That’s all for today. I’ll leave with you Raf Nicholson’s report, and we’ll have a piece from Geoff Lemon in the next hour or two as well. Goodnight!
Danni Wyatt-Hodge’s reaction
It was really tough. It’s one of those pitches where you have to grind out your runs. Kingy was absolutely ragging it on day one as well. It is what it is; it’s what happened across this whole Ashes series. We’d have liked another 50 runs.
We’ve got to bring the energy and bowl really well tomorrow, hit the top of the stumps. It’s quite a furry pitch. Anything around the top of the stumps is quite tough to get away.
Sophie Ecclestone will be key. She’s been exceptional for us over the years and hopefully she can do it again tomorrow.
Australia trail by 114 runs with nine wickets remaining
An intriguing, occasionally stodgy first day ends with Australia well on top. Alana King was a joy to watch, taking 4 for 45 as England were rolled for 170. Only Nat Sciver-Brunt, who made a solid 51, was able to get past 25. Kim Garth also bowled beautifully in the first session.
England’s bowlers were hopeful of doing damage under lights with the new pink ball. They bowled pretty well but picked up only one wicket, the debutant Georgia Voll for 12. Phoebe Litchfield and Annabel Sutherland, covering at No3 for the injured Ellyse Perry, batted with discipline, intelligence and restraint.
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Stumps
22nd over: Australia 56-1 (Litchfield 20, Sutherland 24) Sutherland works MacDonald-Gay for three to bring up the Australia fifty, then drives a stylish boundary through the covers. Australia’s batters have done the hard yards and will return tomorrow afternoon in much more favourable conditions. An historic whitewash is well and truly on.
21st over: Australia 48-1 (Litchfield 19, Sutherland 17) Sutherland skips down the pitch to meet Ecclestone on the full and time a high-class boundary past extra cover. Litchfield decides to have a piece of the action, charging out of her crease to lash four down the ground. The footwork made both shots about as safe as can be.
Australia’s management of risk has been terrific tonight; had they been more aggressive they could easily be 70 for 4.
20th over: Australia 38-1 (Litchfield 14, Sutherland 12) Cricket Australia have confirmed that the final attendance for today’s play is 11,643.
There should be time for two more overs unless Ecclestone takes a wicket.
Sutherland is not out Yep, missing leg completely. That wasn’t a great review.
We’re waiting for ball-tracking. I suspect this is umpire’s call at best and therefore not out.
19.4 overs: Australia 38-1 (Litchfield 14, Sutherland 12) MacDonald-Gay isn’t getting any sideways movement but she is making the batters play at pretty much every delivery. England appeal for LBW when Sutherland is hit on the pad by a nipbacker. It looked like it was going past leg stump but England are reviewing it.
19th over: Australia 38-1 (Litchfield 14, Sutherland 12) Ecclestone is into her work straight away, landing it on a handkerchief and getting plenty of turn. Litchfield, who has played with admirable restraint, defends the first five deliveries before skipping down the pitch to drive the sixth. Ecclestone fields in her follow through and it’s a maiden.
18th over: Australia 38-1 (Litchfield 14, Sutherland 12) Ryana MacDonald-Gay comes on for Nat Sciver-Brunt (4-1-6-0). She starts accurately enough, but her last ball is too short and Sutherland pulls it efficiently for four. Australia have probably three more overs to survive.
17th over: Australia 33-1 (Litchfield 13, Sutherland 8) It’s time for Sophie Ecclestone, who is going to do a whole lot of bowling in this innings. She starts with a slip, silly point and short leg for Sutherland, who pushes the second delivery just short of Bouchier at short leg.
England go up for LBW when Sutherland misses a sweep and is hit in the stomach. Ecclestone screws her face up to signal that it isn’t worth a review; it wasn’t the worst shout but was almost certainly bouncing over.
16th over: Australia 33-1 (Litchfield 13, Sutherland 8) A maiden from Sciver-Brunt to Litchfield, who is 13 not out from 53 balls. The run-rate across the whole day is a modest 2.35 per over. But the cricket has been more compelling than that might suggest, whether because of Alana King’s brilliance or this arm-wrestle under the lights.
15th over: Australia 33-1 (Litchfield 13, Sutherland 8) Batting should be much easier tomorrow afternoon, so if Australia are only one down tonight they will be in a formidable position. The indefatigable Bell continues and is pulled for a couple by Sutherland; that’s it.
14th over: Australia 31-1 (Litchfield 13, Sutherland 6) Litchfield leans into a half-volley from Sciver-Brunt and times a lovely boundary through the covers. She’s beaten later in the over by a gorgeous leg-cutter to the left-hander that only just misses off stump. That moved a long way, more than any other ball in this innings, so England should bowl plenty more cutters in the last half an hour.
13th over: Australia 27-1 (Litchfield 9, Sutherland 6) Bell beats Sutherland with a fine delivery that straightens off the seam. She’s bowled a pretty good spell of 7-1-19-1; Australia’s batters have been increasingly happy just to see her off.
12th over: Australia 26-1 (Litchfield 8, Sutherland 6) There are just under 40 minutes remaining, which means a few overs will be lost. Litchfield steals a single to mid-off to move to 8 from 40 balls. She hasn’t been fluent but there will be plenty of time for that if she’s still at the crease tomorrow afternoon.
Sutherland tries to pull Sciver-Brunt and takes a glancing blow on the helmet, with the ball bouncing through to Jones. At first it sounded like a top edge; England appealed with feeling but decided against a review. I’d like to see UltraEdge to be 100 per cent sure she didn’t top edge it onto the helmet; I don’t think she did.
