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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
James Wallace and Geoff Lemon

Australia v South Africa: one-off women’s Test, day two – as it happened

Australia South Africa Annabel Sutherland Healy Perth the WACA Ground WACA
Annabel Sutherland raises her bat after reaching 150 on day two of the Test against South Africa at the Waca Ground.
Annabel Sutherland raises her bat after reaching 150 on day two of the Test against South Africa at the Waca Ground. Photograph: Paul Kane/Getty Images

That’s it from me for today. I’ll be back tomorrow to see how the rest of this Test match plays out. Thanks for your company and well played Annabel Sutherland and Australia. Goodbye!

Updated

Australia’s Day:

(You reckon?)

Stumps: South Africa 67-3 (Trail by 432 runs)

Tazmin Brits survives an over of King’s lovely looping leg spin in the gloaming to see the visitors through to the close. Gritty stuff at the last from South Africa but it has been comprehensively Australia and Annabel Sutherland’s day.

27th over: South Africa 66-3 (Tucker 26, Brits 18) Brits and Tucker notch up the fifty partnership, well played to both of them. They are making Australia graft, it is Test cricket after all. We’ll sneak in another over!

26th over: South Africa 60-3 (Tucker 25, Brits 12) King is clipped for two by Brits. One over to go in the day now with the sun setting quickly. Ash Gardner is going to bowl it.

25th over: South Africa 57-3 (Tucker 25, Brits 10) Ash Gardner comes into the attack and the over costs 12 runs! Tucker pulls a drag down for four and swivels a leg side ball finer past Healy. There’s also four byes as a leg side ball spins sharply and scuttles past everything, including Alyssa Healy.

24th over: South Africa 45-3 (Tucker 17, Brits 10) Alana King gets some sharp turn and ties Brits down. Close! A beauty from King nearly cleans up Brits but somehow misses, stumps, pads and the edge.

23rd over: South Africa 43-3 (Tucker 17, Brits 10) A quiet end to the day, is there one final moment of drama to come in Perth? Not off this over, just a short ball wide off Perry’s latest.

22nd over: South Africa 42-3 (Tucker 17, Brits 10) Alana King it is. Slip, short cover and short leg in place. She spins herself some catches at the top of her mark a la Warne and is right on the moolah from the off. A maiden.

21st over: South Africa 42-3 (Tucker 17, Brits 10) Alana King is loosening up with some shoulder circles as Perry comes in for another beneath the setting Perth sun. There’s still some zip in the surface as a good length ball rears up and moves late past Tucker’s edge.

20th over: South Africa 39-3 (Tucker 17, Brits 9) A single to Brits as she clips McGrath off her pads. That’s the only action. A record breaking day is winding towards a close. Healy might turn to Garth for a burst before the close? Or a touch of spin from King perhaps.

19th over: South Africa 38-3 (Tucker 17, Brits 8) Perry rattles off a maiden. Six dots. Eight overs left in the day. South Africa trail by 461 runs. It’s a numbers game.

18th over: South Africa 38-3 (Tucker 17, Brits 8) Delmi Tucker is getting through it. She drives McGrath away for four through the off side as spindly shadows creep across the turf. About thirty minutes til the close – it would be meaningful in some small way if South Africa could get stumps without suffering any more losses.

17th over: South Africa 33-3 (Tucker 12, Brits 8) Perry nearly picks up Brits with a beauty that shapes away at the last. South Africa hanging on til the close. I spy the mighty Smyth on the India v England OBO reference this song in reference to Ollie Pope getting through his jittery starts. The same goes for South Africa at the WACA.

“C’mon, C’mon, C’mon – get through it”

My wife and I (and a drunken rabble) belted this one out at the end of our wedding. “Love’s the greatest thing”. She won’t be reading, so the schmaltz will stay safely between us.

16th over: South Africa 32-3 (Tucker 11, Brits 8) Tahlia McGrath into the attack and she nearly buys a wicket with a ‘orrrible full toss off her first ball. Tucker clubbing it into the air but short of Darcie Brown at mid off. Five dots follow. Let’s forget any of that ever happened. This post will self destruct in 5,4,3,2…

15th over: South Africa 31-3 (Tucker 10, Brits 8) Perry starts up again after the drinks break. Tucker picks up a single to the leg side and Brits plinks a drive through mid on for a couple.

