Right, time for a cup of tea and a recalibration. Thanks so much to all those who messaged in through the night, I really appreciate the company. Do join us for a crucial day three later today/tomorrow - can England capitalise on Knight’s brilliance, or can Australia grab the initiative back? Sleep well/have a lovely day. Bye!
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I’m not sure we’re going get any interviews at the close - so I’ll have to guess for you. Australia: frustrated, having had England on the rack, even though they still lead by more than a hundred. England: relieved. Looked as if they weren’t going to capitalise on the hard-work of Katherine Brunt (5-60) and at 169-8 the Ashes were swirling down the plug-hole. Enter Ecclestone, a fine foil to the brilliant Knight.
What a day of Test cricket!
— Cricket on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) January 28, 2022
Heather Knight, take a bow 🙌
An exhibition of batting from the England captain takes the visitors to 235-8 at stumps, trailing by 102 runs.#Ashes pic.twitter.com/Z2PTbTCrYP
An amazing stat from Geoff Lemon - Knight has been on the field for all but 13 balls of the Test. She’s the queen of cool, technically very together, not afraid to sit tight for a while, but full of strokes when the ball deserves it.
Stumps: England trail by 102
87th over: England 225-8 (Knight 127, Ecclestone 27) An expensive last over from Sutherland, and last over it is, despite the Aussie fielders doing their best to sprint into position for another. A boundary to long-leg and three from a stylish straight drive by Ecclestone, then a flick off the pads for four more by Knight. The umpires pull out the stumps, and Knight removes her helmet and raises her bat as she strides off, as well she should, accepting Aussie handshakes from Healy, Mooney and Haynes en route.
The skipper of England…standing up and finding her way to her 2 x Test 💯 Outstanding resilience #Ashes
— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) January 28, 2022
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86th over: England 223-8 (Knight 122, Ecclestone 20) As a rogue feather pricks into my back from the cushion, Knight drives Perry through the covers but can’t pick the boundary.
And confirmation that dogs are to cats like a toastie is to a dry bit of bread and cheese spread.
@tjaldred I can confirm that rubbing a cat's belly is akin to bungee jumping without the cord. You may survive, but only through sheer luck.
— Ravi Nair #FBPE #PerfectPorkPie #JohnsonOut#FBPPR (@palfreyman1414) January 28, 2022
Meanwhile Sir Heather has done yet another mighty thing.
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85th over: England 221-8 (Knight 121, Ecclestone 19) A full-toss from Sutherland (who has replaced Brown) is pinged back down the ground by Ecclestone and that’s the fifty partnership for the ninth wicket, as England’s deficit floats down towards two figures.
84th over: England 216-8 (Knight 120, Ecclestone 15) Sophie Ecclestone! Her first boundary of the innings comes with a shovel into the leg side off Perry. I’m almost as impressed with the behaviour of Ecclestone’s long pony-tail which always seems frizz-free and here it is again swishing along in neat perfection.
@tjaldred
— Messy Jez (@messyjez) January 28, 2022
"Yeah, Smithy, it's Bruce here" sounds SO much better than "TV umpire to director".#WAshes
83rd over: England 210-8 (Knight 119, Ecclestone 11) No runs but a no ball from Brown’s over. And this partnership is now worth 41 in 100 deliveries and has taken England towards respectability. Some frustration I imagine for Australia at the moment.
“Dug-out, Tanya?” writes Bob Mills. “Are we talking canoe here or are we underground. Either way, a great innovation for cricket, I’d reckon. Can we have a pic please?”
Ok, so it isn’t exactly a dug-out. A shaded area for relaxation and preparation. You’re a pedantic lot you OBOers.
82nd over: England 209-8 (Knight 119, Ecclestone 11) Perry at the other end, uncharacteristically brunette. Perhaps this is a new image for a new era when the queen of Australian cricket can actually be dropped (though not from the Test team). She’s more accurate than Brown and beats Knight between inside edge and pad. Knight gives a nod of admiration and Perry smiles back. And again! This time one that keeps low.
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The new ball is taken
81st over: England 208-8 (Knight 119, Ecclestone 10) Ten overs left in the day, as Australia take the new ball straight away in an attempt to finish off this plucky bit of sticking-around by England’s ninth-wicket partnership. Brown it is, and she’s expensive, as Knight digs away a yorker for four, then cuts a short one for another boundary.
“I never disagree with Ravi Nair who is always annoying but never actually wrong (annoyingly),” types Robert Wilson.
“Yes you can stroke cats’ bellies. Some like it fairly quickly, some after years of bribery and Cultural Revolution era brainwashing, and others will never, EVER accept it. Not as confusing as it seems, since if you make a mistake, it’s corrected with admirable promptness (and those interested in the structures of tendons and bones in their hands can gain fascinating insights.
“The only advantage that cats have over dogs is that you can wear them as an actual scarf.”