11th over: Australia 25-1 (Litchfield 7, Sutherland 6) Bell turns Sutherland round with a good delivery that takes a leading edge and lands safely on the off side. Bell, who has been the most challenging of the England bowlers tonight, completes her first maiden with a yorker that is dug out by Sutherland.
Time for a drinks break.
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10th over: Australia 25-1 (Litchfield 7, Sutherland 6) The first bowling change. Nat Sciver-Brunt comes on for Lauren Filer, whose figures of 4-3-6-0 are slightly flattering. Sciver-Brunt starts accurately but with no sideways movement; just one from the over. Although batting hasn’t been easy, I suspect England expected the pink ball to do more than this under lights.
9th over: Australia 24-1 (Litchfield 7, Sutherland 5) Sutherland gets off the mark by timing Bell classily to the left of mid-off for four. Cricket Australia have announced that Ellyse Perry won’t bat tonight and will be reassessed in the morning.
There’s still a bit happening for the English seamers, certainly enough to keep them interested. Litchfield pushes defensively at Bell and gets a thick edge onto the pad.
8th over: Australia 19-1 (Litchfield 7, Sutherland 0) Litchfield is beaten by Filer, then gets a thick edge into the off side. That’s Filer best over so far, a maiden.
7th over: Australia 19-1 (Litchfield 7, Sutherland 0) Ellyse Perry injured herself in the field, so Annabel Sutherland comes in at No3. Perry should be okay to bat tomorrow.
WICKET! Australia 19-1 (Voll c Jones b Bell 12)
Litchfield and Voll, both aged 21, could feasibly be Australia’s opening partnership in the year 2040. Litchfield shows her class with a beautiful drive through mid-off for four when Bell overpitches. That’s the risk of going fuller, though I still think it’s the best approach for England. If they don’t take wickets plural tonight, they will be facing a whitewash.
There’s the first one! Voll chases a wide half-volley and snicks it through to Amy Jones. It wasn’t a quite ball, in truth, but you can get those rewards when you pitch the ball up.
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6th over: Australia 14-0 (Litchfield 2, Voll 12) A full bunger from Filer is put away through mid-off by Voll. She’s made a serene start to her first Test innings.
Filer is really struggling to get her line and length right at the same time. It might be worth an early change to Ryana MacDonald-Gay or Nat Sciver-Brunt.
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5th over: Australia 8-0 (Litchfield 1, Voll 7) Voll clips Bell just over the leaping Beaumont at short leg. Litchfield, who looks slightly tentative, feels for a wider delivery and is beaten. She has 1 from 19 balls, Voll 7 from 11.
“How is the crowd turn out this evening?” writes Emma. “Did people show up after work to see some Aussie runs?”
It’s hard to tell on TV, although you can see lots of empty seats in the background when the focusses on one player. The fact the series is over probably hasn’t helped.
4th over: Australia 7-0 (Litchfield 1, Voll 6) Filer angles an excellent delivery past Litchfield’s defensive push. I still think she could bowl slightly fuller, even if that comes with the risk of being driven.
Litchfield clips the last ball off the pads to short leg, where Beaumont fields and throws at the stumps in one movement. It misses and I think Litchfield would have been home anyway, but it was a good piece of fielding.
3rd over: Australia 7-0 (Litchfield 1, Voll 6) Voll gets her first boundary in Test cricket with a cracking cover drive off Bell. I’m going to go out on a limb and say it won’t be her last.
There’s a bit of movement for the England bowlers, probably not as much as they hoped. They could probably bowl a fraction fuller.
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2nd over: Australia 3-0 (Litchfield 1, Voll 2) Lauren Filer has two slips, a gully and short leg in place. Her first over is a bit of a range-finder, with Litchfield only playing when strictly necessary. A maiden.
1st over: Australia 3-0 (Litchfield 1, Voll 2) Georgia Voll makes a confident start, scrunching her first ball through the covers for two runs. Lauren Bell responds with an absolute jaffa later in the over; it was angled in from wide on the crease and straightened sharply to beat the outside edge.
Georgia Voll, making her Test debut, and Phoebe Litchfield walk out to the middle. This the game, right here. If England don’t take early wickets they will be in a world of pain. It should be a good time to bowl. Should.
That’s another terrific effort from Australia’s bowlers. Kim Garth and Darcie Brown set the tone with the new ball and Alana King bowled a magical spell to take out England’s middle order. She couldn’t quite get her first Test five-for, but figures of 23-6-45-4 are an apt reflection of her brilliance.
Nat Sciver-Brunt was the only England batter to go past 25. She made a subdued but determined 51 before King bowled her with a jaffa.
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WICKET! England 170 all out (Bell run out 7)
That’s one way to end the innings. MacDonald-Gay cuts Gardner to point and sets up for an exceedingly risky single. Bell is well short when Mooney collects the throw and breaks the stumps.
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71st over: England 170-9 (MacDonald-Gay 15, Bell 7) On we go. I’m still not sure these are the greatest tactics from England; this is the best time for their seamers to bowl.
MacDonald-Gay is not out! Scratch that. It was on course to hit the stumps but MacDonald-Gay got a big inside edge onto the pad.
Australia review for LBW! King hits MacDonald-Gay on the back pad with a very full delivery. It’s given not out but Australia have two reviews left so they are may as well go for it. I think this will be out.
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70th over: England 169-9 (MacDonald-Gay 14, Bell 7) Gardner replaces Brown, who bowled a hostile spell of 5-1-11-1. Bell edges wide of slip for two and then dumps a slog-sweep for four. She enjoyed that and breaks into a big smile.
69th over: England 162-9 (MacDonald-Gay 13, Bell 1) A short ball from King is seized upon by MacDonald-Gay, but she can’t beat cover with a rare attacking stroke. Australia are being made to wait by England’s last pair; they’ve added five in 33 balls.
