of the pitch. That’s a pretty good first over, though, with bounce and movement.
1st over: Australia 9-0 (Mooney 2, Litchfield 5) Kate Cross’s first ball of the series is pushed square on the off side for a single by Beth Mooney. It’s a mixed over from Cross – some encouraging movement but also two no-balls and a wider delivery that Litchfield square-drives for her first boundary in Test cricket. Lovely shot.
“Really looking forward to this,” says Pete Salmon. “To quote the Aussie Legends Roy Slaven and HG Nelson, too mucj cricket is barely enough.
“Do we know where the men’s team is at the moment, particularly Mitch Starc. Is he there to see his other half captain the team? Or are they all in a Holiday Inn somewhere on their PlayStations? (Except their captain, who is rumoured to read books.) Be great to see Starc’s big long face smiling from the stands.”
Good question. They have a bit of time before Lord’s so I’d be surprised if he isn’t at Trent Bridge for at one least one of the days.
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It’s a glorious morning in Nottingham, and it’s about to get even better: let’s play!
Before the anthems, the players line up for a minute’s silence in memory of Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates, who were shockingly stabbed to death in Nottingham last week.
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Given the diet of sport we consume, and the increasing dehumanisation of sportspeople, it’s so easy to lose sight of how utterly exhilarating it must be to captain your bloody country for the first time. Alyssa Healy has done it in a handful of T20s - but never in the Ashes, and never in a Test match, until today.
Alyssa Healy: your 20th Australian women’s Test skipper.#Ashes pic.twitter.com/blSjG6d1rM
— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) June 22, 2023
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It won’t be long before we see the exciting debutant Lauren Filer, who is likely to come on first change for England. She looks a serious prospect.
It’s also a big day for Kate Cross, who will lead England’s attack after the retirement of Anya Shrubsole and Katherine Sciver-Brunt. She’s had an awful time this year with a parasitic illness, including seven or eight relapses, so this is a special moment for a very likeable cricketer.
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The teams
Both teams have two Test debutants: Danni Wyatt and Lauren Filer for England, Phoebe Litchfield and Kim Garth for Australia.
Australia have preferred Jess Jonassen, who scored a huge hundred for the A team in their warm-up game against England, to Georgia Wareham.
England Beaumont, Lamb, Knight (c), Sciver-Brunt, Dunkley, Wyatt, Jones (wk), Ecclestone, Cross, Filer, Bell.
Australia Mooney, Litchfield, Perry, McGrath, Jonassen, Healy (c/wk), Gardner, Sutherland, King, Wareham, Garth, Brown.
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The England captain Heather Knight says she would have bowled, so she’s happy as well.
Australia win the toss and bat
“Sun’s out, you like to bat, right?” says Australia’s stand-in captain Alyssa Healy. “The wicket looks pretty good. There’ll be a bit for the bowlers at the start but we feel like if we can dig in and put a good score on the board, we’ll put ourselves in a good spot.
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous. But at the same time it’s really exciting – it’s a huge honour for me, and my family are here as well. I’m just looking forward to getting stuck into it. The wicket looks dry so it might play a few tricks at the back end.”
"Sun's out, you like to bat right?" ☀️
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 22, 2023
Alyssa Healy knows 😎 pic.twitter.com/QBnM6Yhnbs
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I’m going to take a quick break before the toss, so here’s another plug for Raf Nicholson’s preview.
Phoebe Litchfield and Kim Garth have also been presented with their Test caps. Litchfield, who turned 20 in April, has a fledgling ODI average of 154.
Phoebe Litchfield and Kim Garth with their brand new Baggy Greens 🥰 #Ashes pic.twitter.com/ZomuN2Sx8R
— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) June 22, 2023
At 24, Sophie Ecclestone is now one of England’s senior players. She spoke to Tanya Aldred.
‘It’s quite weird,’ she says. ‘I’ve always seen myself as a youngster, but now I’ve taken on a more responsible role. It’s really exciting for me, keeps me on the straight and narrow.’
Danni Wyatt, who is finally making her Test debut at the age of 32, and after 245 appearances for England, has just been presented her cap by Isa Guha. It’s a sweet and emotional scene, with her family and teammates all present.
Congratulations, Danni Wyatt ❤️
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 22, 2023
A long time coming 👏 pic.twitter.com/KC8K2c3xXR
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No Lanning, no crisis
Australia will miss Meg Lanning, because she’s a genius, but her absence is not the scary prospect it would have been a few years ago.
Ten years is a very long time in cricket
This is a really good read from Raf Nicholson on how far the game has come since a disastrous TV advert in 2013.