80th over: England 198-8 (Knight 111, Ecclestone 10) Australia ignore my advice and continue bowling King. And Ecclestone is duly nearly bowled/caught by one that spins like a roulette wheel.
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79th over: England 195-8 (Knight 110, Ecclestone 8) Jonassen rattles through a tidy over.
78th over: England 194-8 (Knight 109, Ecclestone 8) The paper clatters through the letter box but no-one stirs. Maybe time for King to have a rest - this has been a long spell. England pick five, Knight sweeping with elan. Oh, and, I think I forgot to mention, but England have avoided the follow-on.
77th over: England 189-8 (Knight 106, Ecclestone 6) A not totally convincing throw of the bat from Knight against Jonassen, but she still picks up two. Ecclestone showing resolve.
76th over: England 186-8 (Knight 103, Ecclestone 6) Oooof, a leading-edge, from Knight, just falls short of King.
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75th over: England 183-8 (Knight 101, Ecclestone 5) Gardner has two close enough to examine Eccleston’e split ends, and another to mutter sweet nothings. She still finds two off Gardner with a push, and the follow-on is now in touching distance.
This:
Others have expressed this more eloquently but, because of Knight's attributes as captain/spokesperson, we can forget just what a bloody good batter she is. Improves year on year & turned into an expert at putting aside all distractions when going out to bat.
— Amy Lofthouse (@amy_cricket) January 28, 2022
74th over: England 181-8 (Knight 101, Ecclestone 3) Australia lose another review, going for the lbw as Ecclestone misses King, but the ball pitches outside leg stump. King turns away, hands to the sky in supplication, grin on her face.
Now look at this belly waiting to be rubbed...(do cats like having their bellies rubbed?)
@tjaldred Dear Tanya
— Ravi Nair #FBPE #PerfectPorkPie #JohnsonOut#FBPPR (@palfreyman1414) January 28, 2022
Don't listen to Robert Wilson: he's an Irishman so ashamed of his love of cricket he's exiled himself to Paris.
Here's #FuzzyShortForFarzana instead, a proper ignorer of cricket. pic.twitter.com/SLRU8Aj9d8
73rd over: England 180-8 (Knight 101, Ecclestone 2) A couple of singles from Gardner, and England’s next target is the eight runs needed to avoid the follow-on.
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A hundred for Heather Knight!
72nd over: England 178-8 (Knight 100, Ecclestone 1) And there it is! Knight’s second Test hundred comes with a push through the covers off King: she makes her way safely to the non-striker’s end, takes off her helmet, beams a huge smile, raises her bat with a staccato acknowledgement and gets a hug from Ecclestone. You can see how much work she’s put in, her hair heavy with sweat. What a super knock - she’s just always so calm no matter what happens. In the England dug-out they all stand and applaud.
71st over: England 175-8 (Knight 96, Ecclestone 1) A big lbw appeal against a wooden Ecclestone and Australia decide they fancy a review when the on-field ump says no. Hits above the knee and it is drifting away from leg stump. Australia duly lose the review.
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69th over: England 174-8 (Knight 96, Ecclestone 1) A handy single off King, and Knight is just a shot away from three figures. Does she have Joe Root on speed dial I wonder?
69th over: England 173-8 (Knight 95, Ecclestone 1) Not sure if that counts as a chance - Knight bats the ball back and Jonassen leaps skyward, tipping the ball with the top of her fingertips but unable to hold on. And they take drinks, with England needing just 15 runs to avoid the follow-on. Not sure what Australia will do if they get a chance to enforce, might be influenced by an inclement forecast tomorrow.
68th over: England 170-8 (Knight 93, Ecclestone 0) Knight inches closer with a single off King’s last ball and just an over to go until drinks.
67th over: England 169-8 (Knight 92, Ecclestone 0) Jonassen, left-arm over, makes the break-through immediately when Shrubsole is tempted by a wide one. Nineteen needed for the follow on, eight for Knight’s century.
“Ma chère Tanya,” Bonjour Robert Wilson!
“Is your email action exclusively French this morning? C’est dingue! Can’t believe there’s been no pooch-pic. Not even a sketch or cartoon. I’ll send my cats if you do (they don’t care about cricket but they love the ext-mounted camera footage of the Apollo 11 landing - seriously).”
What intellectual cats! All I need to tell you is she’s the best dog . She’s shown no interest in space flight as yet, but is very keen on squirrels., her favourite spot either looking through the window or, if weather permits, (she doesn’t like rain), perched on the back step for the swish of a grey tail.
WICKET! Shrubsole c McGrath b Jonassen 3 (England 159-8)
Just a dobble shot to extra cover where a diving McGrath picks it up and slots it in her apron pocket. Shrubsole pulls her helmet down over her eyes in disgust with herself/to avoid her captain’s steely glare.