68th over: England 161-9 (MacDonald-Gay 12, Bell 1) Bell swings and misses at two deliveries from Brown that somehow miss the stumps. England should slog one up in the air and start bowling.
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67th over: England 160-9 (MacDonald-Gay 11, Bell 1) Bell gets nowhere near a full toss that hits her on the boot outside leg stump. She and King both burst out laughing at the absurdity of this particular mismatch-up.
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66th over: England 159-9 (MacDonald-Gay 10, Bell 1) Bell fences Brown towards second slip, where Voll drops a two-handed catch to her left. I reckon she’d take that seven or eight times out of 10. Maybe she just wants King to get a five-for.
65th over: England 157-9 (MacDonald-Gay 9, Bell 0) MacDonald-Gay – who has defended really well, almost too well – plays out another maiden from King.
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64th over: England 157-9 (MacDonald-Gay 9, Bell 0) Lauren Bell survives the rest of the over, which means, neck permitting, Alana King will have a chance to complete a five-for.
WICKET! England 157-9 (Filer c Voll b Brown 8)
MacDonald-Gay times Brown down the ground for three, with King making a ifne stop on the boundary. She’s hurt herself in the process and is on her haunches, occasionally feeling her neck.
King may not need to do any more bowling. Filer slogs Brown straight up in the air and is well caught by Voll, diving forward from slip.
It doesn’t matter in the grand scheme but I thought that MacDonald-Gay shot went for four. Instead it was given as three, which meant Filer was on strike. The next ball went straight up the chimney.
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63rd over: England 154-8 (MacDonald-Gay 6, Filer 8) Filer swats a legbreak back towards King, who misses a return catch. I don’t think she even touched the ball as she dived to her right, a reminder that the pink ball can be hard to pick up when you don’t have much reaction time.
Filer chips the last ball just over mid-on for four. It will never cease to fascinate me that tailenders frequently outscore specialist batters; Filer already has more runs than Maia Bouchier and Amy Jones.
62nd over: England 150-8 (MacDonald-Gay 6, Filer 4) MacDonald-Gay is defending diligently and has 6 from 38 balls. But I’m not sure there’s any point in England hanging around here. The next two hours should be the best time to bowl, certainly for the seamers.
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In Galle, Josh Inglis has panelled a 90-ball hundred on debut. You can follow that with Jim Wallace.
61st over: England 150-8 (MacDonald-Gay 6, Filer 4) A quiet over from King for once.
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60th over: England 149-8 (MacDonald-Gay 5, Filer 4) Healy shows her ruthless side by bringing back Darcie Brown to bowl at the tail. A short ball follows Filer, thumps into the glove and loops to second slip – but Australia barely appeal and don’t even discuss a review. That was clearly out. I suspect they thought it hit Filer on the arm rather than the wrist.
Filer responds by slogging a boundary through midwicket.
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59th over: England 144-8 (MacDonald-Gay 4, Filer 0) King needs one more for her maiden Test five-for.
WICKET! England 144-8 (Sciver-Brunt b King 51)
We’re watching a genius at work. King beat Sciver-Brunt with a stunning legbreak that ran for two byes – arguably the ball of the series – before cleaning her up with a classic flipper. Sciver-Brunt didn’t expect it and was in a horrible position as the ball skidded through to hit the stumps. Shane Warne in his mid-1990s pomp could not have bettered that.
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The players are back on the field. Alana King has the ball.
Dinner
58th over: England 142-7 (Sciver-Brunt 51, MacDonald-Gay 4) MacDonald-Gay defends solidly to see out the last over of the session from Gardner. It was Australia’s session and no mistake: 32 overs, 78 runs, four wickets. Three of them fell to the magician, Alana King, who bowled delightfully throughout. Nat Sciver-Brunt’s unbeaten 51 just about kept England afloat.
57th over: England 141-7 (Sciver-Brunt 50, MacDonald-Gay 4) Australia appeal unsuccessfully for caught behind when MacDonald-Gay swishes at King. MacDonald-Gay looks slightly shifty but Australia decided not to review. She definitely edges the next ball, with Mooney dropping a tough chance up to the stumps.
It’s a pleasure to watch King when she’s bowling this; her figures are 16-4-37-3.
Fifty for Sciver-Brunt
56th over: England 141-7 (Sciver-Brunt 50, MacDonald-Gay 4) Sciver-Brunt turns Gardner for a single to reach her half-century from 121 balls. You can’t keep a good goat down. It’s been a subdued innings, played with a kind of solemn defiance; England would be in an even bigger heap withtout it.
MacDonald-Gay, who has started her innings pretty well in the circumstances, drags Gardner past leg stump for three.
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55th over: England 137-7 (Sciver-Brunt 49, MacDonald-Gay 1) Sciver-Brunt, who has little choice but to attack now, slog-sweeps King just short of the fielder at backward square. She takes the single even though it’s only the second ball of the over; you’d expect her to farm the strike if she’s still there when England are eight and nine down.
54th over: England 136-7 (Sciver-Brunt 48, MacDonald-Gay 1) A maiden from Gardner to MacDonald-Gay.
53rd over: England 136-7 (Sciver-Brunt 48, MacDonald-Gay 1) Ryana MacDonald-Gay, a 20-year-old playing only her second Test, is the new batter. She gets off the mark with a single on the leg side. Sciver-Brunt waves a stylish boundary through extra cover.
WICKET! England 131-7 (Ecclestone c Garth b King 1)
That didn’t take long. Ecclestone drives King straight to short cover, where Garth takes a simple catch. King, who is bowling quite beautifully, needs two more wickets for her maiden Test five-for.
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In the men’s Test, Australia have gone past 500 and Josh Inglis is into the sixties on debut. You can follow that with Angus Fontaine.