Meanwhile…

14th over: South Africa 28-3 (Tucker 9, Brits 6) Shot! Brits responds to wearing a short one in the ribs from Brown by driving away elegantly through cover for four. Time for a drink. Less than an hour to go in the day, how much damage can Australia inflict before the close?

Meanwhile – this just made me chuckle. In my head. I’m not a lunatic.

13th over: South Africa 24-3 (Tucker 9, Brits 2) Tucker drives Perry away nicely for a couple but then the experience shows, five dots stitched together with a minimum of fuss. Making Tucker play and testing her technique.

12th over: South Africa 21-3 (Tucker 7, Brits 2) Brown is in fine rhythm, landing the ball on a postage stamp and keeping the batters honest. A bowling change - here comes Ellyse Perry.

11th over: South Africa 21-3 (Tucker 6, Brits 2) Garth chugs in for another, Brits reins in her attacking instincts and pats back four dots. A poke to cover gets her a single and Tucker returns the favour with a clip to midwicket.

10th over: South Africa 19-3 (Tucker 5, Brits 1) Eeeesht. Brown should have pocketed another as a thick edge from Tucker flies through the cordon with Molineux and Mooney doing a Lady and the Tramp and staring into each others eyes as the spaghetti ball passes between them.

9th over: South Africa 15-3 (Tucker 1, Brits 1) Garth is right on the button, probing the technique and the mettle of the two new batters. Still plenty of overs left today, Australia couldn’t finish this off today OR could they?

WICKET! Laura Wolvaardt c Healy b Brown 8 (South Africa 13-3)

An absolute seed/jaffa/peach from Brown. The thinnest of edges and Healy does the rest. Australia are rampant.

8th over: South Africa 13-3 (Tucker 0, Brits 0)

Updated

7th over: South Africa 9-2 (Wolvaardt 4, Brits 0) Tazmin Brits joins her captain at the crease. Australia scent blood in the water.

WICKET! Sune Luus c Litchfield b Garth 5 (South Africa 9-2)

Pitched up from Garth and it draws Luus into a loose (sorry) drive. Edge safely pouched by Lichfield at first slip.

6th over: South Africa 8-1 (Wolvaardt 4, Luus 5) Luus gets a leading edge that plops just short of mid on. South Africa clinging on against some fine fast bowling from Garth and Brown.

5th over: South Africa 8-1 (Wolvaardt 4, Luus 4) DROP! Garth moves one late and it takes Wolfy’s edge but Molineux spills the chance at third slip! Garth throws her hands in the air and pounds back to her mark. She’s had the ball on a string so far. Fair to say she’s ticking. Don’t make eye contact Sophie…

Updated

4th over: South Africa 7-1 (Wolvaardt 4, Luus 3) Brown is full and at the stumps. Each opener picks a single to keep the score ticking but it’s all about survival at the moment.

3rd over: South Africa 5-1 (Wolvaardt 3, Luus 2) How Kim Garth hasn’t taken a wicket in that over is beyond my tiny mind. I reckon she beat the bat four times with three of the deliveries passing the stumps by the width of a caterpillar’s toenail. Honestly.

2nd over: South Africa 3-1 (Wolvaardt 3, Luus 0) Darcie Brown shares the new nut with Garth and gets movement from the off as she hurtles in from the Lillee-Marsh Stand end. Beats Wolvaardt on the outside edge and nearly sneaks one clean through the opener. A full ball is steered for two by Wolvaardt. South Africa need to show some fight here, make Australia work for it.

WICKET! Anneke Bosch c Molineux b Garth 0 (South Africa 1-1)

You just knew it. Bosch bags a Test cricket pair. A meaty edge to a ball swinging away outside off and a sharp chance snaffled at slip. Brutal game.

1st over: South Africa 1-1 (Wolvaardt 1, Luus)

Updated

Kim Garth has the new ball, cheeks still rouged from her batting efforts. Let’s play.

Here come the South African batters. Spare a thought for captain Laura Wolvaardt and fellow opener Anneke Bosch. They’ve just been ground into the Perth dirt for 125 overs and have had just enough time to scamper off and get the pads on before they find themselves out there against the new ball and a positively humming Australian side.

Every cloud…

WICKET! Alana King b Tryon 8 (Australia DECLARE!!! on 575-9)

King is castled. Garth is on 49* but Healy calls them in. The lead is 499. Reckon they’ve got enough.