66th over: England 168-7 (Knight 91, Shrubsole 3) England need 20 to avoid the follow-on, as King rattles through another super over, beating Shrubsole’s outside edge.
65th over: England 167-7 (Knight 90, Shrubsole 3) Gardner, neat, three from it.
64th over: England 164-7 (Knight 88, Shrubsole 2) I love Heather Knight’s sang-froid, approaching her century, not much support, but a loose ball from King and down she goes, sweeping away, tending the ball down to the rope
“Thank you for the OBO.” A pleasure Duncan Wood and I’m sorry you’re sleepless in Bedford.
“Re over 57, I like the idea of ‘maternity leaves’, but not sure how to define them: a particularly mumsy way of removing the bat from the path of the ball? Any better offers?”
Very droll. I think the gentleness of a maternity leave would depend very much on how much sleep the little darlings are permitting.
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63rd over: England 158-7 (Knight 83, Shrubsole 1) These spinners whip through the overs far more quickly than is polite on a dark January morning. But Shrubsole survives and even gets a run. I’d say she’s more comfortable in have-a-go mode than stay-and- protect but let’s see.
62nd over: England 156-7 (Knight 83, Shrubsole 0) England should be able to make the follow on-target, which sits in the near-distance, just 32 runs away. Shouldn’t they? One is ticked off King’s over.
61st over: England 155-7 (Knight 82, Shrubsole 0) A flustered shot from Dean who had looked fairly composed in the face of fine bowling from Australia. The ball before she had turned the ball to short leg, straight into Haynes’ midrift, who couldn’t quite hold-on on the rebound. Knight reacts to the collapsing house of cards by reverse-sweeping Gardner for four. She is some cool cookie, and lives completely under the radar in the UK.
WICKET! Dean c McGrath b Gardner 9 (England 150-7)
The ball after being dropped, Dean hasn’t re-found her zen, and has a swing, lofting the ball into the hands of McGrath at deep square leg.
60th over: England 150-6 (Knight 77, Dean 9) Coffee - where would we be without it?As the sun bakes down at Canberra, Australia build the pressure on Dean, with two close-in fielders, watching, murmuring. But Dean nonchalantly takes a single leaving Knight, thick wristband on her front arm, to eye up the last two balls from King.
59th over: England 147-6 (Knight 77, Dean 6) It’s time for Gardner, and spin at both ends. She nearly strikes straight away, as Dean turns her off her hip just past the eager paws of Haynes at short leg.
58th over: England 143-6 (Knight 74, Dean 5) King looks like she has a wheelbarrow full of surprises up her sleeve. Knight has to squeeze down on a ball that threatens. One from the over.
57th over: England 142-6 (Knight 73, Dean 5) Rachael Haynes shows that maternity leaves has not dulled her competitive instinct with an energetic dive at point to stop four. A classy straight drive brings Dean a couple more as the score ticks over.
56th over: England 138-6 (Knight 71, Dean 3) Knight looking good for three figures here, if Dean can stay with herm she successfully plays out the last three balls of King’s over, who has bowled more slowly since tea.
55th over: England 136-6 (Knight 70, Dean 3) The fresh-faced Brown canters in but Knight suddenly has ants in her pants. A thick edge is hauled back from the rope by Mooney - a very smart bit of fielding - then a kind of cut-cum-fly through point for four. Also throw a no-ball bouncer into the mix.
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54th over: England 130-6 (Knight 64, Dean 3) King, in her trademark shades, bustles in. Dean, in her helmet, blunts back. A maiden.
“ Very early morning hello from France, Tanya,” Hello Tone White!
“Just wondered if Doh-gi is hiding under a blanket or bravely sharing the all-girl panto from your lap.I guess the rush from dressing room to centre stage and back helps to keep you awake!”
Darlin doggy is curled up in a full stop beside me. Ive taken the hot water bottle but she’s stolen the cover.
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53rd over: England 130-6 (Knight 64, Dean 3) Darcie Brown replaces Sutherland, another very promising young cricketer coming through the baggy green ranks. She’s like a young rabbit, very high knees, springing to the crease. Dean looks wary.
Congratulations to Darcie Brown, voted by her peers as the Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year! 👏 #AusCricketAwards pic.twitter.com/xjVPl4UPIg
— Australian Cricketers' Association (@ACA_Players) January 28, 2022
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52nd over: England 128-6 (Knight 63, Dean 2) Nought but a singles off King’s ninth over of the day. Knight lucky to miss a fat leg-break.
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51st over: England 127-6 (Knight 63, Dean 2) Healy roars for a caught behind off Dean but she’s much more enthusiastic than anyone else, and it hasn’t come off the bat. A sprinkling of singles from Sutherland’s over.