52nd over: England 131-6 (Sciver-Brunt 44, Ecclestone 1) Sophie Ecclestone might as well give it a lash. England’s best chance of getting back in the game is to bowl with the new ball under the lights, especially as they’ve picked three frontline seamers. But right now Australia look far too good.
WICKET! England 130-6 (Jones b Gardner 3)
So much for Gardner not being as threatening as King! She has bowled Amy Jones with a nice delivery that skidded on to hit the off stump. Jones was back when she should have been forward and played defensively down the wrong line.
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51st over: England 130-5 (Sciver-Brunt 44, Jones 3) A maiden from King to Sciver-Brunt, whose main focus right now is survival.
50th over: England 130-5 (Sciver-Brunt 44, Jones 3) Gardner hasn’t threatened as much as King, even though she’s getting plenty of turn from outside off stump. Two from the over.
49th over: England 128-5 (Sciver-Brunt 44, Jones 1) Australia are one wicket away from the bowlers and two from a pretty long tail.
A note from Cricket Australia on Ellyse Perry
Ellyse Perry landed awkwardly on her hip while diving in the field and will continue to be assessed. She’s not expected to come back on the field this session.
WICKET! England 127-5 (Wyatt-Hodge c Litchfield b King 22)
It was a matter of time. Wyatt-Hodge tries to turn King to leg and gets a leading edge to the right of Litchfield at silly point. She swoops to take a brilliant low catch. King has 2 for 30 and could well clean up in the next hour.
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48th over: England 125-4 (Sciver-Brunt 44, Wyatt-Hodge 20) Wyatt-Hodge skips down the track to dump Gardner back over her head for a one-bounce four. She made 2 from the first 22 balls and 18 from the next 20.
The commentary team think Healy was standing too tall at slip, which is why her hands were going down with such momentum when she took that catch.
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47th over: England 120-4 (Sciver-Brunt 44, Wyatt-Hodge 15) That was the last ball of the over. I can’t tell you how well Alan King is bowling.
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Sciver-Brunt is not out! It was another gorgeous legspinner that took the edge as Sciver-Brunt pushed forward defensively. Healy stooped to take the catch but her momentum took her hands down and onto the turf. The issue is whether she had her fingers under the ball. The replays aren’t conclusive but suggest she probably didn’t, so Sciver-Brunt survives, for now.
46.6 overs: England 120-4 (Sciver-Brunt 44, Wyatt-Hodge 15) A rare bad ball from King is swept round the corner for four by Sciver-Brunt. She’s beaten by the next ball, another seductively flighted leg-break. This isn’t cricket, it’s artistry – and King may have got her reward. Sciver-Brunt edges to slip but Healy isn’t sure whether it carried.
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46th over: England 116-4 (Sciver-Brunt 40, Wyatt-Hodge 15) Wyatt-Hodge tries to pull Gardner and drags the ball behind square for four. She did quite well in the end because the ball kept low. There’s another unsuccessful LBW appeal against Wyatt-Hodge when she pushes around a textbook off-break; that looked closer than the last but Australia decide not to review. It was definitely pad first and in line, though it may well have been bouncing over and/or going down.
45th over: England 112-4 (Sciver-Brunt 40, Wyatt-Hodge 11) Sciver-Brunt sweeps a single, which allows King another crack at Wyatt-Hodge. She has a slip, gully and silly point in place.
Wyatt-Hodge premeditates a lap over her shoulder for two runs, almost chips a return catch and then takes a single into the covers. It feels like a matter of time before King gets Wyatt-Hodge. She is bowling exquisitely and ends the over with a slower, loopy legbreak that beats Sciver-Brunt all ends up.
“Morning Rob, morning everyone,” says Guy Hornsby. “A feast of Test cricket this freezing morning. Australia grinding Sri Lanka in Galle and this consumate performance at the MCG today. England are fighting the good fight here but watching the last half hour of Alana King with the ball on a string. Dunkley will kick herself with her last shot, and Danny Wyatt-Hodge was completely pinned down with almost no out shot on the off side and the ball fizzing past her stumps. She truly is a brilliant leg spin bowler. Warne would’ve loved this.”
That would have made a great TV feature: King and the king chatting legspin for half an hour.
44th over: England 108-4 (Sciver-Brunt 39, Wyatt-Hodge 8) The last ball of the over is defended solidly. Wyatt-Hodge will be relieved that she isn’t at King’s end.
Wyatt-Hodge is not out! Nope, my first judgement was the correct one: outside the line, not out, Australia lose a review. They still have two left.
43.5 overs: England 108-4 (Sciver-Brunt 39, Wyatt-Hodge 8) Thanks Martin, hello everyone. It’ll be spin at both ends, with Ash Gardner replacing Annabel Sutherland. Her first ball is too full and driven stylishly to the cover boundary by Wyatt-Hodge. That’s really good batting – she has struggled so much against King that it would be easy to think only of survival and miss out on a four-ball at the other end.
Gardner drops short later in the over and is cut for two. There are a couple of LBW appeals as well but on both occasions Wyatt-Hodge got outside the line. Hang on, Healy has reviewed the second one. This is closer than I realised.
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43rd over: England 102-4 (Sciver-Brunt 39, Wyatt-Hodge 2) A cracking over from Alana King has Wyatt-Hodge in all sorts. The England batter does well not to nick the first delivery as it straightens up, then has little idea of the next as King gets a touch too much turn to find an edge. Wyatt-Hodge picks up a single through cover off the last ball but she was really hanging on there.
