England captain Heather Knight produced the sole resistance as her brilliant century kept the tourists in the Women’s Ashes on day two of the four-day Test against Australia.
The day had again started brightly for England as Australia managed to add just 10 runs to their overnight total as Katherine Brunt took two quick wickets for figures of 5-60.
It marked the third five-wicket haul of her Test career, coming 16 years after recording her first.
But much of that was undone as many of England’s batters capitulated weakly and, in echoes of Joe Root in the men’s Ashes, it was England’s skipper who single-handedly dragged them out of the mire.
Knight ended the day unbeaten on 127 with England on 235-8 and trailing their hosts by 102 runs.
The only other innings of note was a late-in-the-day cameo from Sophie Ecclestone, who ended the day as England’s second highest scorer, also not out, on 27 after a vital 66-run partnership with her captain.
The rest of England’s batters were left to ponder what might have been following a series of rash shots.
Lauren Winfield-Hill was caught at second slip in only the third over after a poor swipe at a Darcie Brown delivery and Tammy Beaumont was quickly back in the pavilion having scored just five, England taking lunch languishing at 38-2.
Three partners offered some hope of staying with Knight at the crease in Nat Sciver, Sophia Dunkley and Amy Jones but it was shortlived.
Annabel Sutherland accounted for two of those wickets, Sciver caught behind from a thin edge on 15 and Jones dismissed following a stunning catch by Brown at mid-on having made 13. Sandwiched between those two wickets was that of Dunkley, bowled by Ellyse Perry.
But amid the carnage at the other end, Knight put on a masterclass to record the joint highest innings by a touring female batter to Australia.