Women’s Ashes – video explainer
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“I’d just about steadied myself after Tuesday’s dramatics, and now this!” writes Outski. “It looks like a very strong England side, and there’s Farrant, Bouchier and Davies waiting in the wings, plus there seems to be a growing Jones/Winfield-Hill debate to mirror the Foakes/YJB stuff on the men’s side (Jones & Foakes for me).
“If Tammy can stay on her feet and not fall over to off and lbw, she could build a good platform, but I haven’t seen enough of Emma Lamb to have an opinion. We’ll miss Anya and Kat, no doubt, and I’m surprised to see Issy, Alice Capsey and ADR all missing.
“Still, fingers crossed, and let’s see if we get some Hezball :o)”
Emojis and textspeak usually bring me out in a murderous rage cold sweat, but as it’s the first day of the Ashes, I just feel and warm fuzzy rofl.
The future looks so bright for both teams, doesn’t it.
It’s worth stressing, particularly for casual fans, of Australia’s omnipotence in recent times. And there’s no better way to do that than with cold, hard stats.
Australia won the ODI World Cup last year and have won the last three World T20s. Since the start of the decade they have won a frightening 89 per cent of their completed white-ball matches. But they don’t play much Test cricket – just four games since 2015, all drawn – so maybe this is England’s chance.
On deck at Trent Bridge! #Ashes pic.twitter.com/mYt7fLlNbT
— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) June 22, 2023
Raf Nicholson’s series preview
‘Myself and Jon [Lewis, the coach] are on the same page about how we want the team to play,’ Heather Knight said. ‘When I started out playing Test cricket I felt I had to go super-defensive, it was all about survival. I want all the girls to have in their minds how they’re going to take the game forward with the ball or with the bat.’
There are two important differences from recent women’s Tests. The match is being played at Trent Bridge, with a record crowd expected; it’s the first women’s Ashes Test in England to be played at a recognised Test ground since 2001. And, just as importantly, it will be played over five days, rather than four, for the first time since 1992.
The last three Ashes Tests have been draws – two boring, one utterly thrilling. Weather permitting, and the forecast is okay, this game will have a positive result. You have my word.
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The teams
There are likely to be four Test debutants: Lauren Filer and Danni Wyatt for England, Phoebe Litchfield and Kim Garth for Australia. Garth played 114 times for Ireland before moving to Australia in 2020.
England Beaumont, Lamb, Knight (c), Sciver-Brunt, Dunkley, Wyatt, Jones (wk), Ecclestone, Cross, Filer, Bell.
Australia (possible) Litchfield, Mooney, Perry, McGrath, Healy (c/wk), Gardner, Sutherland, King, Wareham, Garth, Brown.
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How the Women's Ashes works
Some of you will already know this but it’s worth a refresher. The women’s Ashes is a multi-format competition: one Test match, three T20s and three ODIs.
There are four points on offer in the Test (two each if it’s a draw) and two for all the white-ball games. Australia won the last two series 12-4, which shows the extent of England’s task.
Test match Trent Bridge, 22-26 June
1st T20 Edgbaston, 1 July
2nd T20 The Oval, 5 July
3rd T20 Lord’s, 8 July
1st ODI Bristol, 12 July
2nd ODI Rose Bowl, 16 July
3rd ODI Taunton, 18 July
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Preamble
Ambassador, with all this Ashes cricket you really are spoiling us. Less than forty hours after the end of a classic men’s Test at Edgbaston, the Women’s Ashes begins at Trent Bridge. The format is different but the sales pitch is the same: a newly aggressive England team are trying to take down the world No1. For the women, the task is even stiffer: Australia aren’t just the best team in the world, they’re probably the best of all time.
Australia have held the Ashes since 2015, and won the last two series at a canter. Even without their captain Meg Lanning, who is absent for medical reasons, they look formidable. She will be replaced as captain by Alyssa Healy and as a batter by the precocious Phoebe Litchfield.
England have an exciting debutant of their own in the pace bowler Lauren Filer. This summer there will be no Lanning, no Rachael Haynes, no Anya Shrubsole, no Katherine Sciver-Brunt. The Ashes baton is being passed to a new generation. England will hope the Ashes trophy changes hands too. But to beat this Australia, they will have to play the best cricket of their lives.
The match starts at 11am BST/8pm AEST, with the toss at 10.30am/7.30pm.
A brief history of the Women's Ashes 🔥@AlisonMitchell with a little journey through Lord's as we get ready for the series 🙌#Ashes pic.twitter.com/NfP69EeS1q
— Cricket on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) January 19, 2022
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