125th over: Australia 574-8 (Garth 48, King 8) Alana King sweeps for four and Kim Garth Happy Gilmore’s a six down the ground for SIX. THAT’S THE BIG ONE. Australia go past their own 26 year old record to post the highest score in women’s Test cricket.

Updated

Australia. Enough. Enough Now.

124th over: Australia 560-8 (Garth 41, King 1) Garth reverse sweeps for four and a missed hack sees the ball beat the keeper and run away for four byes.

Updated

123rd over: Australia 550-8 (Garth 36, King 0) On they go. On and on and on and on.

Kim Garth pulls for four over midwicket and then tries an audacious over the shoulder scoop. The Aussies have their whites and zinc on. I’m manifesting a declaration.

WICKET! Annabel Sutherland c Bosch b Tryon 210 (Australia 541-8)

Sutherland falls three short of Perry’s record! A reverse-scoop sees her toe end a lenght delivery from Tryon tamely to slip where she is caught by Bosch. An amazing innings comes to an end.

Oh, and here’s Alana King with the bat, Australia clearly don’t think they have enough… Arf.

122nd over: Australia 541-8 (Garth 27, King 0) Australia lead by 465 runs!

Updated

121st over: Australia 532-7 (Sutherland 210, Garth 18) Sutherland smokes a pull shot behind square off de Klerk, the ball skimming away to the fence. A couple of twos clipped into the deep take her a whisker away from going past Ellyse Perry’s highest Australian Test score of 213*…

120th over: Australia 522-7 (Sutherland 202, Garth 17) A Kim Garth single gets them going in quieter fashion after tea.

The players emerge after tea, Sutherland strides to the middle twelve runs away from toppling Ellyse Perry’s highest Australian Test score and 41 away from the big one – the women’s Test world record held by Pakistan’s Kiran Baluch for the last twenty years. Heck, there’s so much time left in this match and there’s never been a Test triple in the women’s game…

I’m off to make a quick coffee and reflect on what I had achieved in my life at the age of 22. Back soon.

Reaction to Sutherland’s epic double:

That’s Tea – Australia lead by a measly 445 runs

Updated

119th over: Australia 521-7 (Sutherland 202, Garth 16) Sutherland becomes the ninth woman to score a Test match double century. A drive down the ground and a pull through midwicket saw her go to 198 with one ball to go before tea. de Klerk bowled a ball on the stumps on a good length, daring Sutherland to do something extraordinary and she duly did. A lofted drive over mid-on and a held pose for good measure! Sutherland lifted her arms to the blue skies above Perth and removed her helmet to take in the applause with a wide smile. What a moment, what an innings.

Updated

A double century for Annabel Sutherland!

She’s done it! In blistering style too! Sutherland goes to the milestone with her third boundary of the over.

118th over: Australia 509-7 (Sutherland 190 Garth 16) Sutherland takes a single to go into the 190s. Garth peels off another square cut for four. We’ve got one over til tea. Sutherland is on strike and ten away…

117th over: Australia 504-7 (Sutherland 189 Garth 12) Sutherland ups the ante with about five minutes to go before the tea interval – she picks up two down the ground and then plays a lovely in-to-out lofted drive over extra cover for four. The cool half K posted by Australia. Sutherland could get the double ton before break…

116th over: Australia 497-7 (Sutherland 182 Garth 12) Garth is the aggressor at the moment, Tryon throws one wide of the off stump and is speared away through the off side for four. Australia are one shot away from racking up 500.

115th over: Australia 492-7 (Sutherland 181 Garth 8) Garth cuts powerfully for four runs after Sutherland takes a single off the first.

114th over: Australia 487-7 (Sutherland 180 Garth 4) Sutherland cuts for two and pushes a single into the covers to go to 180. Garth gets a thin edge on a backwards-cut that flies past slip and away for four.

113th over: Australia 480-7 (Sutherland 177, Molineux 33) A single to Sutherland, she’s eyeing the double ton here.

Updated

112th over: Australia 479-7 (Sutherland 176, Garth 0) Garth comes to the wicket, Australia not pulling the pin on this innings just yet.

WICKET! Sophie Molineux b Tryon 33 (Australia 479-7)

There are only two types of leave... Molineux shoulders arms only to see the ball spin back and flick off the bails skyward.