That’s drinks and also time for me to hand over to Rob Smyth for the second half of the opening day of this historic MCG Test. I’ll be back with you tomorrow, so until then, enjoy …
42nd over: England 101-4 (Sciver-Brunt 39, Wyatt-Hodge 1) England bring up their 100 for the loss of four wickets and might be pleased not to have lost one or two more as a few chances have dropped painfully close to Australia fielders. With this experienced pair still at the crease they should like their chances of posting a competitive first-innings total but the margins are thin with a pretty lengthy tail.
41st over: England 99-4 (Sciver-Brunt 37, Wyatt-Hodge 1) King has Wyatt-Hodge playing but is unable to lure the England batter into much more than a couple of half-hearted drives. Maiden over.
40th over: England 99-4 (Sciver-Brunt 37, Wyatt-Hodge 1) Another near-miss behind the stumps for Australia as Wyatt-Hodge cuts and very nearly picks out one of the two gullies. Australia are going in for the kill as they have several fielders in catching positions on the off-side but Wyatt-Hodge is able to get off the mark with a dab to the leg side.
WICKET! Dunkley c&b King 21 (England 97-4)
Alana King breaks up the partnership for her first of the day as a slightly overpitched delivery perhaps surprises Dunkley and the batter lofts a timid drive straight back to the leg-spinner. King grasps the ball to her chest and Dunkley takes some time to leave the field as the umpire’s going searching for a bump ball that was always in the air. A 50-run stand ends for England and they will have to rebuild once more.
39th over: England 97-4 (Sciver-Brunt 36, Wyatt-Hodge 0) A wicket maiden for King as Danni Wyatt-Hodge is content to see out the over.
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38th over: England 97-3 (Sciver-Brunt 36, Dunkley 21) Annabel Sutherland comes back into the attack and immediately has Sciver-Brunt mis-timing a pair of drives. Sciver-Brunt pulls a shorter delivery for a single and Dunkley plays a tidier drive for the same result.
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37th over: England 95-3 (Sciver-Brunt 35, Dunkley 20) King continues with Sciver-Brunt immediately finding a single wtih a controlled cut to deep point. Dunkley steps down to reach a half volley, mis-times the shot but picks up two at fine leg. The England batter has been far from convincing since the break but perhaps the dam wall has broken as she clobbers a boundary to deep backward point.
36th over: England 88-3 (Sciver-Brunt 34, Dunkley 16) Brown changes tack as she pitches up to Sciver-Brunt but can’t qutie find a way through. Sciver-Brunt whips off her pads for three as Perry chases the ball down inside the rope. Dunkley has been bogged down since the break but gets some respite in the best possible way with an inside edge the reaches the fine leg boundary.
35th over: England 81-3 (Sciver-Brunt 31, Dunkley 12) King hasn’t troubled the England batters as much as she did early in the series even as the leg-spinner gives the ball plenty of flight and has it drifting across the right-handers. Sciver-Brunt picks a fuller delivery to find two on the leg-side then adds a single in the same area.
34th over: England 78-3 (Sciver-Brunt 28, Dunkley 12) Oooft! Brown cops a hammering straight drive on the shin, slumps to the ground and gets up grinning from ear-to-ear. If her pace isn’t enough of a worry, the unnatural pain threshold should be. That was flying off Dunkley’s bat and somehow saved at least a couple of runs. A maiden over.
33rd over: England 78-3 (Sciver-Brunt 28, Dunkley 12) Sciver-Brunt pulls out the sweep for the first time and picks up two runs to start the over. The right-hander picks up a shorter ball to pull away for two more as King mixes things up a bit more whether intentionally or otherwise.
32nd over: England 74-3 (Sciver-Brunt 24, Dunkley 12) Another tidy over from Brown as the Australia quick keeps testing Sciver-Brunt outside off-stump with varied length. Sciver-Brunt nudges a single off her pads on the leg-side, the main scoring outlet at the moment.
31st over: England 73-3 (Sciver-Brunt 23, Dunkley 12) King keeps Sciver-Brunt busy as the spinner has the ball landing just outside leg-stump and turning across the right-hander. Sciver-Brunt hands over the strike with a single on the leg-side.
30th over: England 72-3 (Sciver-Brunt 22, Dunkley 12) Another over of variable length - in a good way - from Brown has Sciver-Brunt defending from her crease. The England batter whips a shorter ball off her pads for a single.
29th over: England 71-3 (Sciver-Brunt 21, Dunkley 12) King gives the ball plenty of flight as Dunkley leans forward to defend until a slightly overpitched delivery finally arrives. Dunkley dances to reach a half volley and clobbers it past King and Sciver-Brunt for four.
28th over: England 67-3 (Sciver-Brunt 21, Dunkley 8) Darcie Brown changes ends after bowling the second-last over before the break and mixes up her length to keep Dunkley guessing. The right-hander finds a single with a whip off her pads.
27th over: England 66-3 (Sciver-Brunt 21, Dunkley 7) Alana King lets rip with a slip and short leg in catching positions as the leg-spinner gives the ball plenty of flight. Sciver-Brunt cuts a bit of a loosener away to deep point for a single before King gets the ball drifting and turning out of a surprisingly giving day-one deck. Dunkley adds a single when leaning forward to defend and finding a thick edge.
Australia are back on the field along with England batters Nat Sciver-Brunt and Sophia Dunkley, with Alana King dropping her marker as the leg-spinner prepares to bowl for the first time in this Test.
King claimed 11 wickets in the three ODIs that kicked off this Ashes series, then three more in the T20s, but has had less impact across her four previous Tests with only four scalps coming at 60.5.
Peter Warrington is back to consider the differing depth between the sides which was always likely to be a factor across 10 playing days in little more than two weeks but has been much more pronounced than I, for one, expected.