50th over: England 124-6 (Knight 60, Dean 1) Not too many in this afternoon at Canberra, though we’re not getting many crowd shots so I can’t give you an accurate guess. The sun has crept out from the clouds though and shadows flicker beneath the players. England take three from King’s over: another one full of tasty variation.
49th over: England 121-6 (Knight 58, Dean 0) Knight doesn’t look as drawn as Joe Root did by the end of the Ashes series - “give it time” calls a voice from the wings. Sutherland it is from the end after tea, and just a single to show for it from England.
“Well, women in sport have always wanted parity with men, and it seems our England cricket team are making great strides towards equalling the men’s team against Australia,” types Christopher Moss.
“Thanks for the OBO commentary - as a night owl I’m just sitting down to dinner. It must be terribly dispiriting for you, although at least none of these test matches last very long ...””
Yes, its been a funny way to play the winter - but we’re always so grateful for messages to keep us going through the night.
Evening session - England 120-6 trail by 217
48th over: England 120-6 (Knight 57, 0) King whisks through her last two balls as Australia stretch into the final session of the day.
Aint this the best:
Speak of perfect timing. Alana King’s brother Marc walked back with a couple of drinks to join the rest of his family in the stands literally a second before his sister trapped Katherine Brunt in front of her stumps to pick up her first Test wicket #Ashes
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) January 28, 2022
Time to just make a quick cup of coffee and digest that last session, back in five.
TEA
47.4 overs: England 120-6 (Knight 57) They take tea with the fall of Brunt’s wicket and the tea-leaves will not make pretty reading for England, who have slipped since Dunkley and Knight were looking in pretty good nick an hour or so ago.
WICKET! Brunt lbw King 1 (England 120-6)
A first Test wicket for Alana King on debut! Brunt sends for the DRS more in hope more than anything and the replay shows a ball that pitches in line, hits in line... and that’s umpires call. Super bowling!
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47th over: England 120-5 (Knight 57, Brunt 1) Just a couple of singles off Sutherland, and the runs have rather dried up since that wicket.
Not another England Test team struggling in Australia and leaving it all up to their captain - we've seen this one before and I didn't like it the first time round
— Amy Lofthouse (@amy_cricket) January 28, 2022
46th over: England 118-5 (Knight 56, Brunt 0) Brunt plays out a maiden from King, who zips through six balls in less time than it takes to take two slurps of disappointingly tepid tea.
45th over: England 118-5 (Knight 56, Brunt 0) Just as England were starting to breathe a little more easily, Jones hastens her own end with an awkward stab.
WICKET! Jones c Brown b Sutherland 13 (England 118-5)
Jones, pokey in the crease, pulls awkwardly which is brilliantly caught at mid-on by Brown who runs, dives and swallows!
44th over: England 118-4 (Knight 56, Jones 13) It’s King’s turn with a scurried run-up to the crease, arm whizzing over her ear.
FIFTY for Heather Knight!
43rd over: England 117-4 (Knight 56, Jones 12) Super innings from the captain, who strides to her fourth century in her last five Test innings. She goes to her fifty with a(nother) gorgeous cover drive, off Sutherland, raising her bat and bumping gloves with Jones. The very next ball is pulled for four more. Runs-aplenty for England in these last few overs.
42nd over: England 109-4 (Knight 48, Jones 12) An over of plenty for Jones off Perry, if not altogether convincing. An airy drive, followed by a top-edged hook to another Perry bouncer, finished by a much more statuesque cover drive.
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41st over: England 99-4 (Knight 48, Jones 2) Sutherland gets the nod, zipping in, a very fluid run-up. But through the covers goes Knight with another stylish drive.
40th over: England 95-4 (Knight 44, Jones 2) That was an eventful over for the middle of the night, Jones picks up her first runs, then a near run-out as an over-eager Jones is sent back by Knight, then a Perry bouncer.
39th over: England 93-4 (Knight 44, Jones 0) Knight seems a bit twitchy: having a farmer-esque mow at McGrath’s first ball, and squeaking home for a second run from a flick, but finally finding her straps with a smart drive for four.
38th over: England 86-4 (Knight 38, Jones 0) Perry, pony-tailed, comes off her long-run and Jones is tentative to her first ball, playing and missing. Thought this was an fascinating stat, thought it says as much about the lack of red-ball cricket than anything else.
Heather Knight is the first England women's captain to hit a six in a Test match since Rachael Heyhoe Flint, against New Zealand at Hagley Oval in 1969.#Ashes https://t.co/JJ26Q6Q5fR
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) January 28, 2022
37th over: England 85-4 (Knight 37, Jones 0) Thanks Geoff, what a huge wicket on the stroke of drinks! Dunkley had been looking in sweet touch and England need to make sure their later-middle order can stick with Knight. McGrath sends down a half-volley and Knight tucks in, wheeling it through the covers for four.