111th over: Australia 474-6 (Sutherland 171, Molineux 33) Brutal batting. Australia plunder SIXTEEN runs off Delmi Tucker! The highlight an Annabel Sutherland trot down the wicket and lofted drive for six straight down the ground. Maybe the message has been sent that tea is the cut off for the carnage?

110th over: Australia 458-6 (Sutherland 162, Molineux 26) Tryon into the attack, Sutherland and Molineux pick off a single each. The TV coverage goes to a live interview with Annabel Sutherland’s proud parents on the bleachers, positively beaming.

109th over: Australia 456-6 (Sutherland 161, Molineux 25) Hlubi Tucker drops short and Molineux absolutely clubs the half tracker for four.

108th over: Australia 452-6 (Sutherland 161, Molineux 21) Hlubi drops short and Molineux absolutely clubs the half tracker for four.

107th over: Australia 446-6 (Sutherland 160, Molineux 16) Sutherland picks up four more with a steer to third that Chloe Tryon makes a mess of on the boundary rope.

106th over: Australia 446-6 (Sutherland 155, Molineux 16) Australia have both feet on the South African throat. Steel toe cap clad size 11 whoppers – are they looking for a 400 run lead? Are they looking for the meaning life? Divine intervention? Is Sutherland gunning for a Test double hundred? Six more runs off Hlubi’s over. Sutherland now has the highest score in women’s Test cricket for a batter at number six or lower.

One Hundred and Fifty runs to Annabel Sutherland! A sweep to the wide fine leg fence sees her go to the milestone, it’s been a skilful – at times brutal – innings. Her mum and dad are in the crowd to see their 22 year old daughter rack up a Test 150. Lovely stuff. Will that be the moment Healy calls them in? Not a chance. Australia press on and take eight from the over.

105th over: Australia 435-6 (Sutherland 155, Molineux 14)

Updated

104th over: Australia 427-6 (Sutherland 148, Molineux 13) Sutherland tickles a single to take her within two of a Test 150. The bowler drops short and offers width, Molineux glides a boundary behind point. South Africa can’t stem the flow but the stump mic picks up some hearty giggling from the field. Gallows humour…

Thanks Geoff and wotcha OBOers. Hmmm – Kim Garth has her pads on in the changing room so it doesn’t look like Australia are going to pull the cord on this imminently… on we go – Molineux rocks back and clatters Mlaba through midwicket for four. The lead is a nosebleed inducing 346 runs.

103rd over: Australia 422-6 (Sutherland 147, Molineux 9)

Updated

Ok, I’m out of here. James Wallace has the reins for another three and half hours of Annabel Sutherland batting. See ya!

Memo to the Australian women’s Test team.

102nd over: Australia 418-6 (Sutherland 147, Molineux 5) Another run for Molineux, pulled square. Sutherland cuts a couple, then punches four through gully. Klaas a bit unlucky the last ball before drinks.

101st over: Australia 411-6 (Sutherland 141, Molineux 4) They’re still just tucking singles, Mlaba the bowler.

100th over: Australia 409-6 (Sutherland 140, Molineux 2) Finally a third run for Molineux, cramped and cutting Klaas. Sutherland picks up a couple of twos, out to the leg side and running well, then cuts a single. Whatever Sutherland finishes up with today will be her new highest Test score.

99th over: Australia 402-6 (Sutherland 134, Molineux 2) Sutherland aims a big drive and edges into her boot. Takes another single to point, before Mlaba turns one away from Molineux’s bat. Trickling along at one run per over. Again, the question…

98th over: Australia 401-6 (Sutherland 133, Molineux 2) South Africa turn back to Klaas, hoping for something. Her figures have blown out: from 3 for 4 yesterday to 3 for 71 now. Sutherland takes a single, Molineux drives but finds the field. She has 2 from 19.

97th over: Australia 400-6 (Sutherland 132, Molineux 2) Over extra cover again for Sutherland, lofted, but Tucker is in the deep now and keeps the scoring to three. Sutherland might be hunting her highest score, that Ashes 137 not out. Molineux blocks out Mlaba, left-arm spinner to left-arm spinner.