“That point you make about Dunkley just shows how hard it is to tour a team for a multi-format series. Dunkley is a very skilled T20 thrasher. She’s in good form, so gets a Test – because England (a) can’t bring three full teams; (b) and don’t have the batting depth for it. Whereas Australia, if any of our top six were injured yesterday, could have rushed in any of Redmayne, Burns if fit, Wilson, Lanning if willing, Carey, Mack, and probably another 10.”
Australia had the better of the first session with three wickets for only 64 runs as Kim Garth threatened by moving the ball both ways and finished with 2 for 13 from 10 overs. Heather Knight (25) made a start but was again unable to turn it into a big score that her side desperately needs, as the captain was trapped in front to leave Nat Sciver-Brunt (20 not out) as the key to the tourists’ hopes of amassing a competitive first innings total at the MCG.
Top up a beverage, grab yourself a snack, take a peek at the over-by-over action coming out of Galle, and we’ll be back shortly for the second session.
26th over: England 64-3 (Sciver-Brunt 20, Dunkley 6) Alyssa Healy calls on spin for the first time in what is surely the last over before lunch. The Australia skipper turns to Ash Gardner’s off-spin as the all-rounder returns from a calf injury that sidelined her for the T20 leg. Gardner gets a bit out of the pitch as Dunkley defends off the back foot to see out the over and head off for a feed unbeaten alongside Sciver-Brunt.
25th over: England 64-3 (Sciver-Brunt 20, Dunkley 6) A ripper from Brown is too good for Sciver-Brunt as the England batter gets forward but misjudges the movement. Sciver-Brunt is more comfortable with the ball pitched back of a length but can’t find the gaps. Maiden over.
24th over: England 64-3 (Sciver-Brunt 20, Dunkley 6) Garth has 2 for 13 from her 10 overs after Voll dives to limit a well-timed drive from Sciver-Brunt to a single, then the Australia quick has Dunkley defending with lunch very much now in sight.
23rd over: England 63-3 (Sciver-Brunt 19, Dunkley 6) Darcie Brown returns as Healy sticks with pace on the brink of lunch. Sciver-Brunt has been patient so far but can’t resist a shorter ball that she whacks back past the bowler to the rope, then plays a much more traditional drive for three to the same area. Dunkley almost hands Brown a gift as she lofts a drive that falls short of mid-off.
22nd over: England 56-3 (Sciver-Brunt 12, Dunkley 6) A half-hearted appeal for lbw as Garth jags the ball back into Dunkley, beats the inside edge and finds the back pad. But a smart call from the umpire as height was the only issue.
21st over: England 55-3 (Sciver-Brunt 11, Dunkley 6) Dunkley isn’t one to hang around as the right-hander crunches a straight drive to the rope. A classy stroke from the England batter gets the score ticking over again. Sutherland responds with a tidy over and almost lures Dunkley into a loose drive far away from her body but the England batter is fortunate to play and miss.
20th over: England 51-3 (Sciver-Brunt 11, Dunkley 2) Garth to Sciver-Brunt for another maiden. The Australia quick has the ball talkin’ – and moving both ways – as she pitches it up and keeps the batter guessing. Garth really has been at the top of her game across this series and it would be no shame for England if they are hoping to see her off.
19th over: England 51-3 (Sciver-Brunt 11, Dunkley 2) Sutherland loses her line and almost picks out the skipper standing at first slip until Mooney dives in front her. Dunkley leaves anything she isn’t forced to play at from there then gets off the mark with a clip off her pads for two.
18th over: England 48-3 (Sciver-Brunt 11, Dunkley 0) After a relatively loose opening over, Kim Garth has been right on point just as she was in the white-ball matches across this series. A maiden to Sciver-Brunt is Garth’s third from seven overs.
17th over: England 48-3 (Sciver-Brunt 11, Dunkley 0) Sophia Dunkley has earned her spot in the England XI after missing out on the three ODIs but then impressing at the top of the order in the first two T20s in particular. The powerful right-hander comes in at No 5 this time as England are in an all-too familiar position in this series as they need to rebuild their innings. Sciver-Brunt works a single off her pads, Dunkley then sees off Sutherland’s four deliveries in a cautious start.
WICKET! Knight lbw b Garth 25 (England 47-3)
Garth ends a superb over by getting the ball moving into the England skipper and beating the inside edge to crash into Knight’s front pad. Knight barely considers a review after she is stuck on her crease and Australia have the big breakthrough.
16th over: England 47-3 (Sciver-Brunt 10, Dunkley 0)
15th over: England 45-2 (Knight 23, Sciver-Brunt 10) Sutherland continues and works away at a fuller length to Knight. Healy has placed a fielder in close on either side of the pitch, as well as two in the slips, as Australia look to turn the screw on England. Knight gets away from the danger end with a single to cover.
14th over: England 44-2 (Knight 22, Sciver-Brunt 10) Kim Garth swaps ends as Darcie Brown finally takes a breather after the drinks break. It’s a maiden to Sciver-Brunt.
Like I expect many Australian fans are doing today, Elizabeth Clark has multiple devices turned into cricket at the moment. But she seems to have landed on a surprising clash away from the MCG.
“Just a quick note to say thanks for the OBO, which it looks like I will be relying on, because the ABC Sport Radio app has inexplicably decided to air commentary from the 1992/93 West Indies vs Australia series! I guess it still includes a Healy. (FWIW, third test has ended in a draw…)”
13th over: England 44-2 (Knight 22, Sciver-Brunt 10) Another nick from Knight as Mooney dives in front of first slip but can’t reach the ball with an outstretched glove. Then it’s Sciver-Brunt’s turn to find an edge as she comes forward with soft hands to leave the ball falling short of Litchfield at second slip. The Australian cordon, and perhaps keeper Mooney as well, might want to nudge up a step or two. Sciver-Brunt makes no mistake with a straight drive to the rope then betters the shot when hammering much the same shot off the back foot but Garth chases it down to keep the ball barely short of the boundary for three runs. That’s drinks.