36th over: England 79-4 (Knight 32) All on Heather Knight now. England might have to start thinking about the follow-on mark of 188 rather than thinking about a lead. I will leave that part of our travels to Tanya Aldred, and see you tomorrow.
WICKET! Dunkley b Perry 15, England 79-4
The last ball before the drinks break! Knight gets off strike with the pull shot. Dunkley just wants to see out the over. She hangs a dead bat out at Perry’s delivery, trying to drop it into the pitch, but instead offers an inside edge that goes straight back down onto her stumps. The twists of fortune.
35th over: England 78-3 (Knight 31, Dunkley 15) A quieter over from Gardner, just one run this time. Eight off her previous.
“I do think that this Ashes is already far more engaging than the recent men’s installment, and England women don’t tend to collapse with the bat as professionally and prolifically as the men, so I feel there is hope yet,” writes Andrew Benton. “Is the format under consideration for any men’s series - Ashes or other? It would seem to reduce the number of different format games that teams need to play, concentrating them in a single block, and thus reducing the time and game commitments on the players and staff. Or, maybe not?”
They did try this in England a few years ago, I think it was against Sri Lanka. But the different formats are sufficiently established that it didn’t feel cohesive, I don’t think there was much buy-in to the overall points idea. And really they use this format for the women so that boards don’t have to commit the time or money to a proper Test series.
34th over: England 77-3 (Knight 30, Dunkley 15) Perry returns for a second spell after her seven overs straight to start the innings. She beats Dunkley immediately, past the outside edge with bounce. Two slips, gully, point, and basically a ring field. Dunkley misses a glance down leg. Catches up with the next one for a single. Knight drives nicely but straight back to Perry. And again there’s a sixth delivery overstep, for an extra. Knight gets a single from the seventh.
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33rd over: England 74-3 (Knight 29, Dunkley 14) Ash Gardner comes on with her off-breaks, and Heather Knight belts her for six! Second ball of the over, slog-sweep over a vacant deep midwicket, and it goes the journey. Knight lines up another powerful sweep but hits it flat into Haynes at short leg and takes a run on the deflection. This is spicy. Then it’s Dunkley’s turn, playing that half-squat pull shot off the spinner this time, out to the leg-side sweeper.
32nd over: England 66-3 (Knight 22, Dunkley 13) Good ball from Brown, draws the edge from Dunkley into the cordon but on the bounce. There’s a fumble but they don’t take the run. And just as well, because when Brown drops short Dunkley pulls again for four! This strange technique she has of dropping her back knee and keeping both feet planted as she swivels her upper body rather than pivoting to play the shot. It works on this occasion.
31st over: England 62-3 (Knight 22, Dunkley 9) Another leg flick for Knight for a single, then Dunkley glances Sutherland finer and picks up another four. She’s such a busy player in white-ball cricket that it feels against her interests to be too circumspect against the red ball. Sutherland tries the yorker but it’s over to the leg side and Dunkley almost sweeps it away to deep backward square for a run to the sweeper.
30th over: England 56-3 (Knight 21, Dunkley 4) Knight has been the most composed for England by far, and she knocks Brown off her hip for a single. Brown bounces Dunkley, and Dunkley is away! Plays a pull shot for four. Then we have another of those very belated no-ball calls from the sixth delivery, but there’s no score from the seventh.
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29th over: England 50-3 (Knight 20, Dunkley 0) That is officially a Good Leave™ from Dunkley, who watches Sutherland’s delivery pass within about a centimetre of off stump. The players all wince. Then Dunkley throws a sloppy cut shot at Sutherland and misses completely. Hasn’t scored from a dozen balls.
28th over: England 50-3 (Knight 20, Dunkley 0) Darcie Brown is back for pace, and she’s on line to begin with. No runs for Knight. Every bowler poses a challenge, but England’s run rate has progressed at a crawl in this innings, and it isn’t helping them. Just being out there doesn’t get them anywhere if a good ball comes along eventually to take a wicket, as with Sciver. Keeping some pressure on the Australians by scoring would also be a helpful form of defence.
27th over: England 50-3 (Knight 20, Dunkley 0) Sutherland with her first Test wicket under her belt will carry on with enthusiasm. Dunkley, still pretty young in her international career, is happy to let go everything she can.
26th over: England 50-3 (Knight 20, Dunkley 0) Lovely shot from Knight to put the dismissal out of mind, driving King’s fuller ball off her toes out through midwicket. Perfect timing for four. Sophia Dunkley is her new partner.
WICKET! Sciver c Healy b Sutherland 15, England 46-3
25th over: England 46-3 (Knight 16) The sun comes out, and the contest catches fire! First it’s Sciver striking Sutherland away through midwicket for four. Then Sciver lays into a cut shot and only some good fielding at point saves another boundary. But Sutherland keeps striding in with purpose, putting energy into her run-up, and from the last ball of the over she hits the pitch at a fuller length hard enough to make the ball jag in off the seam. Sciver jams the bat across trying to protect her stumps, and instead gets a little inside edge through to Healy.