96th over: Australia 397-6 (Sutherland 129, Molineux 2) Again it’s the Sutherland single first ball, Molineux defends. The bowler is de Klerk, swinging the ball into the left-hander’s pads from over the wicket. Nicely done. Eventually Molineux plays a shot, an airy drive behind point for two.

Aside from giving Molineux a hit, really not sure what the point of this is, with Australia 321 in front.

95th over: Australia 394-6 (Sutherland 128, Molineux 0) A single driven first ball, then the left-handed Molineux soaks up five balls from Mlaba.

94th over: Australia 393-6 (Sutherland 127, Molineux 0) Welcome back, Sophie Molineux. Three years out with injury of various kinds, two days of waiting for her teammates to get out of the way! Didn’t get a bowl yesterday, been waiting in the dressing room ever since.

WICKET! Gardner lbw de Klerk 65, Australia 393-6

Spot on from Umpire Claire Polosak. The ball angles in at the stumps, beats the bat and smacks the back thigh, quite high but right back on the stumps, low enough to hit the top of middle stump. Gardner’s review fails. The partnership was 144.

93rd over: Australia 390-5 (Sutherland 125, Gardner 64) Another powerful pull from Gardner, this time from Mlaba’s spin, though ut’s saved in the deep and kept to two.

92nd over: Australia 386-5 (Sutherland 124, Gardner 61) Finally Gardner gets one right in her slot, a short ball that bounces a little more than some others. Gardner can go back and pummel it square. Four.

91st over: Australia 381-5 (Sutherland 124, Gardner 56) Onto the attack goes Sutherland, inside out over cover against the spinner. Hits Mlaba on the up, off a length. Then charges and threads one! Between mid off and cover, staggered field, mid off deeper, but she threads the needle.

Updated

90th over: Australia 372-5 (Sutherland 116, Gardner 55) Oh, catch dropped! Gardner is not timing them well today. She gets a lot of power on that shot, and that’s why Wolvaardt drops it, but can’t get the timing to keep the ball down. Full from de Klerk, driven hard at cover, straight at Wolvaardt’s hands but she doesn’t have much time to think, and it bounces off her forearm almost, crouching down low.

Fresh air swing to follow, as Gardner pulls and misses. Then gets a bottom edge that hits the keeper on the leg, on the bounce.

89th over: Australia 370-5 (Sutherland 115, Gardner 54) Mlaba is making them work. Concedes one run to Sutherland, draws a false shot from Gardner that lobs into the covers but lands safe. Hard to attack.

88th over: Australia 369-5 (Sutherland 114, Gardner 54) Swing and spin, with de Klerk to share the newish ball. It does move through the air for her, away from the bat. Gardner aims a big drive at one that starts wide and swings wider, eluding the shot. A better line nearly takes the edge. No run from the over.

87th over: Australia 369-5 (Sutherland 114, Gardner 54) Mlaba’s left-arm spin to resume. When will Gardner try to launch some bombs? Not here, as she defends a few off the back foot before finding the cover gap for a single. Sutherland picks one off her legs. Gardner another.

We’re ready to resume.

Lunch - Day 2, Australia 366-5 lead by 290 runs on the first innings

Honestly, there’s a good argument that they should declare now. I’m sure they will keep batting, because they have so long left in the game and they’ll want to give a couple more players a hit. Also because there are people due to attend on day three, the Saturday, and they’ll be happy to push the game into that third day to make the most of the event.

But really, a hard-nosed team would say that the weather isn’t as hot today, you’re nearly 300 in front, you’re a great chance to win by an innings already, and rather than be bowling in 40 degrees on day three, you could be using the easier conditions to do most of the work.

Anyway, that’s lunch!

86th over: Australia 366-5 (Sutherland 113, Gardner 52) Hlubi with the last over of the session. It has been an entirely unsuccessful one for South Africa, 115 runs conceded so far without a wicket. Sutherland ducks the last ball before lunch and no run is scored from the over.

85th over: Australia 366-5 (Sutherland 113, Gardner 52) Klaas continues, and now Gardner gets in on the pull show, but doesn’t middle her attempt. Two runs. Klaas finally gets her length right, drawing the drive and swinging away. It just starts a few centimetres too wide of the the stumps. Corrects the line for the last ball of the over. It’s tough coming back for repeat spells.