12th over: England 34-2 (Knight 19, Sciver-Brunt 3) A huge appeal! Australia are confident as a faster ball from Brown crashes into Knight’s pads as the England skipper falls across her line. The umpire says “no dice” so Australia send it off for a second opinion. Replays show it was clipping leg stump but not enough to overturn the original decision. Knight responds later in the over with a stylish drive for four, then gets a top edge to a shorter ball that lands safely for a single.
11th over: England 29-2 (Knight 14, Sciver-Brunt 3) The England find some relief against Sutherland even with the young all-rounder bowling at a decent pace. Knight works a ball to the off-side for an easy single, while Sciver-Brunt drives past Sutherland for two.
10th over: England 26-2 (Knight 13, Sciver-Brunt 1) Brown has the ball angling in, jagging away, carrying throught to Mooney behind the stumps, and leaving Sciver-Brunt unsure whether to play or leave. A bouncer sails high and wide for the only addition to the score, then Brown almost finds a way through Sciver-Brunt’s defence. The 21-year-old has bowled five on the trot but has probably deserved at least one more over.
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9th over: England 25-2 (Knight 13, Sciver-Brunt 1) Annabel Sutherland comes into the attack in place of Kim Garth who finishes with 1 for 9 across her opening spell. Knight has looked comfortable playing off her pads and finds another single before Sciver-Brunt steps forward and punches the ball to the off-side to get off the mark.
8th over: England 23-2 (Knight 12, Sciver-Brunt 0) Brown starts the over with Beaumont’s scalp then has Sciver-Brunt hopping around the crease, playing and missing, and finding an edge. The England batter survives but that was a superb over from the young quick.
Updated
WICKET! Beaumont lbw b Brown 8 (England 23-2)
Brown strikes just as the England pair were starting to settle. It takes one of the balls of the day to send Beaumont on her way as Brown pitches it up, it stays low and nips in. The England opener might have got further forward but was beaten in the movement. She rightly decides not to review as replays show she would have lost her middle stump.
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7th over: England 23-1 (Beaumont 8, Knight 12) SHOT! Knight opens up with the pick of the day thus far, punishing a wide half volley through cover to the rope. Garth straightens up as Knight is forced to defend.
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6th over: England 19-1 (Beaumont 8, Knight 8) A pair of singles through cover help to rotate the strike until Brown settles in back of a length to Beaumont. The England opener is happy to let the ball sail through to the keeper until tempting by a wider delivery that finds point.
5th over: England 17-1 (Beaumont 7, Knight 7) Kim Garth works away at the line outside off that became so familiar during the white-ball legs of the series. A bit less swing than the pacer was able to find in those matches though, as Knight sees off the first maiden of the day.
4th over: England 17-1 (Beaumont 7, Knight 7) The first boundary of the day and little surprise it comes from a thick edge – the third so far. But Beaumont plays with soft hands as she reaches away from her body outside off and nicks through the slips cordon to the rope.
3rd over: England 10-1 (Beaumont 3, Knight 4) Knight gives a chance. Almost! The England skipper takes a thick edge but the ball falls short of Tahlia McGrath at third slip. Hearts were in mouths for a moment there. Garth drifts onto Knight’s pads and is clipped away for three past square leg.
2nd over: England 7-1 (Beaumont 3, Knight 1) Darcie Brown takes the new ball and starts with a cracker, fast and full to threatening the stumps as Beaumont jags it out late. The opener finds the first runs off the bat with a crisp straight drive that almost reaches the rope but is limited to three. Knight gets off the mark when working the ball down leg for a single.
1st over: England 3-1 (Beaumont 0, Knight 0) An early breakthrough for Australia as Bouchier’s troubles across the series continue. Garth took a few deliveries to find her line outside off stump but once she did Bouchier had no answer to a shorter ball. Captain Heather Knight comes in needing to back up her pre-match comments about a stronger showing from the under-fire tourists and is straight into a forward defence that might be a sign of things to come.
WICKET! Bouchier c Mooney b Garth 2 (England 3-1)
What a start for Australia! And a horrid beginning for England as Maia Bouchier nicks behind for stand-in keeper Beth Mooney to take an early catch. Kim Garth pitches back of a good length but tight enough to force the England opener play, and there is just enough movement to find an edge.
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Tammy Beaumont made a double ton the last time these two teams met in a Test at Trent Bridge 18 months ago. The opener will be hoping to carry something resembling that sort of form with her as she strides out to the middle of the MCG alongside Maia Bouchier. Needless to say a solid start will be critical for England as they look to make a stronger showing in the last match of the Women’s Ashes.
Kim Garth has the ball in hand at the top of her run up as we get under way…
While the first day-night Test at the MCG is the main event today another important cricket match is taking place in Melbourne with an Afghanistan XI playing a 20‑over match against a Cricket Without Borders Charity XI.
Raf Nicholson spoke to two of the women playing under the Afghanistan banner for the first time since the Taliban seized power of the country in 2021 and they were forced to flee for their lives.
When the game finishes, we don’t want it to end. We want to go further and have other matches in Australia. We’re glad to have Cricket Australia with us – now we hope to get some support from ICC. We will try to be the best, to tell Afghan girls that they can do it.
Peter Warrington is first to let us know his thoughts on the Australia XI with concerns around how they might take 20 England wickets across the coming four days of play.
“Australia have stacked the batting, possibly because Mooney can’t open and keep. Possibly because a number are in pretty awful form – Litchfield, Perry, Sutherland, and Voll has a couple of 20s. Ash and Brown have had one good test each and Kingy has been on fire, but it’s not clear to me we have structured an attack to win – unless the plan is to use that batting depth to get 450 super fast?”