24th over: England 42-2 (Knight 16, Sciver 11) Lots of loop from King, and she’s bowling just outside off stump to Knight now. I wonder if she’s setting her up for the googly to spin back in? If so she’s playing the long game, sticks with leg-breaks and maybe a top-spinner from the last ball.
23rd over: England 42-2 (Knight 16, Sciver 11) Sutherland cuts a ball into Knight and hits the pad, but too high. Knight gets off strike with a pull shot, then Sciver is similarly hit on the thigh pad. Tricky stuff from the bowler.
22nd over: England 41-2 (Knight 15, Sciver 11) And no sooner said than here comes King, replacing Jonassen, so perhaps Jonassen only bowled to help King switch ends. The leg-spinner gives it flight, finds some turn again, and only gives away a run from the last ball as Knight flicks to midwicket.
21st over: England 40-2 (Knight 14, Sciver 11) Sutherland to pair with Jonassen, which is curious given how good King looked in her over before lunch. A leg bye and a no-ball, and I think that was called because of her back foot cutting the return crease. You rarely see those called in top level cricket. Ian Chappell will be happy.
20th over: England 38-2 (Knight 14, Sciver 11) Jess Jonassen will bowl her first over to start us off in the second session. Left-arm orthodox, accuracy being her watchword, and she bowls exactly as you’d expect, right on the dot and Sciver doesn’t score.
We’re back after lunch...
Lunch - England 38 for 2, trailing by 299 runs
An interesting first session with the ball dominating. Lots of swing and movement. The Australians came out wanting to add another 70 or 80 runs, but only added 10 before losing two of their remaining three wickets, and opted to declare rather than send out the No11. Brunt took five wickets.
That brought England to the middle, and good work from Australia’s opening bowlers has sent back both openers for not many. Plenty to do for England after the break.
19th over: England 38-2 (Knight 14, Sciver 11) The traditional over of spin before lunch will fall to Alana King, for her first over in Test cricket. She lands them nicely. It looks like she has white frames on her shades today to match her outfit, after the colourful green frames on her T20 debut. Sciver waits for a fuller one and drives three runs down the ground, then King follows up by turning one past the edge. Good ball! Proper turn. That’s lunch.
18th over: England 35-2 (Knight 14, Sciver 8) McGrath is bowling tempters outside the off stump, and Sciver is resisting them. McGrath’s patience wanes first, trying to angle one in at the pads but it’s too far across and Sciver can glance a run. Knight does the same before Sciver clips one to midwicket.
17th over: England 32-2 (Knight 13, Sciver 6) Sutherland bowling as the lunch break approaches, and it looks like the English pair just want to get there. No attempts to score.
16th over: England 32-2 (Knight 13, Sciver 6) McGrath has a change of ends to replace Perry after that long opening spell. Sends a wild one down the leg side, but otherwise is very tidy, just a single to fine leg - but then comes her traditional sixth-ball overstep. Sciver drives the replacement ball through cover for two.
15th over: England 28-2 (Knight 12, Sciver 4) Sutherland bowls straight and Sciver clips hard into Haynes at short leg on the bounce. No joy there, but plenty when Sutherland overpitches and Sciver plays a lovely on-drive for four. Stands up tall and hits it under her eyes.
14th over: England 24-2 (Knight 12, Sciver 0) Perry is into her seventh over on the reel, and still getting the ball to nip away from the right-hander. Has Knight fishing and missing. Healy goes up in appeal for a ball down the leg side, and Perry joins in belatedly, but no agreement from the umpire this time. Clipped the pocket of her trousers, I fancy. No run from the over.
13th over: England 24-2 (Knight 12, Sciver 0) Annabel Sutherland to have her first go with the ball, landing on a perfect line and length from ball one. Knight doesn’t score until the last ball, dropping and running to cover. She has a very good understanding between the wickets with Sciver from white-ball cricket, and they will need to bring that into their work today. Find a way of adding runs when it’s difficult.
12th over: England 23-2 (Knight 11, Sciver 0) Nat Sciver to the middle, captain and deputy together with a big job to do. Australia’s leadership pair did it for Australia yesterday when Lanning and Haynes added 169. Something similar required.
WICKET! Beaumont lbw Perry 5, England 23-2
Through the forward defence, hit on the back thigh, and Perry pleads with the umpire while backpedalling all the way down the pitch. After a very long deliberation the round-arm dismissal finger of Michael Graham-Smith goes up. Beaumont is very short so her back thigh is not high off the ground. Beaumont reviews but ball-tracking shows that crashing into the top of middle. She was going nowhere for a long time, her high backlift made it hard to get the bat down in time to stop a ball seaming into her, and Perry gets wicket #301 across formats for Australia.