Half century! Gardner 50 from 93 balls

84th over: Australia 364-5 (Sutherland 113, Gardner 50) A pretty laid back fifty for Gardner, who has played a few big cross-bat shots that haven’t fully connected, but otherwise hasn’t done any white-ball hitting. Pulls Hlubi for her 50th run. That puts Sutherland back on strike, who is happy to drop the hammer with her milestone out of the way, and belts two pull shots to the fence.

83rd over: Australia 355-5 (Sutherland 105, Gardner 49) Klaas is just repeating the previous over, bowling too wide of off stump and being whacked through the off side by Sutherland. There’s shape on the ball but it doesn’t help when it’s so far off the stumps. Down to two slips already.

82nd over: Australia 351-5 (Sutherland 101, Gardner 49) A leg bye for Gardner, then Sutherland pulls to fine leg for a run from Hlubi.

Century! Annabel Sutherland 100 from 149 balls

81st over: Australia 349-5 (Sutherland 100, Gardner 49) No surprises that Masabata Klaas takes the new Kookaburra, given the way she got the new ball to swing yesterday. Starts too wide of Sutherland’s off peg. Three slips and a gully waiting. Wide second ball too, but Sutherland chases it, short of a length and she misses the cut, nearly feathers it. Can’t help chasing the third ball either! Steps across to it, anticipating the line, and throws her hands. Top edge over the gap between slip and gully. But her shot it out of the middle of the bat to raise the hundred, not quite as short and struck in front of point, skidding away across the grass.

Test ton #2 in her fifth outing. Ellyse Perry has two in 13. Klaas hasn’t used the new ball well, bowled much too short and wide.

Updated

80th over: Australia 341-5 (Sutherland 92, Gardner 49) Tryon with the last over of the old ball, a couple of runs for Gardner flicked to leg. The lead is 265.

79th over: Australia 339-5 (Sutherland 92, Gardner 47) Sutherland closes on her second Test century. A couple through square, then another one from Tucker. The second new ball is approaching too.

78th over: Australia 335-5 (Sutherland 89, Gardner 46) Quiet start from Tryon, a couple of singles as she bowls left-arm spin around the wicket, cramping them for room. Decent work.

77th over: Australia 333-5 (Sutherland 88, Gardner 45) Mowed through midwicket, first ball of Tucker’s over to Gardner. Seven from the over. Chloe Tryon is going to bowl next. Wolvaardt has not been quick with the bowling changes today.

76th over: Australia 326-5 (Sutherland 86, Gardner 40) Mlaba continues, the singles coming quite easily now, three of them.

75th over: Australia 323-5 (Sutherland 85, Gardner 38) Another bad review for South Africa. Gardner shuffles at Tucker, hit on the pad but the ball has turned a fair bit and the batter is a step down the pitch. Missing leg stump by miles. They haven’t had many opportunities, so they lunged at that mirage. Gardner survives, Sutherland ends the over by punting four over mid on.

74th over: Australia 318-5 (Sutherland 81, Gardner 37) Picking off Mlaba with ones and twos in this over, the lead keeps building.

73rd over: Australia 314-5 (Sutherland 80, Gardner 34) Delmi Tucker on to bowl, the off-spinner. Did well last evening before the close. There’s a captaincy blue from the first ball though! Three fielders behind square. An unusual no-ball.

72nd over: Australia 310-5 (Sutherland 78, Gardner 33) Mlaba bowls a few good ones then makes a single mistake. Short. Gardner cracks the cut through cover. Adds a couple of extras off the pad.

Australia have added 52 in the first hour. That lead up to 227. It’s already more than enough, I’d suggest, but they’ll let these two keep batting.

71st over: Australia 303-5 (Sutherland 77, Gardner 29) After a reasonably quick start, Gardner has slowed down a lot. Pulls de Klerk for a boundary here to change things up, but still, that’s her ninth scoring shot compared to 47 dot balls. Drinks.

Updated

70th over: Australia 299-5 (Sutherland 77, Gardner 25) Testing length from Mlaba this over, looping the ball up from around the wicket, making them wait. Then gets one to turn! Past Gardner’s edge as the blade comes from off to leg to end up inside the line. Now, they’ve sent that upstairs! Very little response on the field at the time, Mlaba barely asked the question. Her skipper speaks to her. Not sure who is pushing this idea. Replay shows plenty of daylight. Gardner follows this by raising the 50 stand with a single.