I think with the many all-rounders, including a mix of seamers and spinners, Healy should have enough options to turn to. But it will be interesting to see how Garth and Brown handle the new ball.
England XI
England: Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Heather Knight (capt), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophia Dunkley, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Amy Jones (wk), Sophie Ecclestone, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Lauren Filer, Lauren Bell.
Tammy Beaumont returns to open alongside Maia Bouchier after missing out on the T20s with a formidable Test record against Australia. Knight explains that England have gone with the extra seamer as 20-year-old all-rounder Ryana MacDonald-Gay is called into action for the first time in the series, while spinner Charlie Dean misses out. Kate Cross has not quite done enough to prove her fitness in time.
Set your alarms England fans, it's Test match week 🤍 pic.twitter.com/2d8AswYmgl
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 29, 2025
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Australia XI
Australia: Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Voll, Ellyse Perry, Alyssa Healy (capt), Annabel Sutherland, Beth Mooney (wk), Ash Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Alana King, Kim Garth, Darcie Brown.
Australia welcome back gun all-rounder Ash Gardner as well as their captain Alyssa Healy, while it’s confirmed that Georgia Voll will make her Test debut. Healy says that Voll will bat at the top of the order, likely opening with her great mate Phoebe Litchfield, with Healy to bat at 4 and Beth Mooney to come in at 6 while also taking the keeping gloves. The in-form Alana King gets the nod as the specialist spinner.
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Australia win the toss and elect to bowl
Alyssa Healy wins the toss as Heather Knight calls incorrectly for the tourists. The Australia skipper is dressed in cricket pioneer Betty Wilson’s blazer as she explains the decision to field first. “Little bit of grass coverage, does a bit early here, so we’ll have first crack with the ball and see if we can get a bit out of the surface,” Healy said.
It seems the England skipper might have also taken the unusual step to bowl first, though that’s one we will never know. “I’m not too displeased to be batting but we do expect it to do a bit early,” Knight said. “We’re just really excited, we want to play hard and give a good account of ourselves.”
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Georgia Voll’s summer to remember continues as the emerging batter is awarded her first baggy green in the Test against England at the MCG. The 21-year-old made an immediate impact in three ODIs against India late last year and showed that she can play with plenty of intent after making her T20 debut in the three clashes with England. Voll now gets an opportunity to show what she can do against the pink ball.
Introducing Australian Women’s Test cap #185, Georgia Voll! 🙌#Ashes pic.twitter.com/EIDc8BX4rs
— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) January 30, 2025
Alyssa Healy has been included in the Australia XI as selectors back her fitness after the skipper missed the T20 leg of the series due to a stress reaction in her foot. Australia’s usual wicketkeeper will play as a batter only with Beth Mooney to take the gloves for the first time in a Test and shift down the batting order.
Alyssa Healy an hour out from the toss... #Ashes pic.twitter.com/oFPhWVuFFI
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 30, 2025
Raf Nicholson has been following England across the series as the tourists try to turn around their poor form as much as results. Despite most matches being much less competitive than expected, especially after the tied series 18 months ago, a sizeable crowd has made their way into the MCG for the historic occasion.
Beth Mooney was the standout player of the T20 leg of the Ashes as she amassed 213 runs across three innings in the shortest format. The opener-sometimes-keeper has also been making her mark as a regular Guardian columnist across the series and has explained what playing a Test on the MCG will mean to her and the rest of the group, as well as revealing how determined Australia are to complete a clean sweep.
There has been a lot of chat around the 2023 Ashes and that we let England back into the contest to tie that series. We wanted to make sure we didn’t give them a sniff this time.
The conditions in Melbourne are nothing short of perfect for both players and the fans packing the stands – sunny and a high of 21C forecast throughout the day, dropping to around 17C at stumps. It should be warmer over the next three days but still with few clouds on the horizon let alone any hint of rain.
⛅Cloud clearing to a mild and mostly sunny afternoon for southern #Vic, while it will be clear and warm in the north of the state. Light to moderate southerly winds
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) January 29, 2025
Latest Vic forecasts: https://t.co/UYVuRwgKlp pic.twitter.com/o7YPsbJGoY
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the historic Women’s Ashes Test at the MCG. Australia and England will play the first day-night, pink-ball Test at the grand arena, while also meeting in this format at the venue for the first time since 1949.
Australia won that Test convincingly 76 years ago and are firm favourites to pull off a similar result this time after an all-conquering Ashes series so far. The hosts have taken all 12 points with three victories in each of the ODI and T20s legs, and have been quite open about wanting to complete the first clean sweep since the multi-format series was introduced.
That should be reason enough for England to turn up for a fight over the next four days in Melbourne and the tourists can at least turn to brushing aside history in their most recent Test outing. England thumped South Africa by 286 runs last December for their first Test victory in a decade as Maia Bouchier and Nat Sciver-Brunt hit first-innings hundreds, captain Heather Knight top-scored with 90 in the second innings, then pacer Lauren Bell ripped through the hosts as they were skittled for just 64 in the chase.
England’s hopes might be more measured this time, especially if Australia captain Alyssa Healy overcomes injury concerns to don the baggy green this afternoon. More on that shortly with the toss and team news coming up in about half an hour.
First ball will be at 2.30pm local time / AEDT or 3.30am for those watching from the chillier climes in England.
Meanwhile, let us know your thoughts and predictions - shoot me an email or find me @martinpegan on Bluesky or X. Let’s get into it!
Pink balls at the ready in the sporting capital of Australia 😎
— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) January 28, 2025
#Ashes pic.twitter.com/1wqkqEfSnL