11th over: England 23-1 (Beaumont 5, Knight 11) A real wrestle going on between bat and ball. McGrath beats the edge, then Knight flicks her away for two runs. England having to work hard for each run. McGrath gives them one extra with another overstep.
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Jess Jonassen said just now that they batted on this morning hoping that she and Sutherland and King could take them past 350 and towards 400, but decided to declare based on the bowling conditions when those two wickets fell. So she ended up 98 runs short of a hundred today, but my colleague James Wallace had an interesting interview with her a while back about making 99 on her debut.
10th over: England 20-1 (Beaumont 5, Knight 9) Width from Perry, Knight gets a square drive nicely out of the middle, fumbled at point for a single. Beaumont has been becalmed on five runs for a long while now as Knight has come in and gone past her. That continues as she blocks out the rest of Perry’s over, ducks a bouncer, and it’s time for drinks.
9th over: England 19-1 (Beaumont 5, Knight 8) First change in the bowling, with Tahlia McGrath coming in. Growing in stature with each match for Australia over the last few months, having had a slower start to her career before that. She’s finding swing too, but starts too straight to Knight and can be clipped for two. Then a single to cover. The last ball is very belatedly called as an overstep by the third umpire and has to be rebowled.
8th over: England 15-1 (Beaumont 5, Knight 5) Perry has her outswinger going beautifully now, drawing Knight forward and beating the edge again. Movement on offer consistently. Only when Perry pitches a bit short can Knight deflect a run towards midwicket.
7th over: England 14-1 (Beaumont 5, Knight 4) A peach from Darcie Brown that lifts from a length and zips past the edge of Beaumont’s bat. Then another very wide ball. It’s fun stuff, this spell, you don’t know what’s coming next. Bowls short and rapid, and Beaumont flings a cut shot at it but is beaten by the pace.
6th over: England 14-1 (Beaumont 5, Knight 4) Perry holds Knight scoreless up until her 11th ball, but when that ball slips fuller Knight throws her hands through a square drive and slices it behind point for four. Not fully controlled. Knight resists a similar temptation a couple of balls later.
5th over: England 10-1 (Beaumont 5, Knight 0) Brown has lost her line a few times and strayed wide outside off, dragging the ball down as she looks for full pace, but when she gets the ball on line she’s tough to face. Angles one in at the body of Beaumont which is uncomfortable. The closing ball is fuller and Beaumont can check drive through cover for two.
4th over: England 7-1 (Beaumont 3, Knight 0) Beaumont pushes a run off her pads, after which Perry works at Knight beautifully, beating her on an off-stump line a couple of times.
3rd over: England 6-1 (Beaumont 2, Knight 0) The TV commentary is talking about how England didn’t take their catches early yesterday. Except... they did, they had Australia two down with four runs on the board. The drops came in the middle of the day. Anyway. Heather Knight comes to the middle and sees off Brown’s next five balls.
WICKET! Winfield-Hill c Mooney b Brown 4, England 6-1
Early wicket for Brown! Poor shot from Winfield-Hill, just throws the bat at a wide ball without getting into position for a cover drive, and slashes a low thick edge to third slip. Some away movement, and that’s a gift for Australia.
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2nd over: England 6-0 (Winfield-Hill 4, Beaumont 2) Ellyse Perry will share the new ball. Bowled really well in the Test against India late last year. Takes a couple of balls to get her radar here, wide either side of the wicket, but zeroes in eventually. Beaumont with her super-high aggressive backlift looks vulnerable against a moving ball, she has to bring the bat down with speed even while defending, which is more likely to produce catchable edges. Interested to see how she goes this morning.
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1st over: England 4-0 (Winfield-Hill 4, Beaumont 0) Darcie Brown has the ball in hand, the teenage quick who has been so exciting since emerging in the Big Bash a bit over a year ago. Brisk pace from the outset. Winfield-Hill chops her first ball into the ground, and it races past gully for four. She tries to leave the rest of the over alone, though one ball leaps and clips her back elbow on the bounce through to Healy.
Here we go, for the start of the second innings.
Daniel Aguirre Evans emails in.
“Evening Geoff (or morning in your hemisphere!) Interesting to see they managed 97 overs (out of a maximum 100) in Canberra yesterday. This despite the fall of 7 wickets, there being 4 reviews (2 each), and it being the second highest total on Day 1 of a Women’s Ashes test on record (so plenty of boundaries and ball fetching by the fielding side). These being amongst the many piss poor excuses often given for why the men are so slow... And all of that was only using 30 mins additional time beyond the 6 hours scheduled play for 3 sessions. Any thoughts about what the women’s sides can teach their male counterparts about maintaining good over rates? Is the women’s game consistently better than the men or is this a blip?”