69th over: Australia 298-5 (Sutherland 77, Gardner 24) Can’t beat the field through most of this over, Sutherland, driving a couple firmly to roadblocks, then inside edging de Klerk onto her thigh, but gets away after five balls, driving the sixth down the ground for two.

68th over: Australia 296-5 (Sutherland 75, Gardner 24) Mlaba bowling too short, gets nudged on side of the wicket and cut the other. Partnership up to 47.

67th over: Australia 293-5 (Sutherland 74, Gardner 22) Winding up to crash de Klerk through the leg side, Sutherland mistimes on two different occasions, lifting a shot for two before getting a single halfway back at midwicket.

66th over: Australia 290-5 (Sutherland 71, Gardner 22) Spin time. Nonkululeko Mlaba with her left-arm othordox, the hope of turning the ball away from the right-handers. It doesn’t get much of a chance to turn though, as she loops in straight balls at the stumps from around the wicket. Gardner advances to drive a low full toss, but it’s well stopped at short cover.

65th over: Australia 290-5 (Sutherland 71, Gardner 22) Bowling change. Nadine de Klerk starts well, not much swing but maybe a hint of shape even with the old ball. She hits a good line, tight on the off stump after a couple of early straight ones that allow Sutherland a clip for two.

64th over: Australia 288-5 (Sutherland 69, Gardner 22) Boundaries keep coming for Gardner, this time an off drive first ball of Hlubi’s over. She’s willing to leave some deliveries to follow though, just that scoring shot from the over.

63rd over: Australia 284-5 (Sutherland 69, Gardner 18) I think that was deliberate from Gardner. Through the cordon for four, but along the ground, just pushes at the line of the ball gently but keeps it down. Not so with the next one, edged into the gully but on the bounce, just survives being squared up. Then more luck as a dive at deep backward square can’t save Gardner’s pull shot, another four, followed by a single on the same stroke. The lead is 208.

62nd over: Australia 275-5 (Sutherland 69, Gardner 9) Runs on offer from Hlubi though, too full and Sutherland pushes hands through the line and takes four through mid off.

61st over: Australia 271-5 (Sutherland 65, Gardner 9) Beaten on the pull shot this time is Gardner, as Klaas puts together a good set of six that doesn’t concede a run. Goes past the outside edge with another ball. Quality spell, no reward yet.

60th over: Australia 271-5 (Sutherland 65, Gardner 9) Hlbui keeps offering that width, allowing Sutherland three runs and Gardner one through point. They’ve added 20 in pretty good time this morning.

59th over: Australia 267-5 (Sutherland 62, Gardner 8) Miscued pull shot, but Gardner gets four. Klaas bangs it in, the WACA pitch responds, and Gardner mistimes her pull. It hangs in the air for a while but has enough power to clear mid on, and trickles into the rope.

58th over: Australia 263-5 (Sutherland 62, Gardner 4) Ayanda Hlubi from the other end, the 19-year-old fast bowler, who doesn’t start with control. Too much width to Sutherland, who is able to square drive a boundary, then play the next one down through the cordon on the bounce for another.

57th over: Australia 255-5 (Sutherland 54, Gardner 4) Klaas to start the day, who bowled so well to start with yesterday in taking the first three wickets in no time. Hits a pretty good length this over too, except for one overpitched ball that Gardner immediately drives through mid off for four.

Here’s the wires report on yesterday’s play.

“No real plan,” says Healy. “We’ve just to get through this first half hour. We’re going to have to work hard in this little session to earn the right to set the game up.”

Well, yes. But if they get through the first half hour safely, you would think they could put the foot down until lunch, and even if they’re bowled out they’ll be miles ahead and in a good position for an innings win. No point wasting time in a four-day game.

Preamble

Hello. it’s day two. Yesterday we had a match that began in fast forward - eight South African wickets fell before lunch at the WACA, the innings wrapped up quickly after the first break, then three Australian batters fell equally quickly. Litchfield, Perry, McGrath all went and Australia were in trouble, but Mooney and Healy stopped the trouble and they built to a strong lead before both were out late in the day.

What does today hold? It’s much cooler than day one - currently around the 24C mark, with a high expected of just 27C.

Annabel Sutherland (54 not out) and Ash Gardner (yet to score) will take to the crease shortly to resume Australia’s innings, already 175 in front and entirely in control of this match. Let’s get into it.

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