A “buzzing” Sophie Ecclestone says she “absolutely” believes England will be able to get over the line on what is set to be a dramatic fifth day at Trent Bridge.
“We’re definitely going into tomorrow ready to win that Test match,” she said.
Ecclestone’s performance in this Test has been one for the ages. Today, she completed a ten-wicket haul across the match, finishing Australia’s second innings with figures of five for 63 to go along with her five for 129 from the first innings.
Across four days, Ecclestone has bowled a scarcely believable 77.1 overs and was the focal point of an England bowling attack that is impossible to imagine without her. With Australia 178 for three and in relative comfort, Ecclestone turned the match on its head with three quick wickets, before wrapping up the final two Aussie batters in the space of five balls to bowl the visitors out for 257.
“I’m absolutely buzzing,” said Ecclestone at the close of play. “There’s been a lot of hard work, a lot of overs put in up until this point. I really wanted a five-fer and to get two I’m absolutely made up.”
Australia’s second innings was the story of three separate bursts of wickets. The first was when Lauren Filer clean bowled Ellyse Perry and Tahlia McGrath in consecutive overs, before Ecclestone and Kate Cross combined to take three wickets for just three runs in the afternoon, a feat they then bettered as Ecclestone and Lauren Bell dismissed Australia’s final three batters without adding a run.
“When you go into Test matches, we always say that you always come out with memories from the game, of what happens in that Test match,” Ecclestone reflected.
“Definitely that hour where Filer, and me, and Crossy were bowling was one of the finest hours I reckon we’ve had. I reckon after it we were just like ‘what actually happened in that last hour, it was mad that’. It is obviously really good for the spectacle and really good to be on the pitch doing that.”
England’s heroic bowling performance meant that for the first time in the match they were arguably favourites. With 268 the target to win and on a pitch that has only just started to break up, it was a match situation that Ecclestone freely admitted they would have “bitten your hand off for” just 24 hours earlier.
England’s dream afternoon turned sour, however, as their top-order collapsed at the hands of Ashleigh Gardner who dismissed all of Tammy Beaumont, Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight, with Emma Lamb and Sophia Dunkley also departing before the close.
The result is England are five down, with 152 runs still to win and Danni Wyatt and nightwatcher Kate Cross at the crease. They are without doubt second favourites, but in a match that has already provided several dramatic twists, nothing can be bet against.
Of the run chase tomorrow, Ecclestone said: “You’ve just got to keep going and going. Wyatt and Crossy need to come out tomorrow and know exactly what we’re doing, me and Amy will be there ready to go and Filer and Belly. We’ve just got to have a plan in mind of how we’re going to play that and how we’re going to win the Test match.
“We’re going to go away tonight and figure out how we’re going to win the Test match and how we’re going to go about that. Crossy’s cover drive to finish on was belting, she’s looking good and I’m really excited for tomorrow.”