The short answer, Daniel, is that the women’s game is consistently far better. One factor is the shorter run-ups for seamers, which saves some time. But mostly it’s that the women get on with the game more. They don’t stop for a five-player conference every three balls to discuss fields that they could have worked out before the game. Because they have worked out their fields before the game. They’re used to need to keep moving to get the overs in, so they get it done. There is a very clear difference in attitude to the men’s game, where players don’t care because they don’t have to care.
Interesting moves all round, then. This is good positive stuff from Lanning. Anything over 300 is a great score, there was no need to push on to something massive. But a very good morning for England, they keep Australia to only 10 more runs added and pick up the final wickets.
Brunt finishes with 5 for 60. Sciver took 3 for 41. Shrubsole 1 for 38 from 18 overs, very economical as well.
As far as the keeping record goes, England’s early 90s keeper Lisa Nye was the only other player with six catches in an innings in a women’s Test. Jones joins her, and could have had a chance at a seventh had Australia batted on.
Australia declare at 337-9
No desire for Darcie Brown to come out at 11 and bat. Both King and Jonassen turn and run for the sheds at the fall of the wicket, so the plan must have been for them to bat for as long as they could while knowing they were the last partnership. The Aussies want to get bowling.
WICKET! Jonassen c Jones b Brunt 2, Australia 337-9
Five wickets for Brunt, and a record-equalling six catches in a women’s Test innings for Jones! Angled across Jonassen, a bit of away movement, and Jonassen reaches for it in an effort to score but only nicks it behind.
104th over: Australia 337-8 (Jonassen 2, King 7) Shrubsole doesn’t give King anything to swing at in this over, very tight line and no run.
103rd over: Australia 337-8 (Jonassen 2, King 7) Anyone who has watched any Big Bash cricket knows that Alana King can hit. Brunt bowls too wide, and King clobbers a toe-ended cut shot away for four. Three slips and a gully in place. King reaches for a fuller wide ball and stabs it into the gap at cover for a run.
102nd over: Australia 332-8 (Jonassen 2, King 2) Shrubsole to the right-handed King now, and gets the ball to straighten off the seam and beat the edge of a poke. King didn’t know too much about that one, and smiles broadly afterwards. Inswing to follow from Shrubsole, and King drives back to the bowler. When the length is a tad shorter, King is able to clip a single.
101st over: Australia 331-8 (Jonassen 2, King 1) Alana King on Test debut comes to the middle, and immediately gets an immaculate outswinger that she nearly nicks. But she hangs in there, and chops a ball off her pads for her first run. Jonassen then gets her score going with a clip off the hip for two.
WICKET! Sutherland b Brunt 8, Australia 328-8
Gorgeous delivery from Katherine Brunt! Looks like it’s on the line of middle and off stumps, but swings away just enough to beat the defensive prod and hit the top of off. Bails off from a perfect piece of bowling. Brunt has a chance at a Test five-for.
100th over: Australia 328-7 (Sutherland 8, Jonassen 0) Clever from Shrubsole to the left-handed Jonassen, sometimes using the angle to go across, sometimes coming back in. Not a run to be had.
99th over: Australia 328-7 (Sutherland 8, Jonassen 0) Katherine Brunt to partner Shrubsole, as in so many England matches before. She’s getting swing too. Angles in a variation delivery to smash Sutherland’s pad but it’s going down the leg side and Brunt doesn’t want a review.
98th over: Australia 328-7 (Sutherland 8, Jonassen 0) Anya Shrubsole takes the first over of the day, tucked away for a single by Sutherland before Jonassen faces out the rest. Swing already for Shrubsole, and the last ball beats the outside edge.
We’re underway.
If you’ve been listening to the Final Word daily podcast through the men’s series, we’re doing it for this Test match too with me and Isabelle Westbury, who was good fun yesterday.
I mentioned how much action we had yesterday. Also notable for England’s missed chances. Here’s the report.
What’s the weather doing? There’s a full layer of cloud over Canberra today but so far it is not the sort that is full of rain. The light is quite bright. Rain might come later, with possible thunderstorms projected towards the end of the afternoon. It’s not too hot right now but it’s supposed to get warmer and more sweltering, increasingly humid, and that may mean it builds towards some sort of cathartic precipitatory release.
Preamble
Hello from Canberra. Day two awaits, after a highly entertaining day one: 327 runs, seven wickets, and 97 overs bowled. Catches dropped, screamers held, swing and seam, centuries denied, counterattacks launched.
The upshot is that Australia have a very strong position, with a good score racked up already. Annabel Sutherland and Jess Jonassen will resume with the bat, both of whom are capable of making plenty themselves. They are only down the order because of the team’s batting depth, but Sutherland has batted at No3 for Australia before and Jonassen nearly made a Test hundred on debut in 2015.
So England’s first order of business must be to get their heads back in the game and have the patience to dismiss some good players, instead of thinking that the job is nearly done by virtue of the wickets column.
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