Ebb, flow and missed opportunities
Well, what to make of that? An absorbing first day of this solitary Ashes Test match. Ebb, flow, runs, wickets, catches and drops. England had the Aussies on the ropes early doors, two quick wickets and then an almost unheard of failure for Ellyse Perry saw Meg Lanning and Rachael Haynes come together for a rebuild job. England put down a few chances and missed the opportunity to really twist the knife. Australia made them pay, at 211-3 it looked pretty grim for Heather Knight and co.
A couple of quick wickets after tea changed things, albeit briefly. Lanning and Haynes missed out on Test centuries but Ash Gardner and Thalia McGrath set about counterattacking magnificently to ram home their sides’ advantage. England roused again at the end to remove both batters just after their fifties but with 327 already on the board and the license for a bit of a swing in the morning it’ll be the antipodean contingent who will sleep sounder this evening.
Enough wittering from me. Here’s Geoff Lemon’s more insightful take on the day:
Thanks for your company, we’ll be back again tomorrow. Ta ra!
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From 2-4 and 3-43 Aust have absolutely dominated day one in Canberra #Ashes
— Daniel Brettig 🏏 (@danbrettig) January 27, 2022
When you put it like that...
A wicket with the last ball of the day!
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 27, 2022
Australia 327/7 at Stumps.
Scorecard: https://t.co/EwprhIoo51#Ashes | #AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/wpQmO4pFMV
STUMPS
Australia 327 -7
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WICKET! McGrath ct Jones b Sciver 52 (Australia 327-7)
A tempter and McGrath falls into the trap at the end of a long day! She didn’t need to play at that but fancied another carve up through the off side only managing to feather an edge through to Amy Jones, who takes her fifth catch of the innings.
And that is it for the day. Still very much Australia in the ascendancy but England will be relieved to see the back of McGrath, who is so clearly a dangerously good player.
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DROP and FIFTY Gah. McGrath brings up her half century with an uppish cut through backward point that bursts through Dunkley’s hands. She’ll be upset with that effort. Fine knock from McGrath. It’s been Australia’s day. Fo’sho.
96th over: Australia 323-6 (McGrath 48, Sutherland 7)
95th over: Australia 318-6 (McGrath 47, Sutherland 3) Sutherland gets a chunky edge away for four. England would dearly love to sneak one before the close. A couple of overs left in the day.
94th over: Australia 317-6 (McGrath 46, Sutherland 3) Kate Cross into the attack and bish bash bonza! McGrath hits three boundaries off the over. If it wasn’t obvious enough from her performance in the first T20I - McGrath is a serious talent. We may only get a couple more overs in today. It’s been a long one for England’s bowlers and there’s a slight weary feel to their business now.
STATS.
Ash Gardner attacked 61% of her deliveries today on her way to making 56.
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) January 27, 2022
That is the highest attacking shot percentage of any Australian to make a 50+ score in a Test match (Since 2013 where shot type data is available) #Ashes @IGcom pic.twitter.com/ph1xKai6il
Now these lot do know their onions numbers
93rd over: Australia 304-6 (McGrath 33, Sutherland 3)
92nd over: Australia 301-6 (McGrath 32, Sutherland 1) Maiden for Shrubsole who is on the moolah with all six.
“Hi Jim,
Morning Don Linke.
“Have loved your work all summer, such sacrifice still in cold pre-dawn temps for our reward” Too kind Don.
Nice and warm in Melbourne (YEH YEH), but Mate your maths is screwy.. over 82 & 83 you called 7 runs but the total only increased by 3, are you trying a new ECB scoring method?
Ah. Don. He’ll kiss you then he’ll kill you. Apologies for any slight number fuddles, this is my first proper trot out with the OBO tools. If we’ve had one thing drilled into us this last few months it is that WE HAVE TO LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES AND NOT KEEP MAKING THEM.
I’ll sharpen up.
91st over: Australia 301-6 (McGrath 32, Sutherland 1)
💯 @KBrunt26 passion 💪 #Ashes pic.twitter.com/ploHYv8GhW
— Cricket on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) January 27, 2022
300 up for Australia
90th over: Australia 300-6 (McGrath 32, Sutherland 0) We’ll have ten more overs today. Yes please. England will want to get into the tail this evening and Australia will be happy with 350 on the board by stumps?
89th over: Australia 296-6 (McGrath 28, Sutherland 0)
Annabel Sutherland is the new willow wielder. Brunt is fired up.
WICKET! Gardner LBW b Brunt 56
Brunt gets her revenge! A full ball that came back, could have been a ‘wobbler’ - and Gardner is on her way for a very handy 56.
88th over: Australia 292-5 (McGrath 28, Gardner 52) Close but no cigar* for Shrubsole and England. And what’s all this? Gardner crunches a drive back to Brunt, who gathers and has a whang at the stumps, Gardner then pads up and there’s a strangled appeal?! Are they going up for obstruction? Most odd. There’s nothing doing whatever it was. Much ado and all that. Gardner responds by crisply punching Brunt for four through point. Class.
*Don’t mention cigars! I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it.
NOT OUT
McGrath is reprieved. Ball going over. At ease.
REVIEW
More prodigious (what else is there?) from Shrubsole and she traps McGrath LBW! GIVEN! Nipped back, could be high, T sign from Thalia, we’re going upstairs.
87th over: Australia 284-5 (McGrath 28, Gardner 52) Ash Gardner now has her highest score in Test cricket. Brunt beats her with a beauty though, there’s swing there with this new ball - it’s a deep cherry red and is hooping about a bit with a bit of cloud cover in Canberra.
86th over: Australia 284-5 (McGrath 27, Gardner 52) It’s Sciver from the other end. England need to break this partnership. That won’t do it. A half volley is dispatched by McGrath. It felt like England had got themselves back into the Test but these two are grappling it back away from them.
85th over: Australia 284-5 (McGrath 22, Gardner 50) FIFTY FOR ASH GARDNER! That is a fine, counter-punching knock. It is Brunt with the shiny new ball and Gardner greets it with a languid drive through the covers for four. Batted.
84th over: Australia 278-5 (McGrath 20, Gardner 39)
What do I know. Another old ball over. More runs. Surely now?
83rd over: Australia 271-5 (McGrath 20, Gardner 39) Gardner sweeps Ecclestone away for four and there’s a two and a one. That could be it for this old nut, I can see Brunt loosening up.
82nd over: Australia 268-5 (McGrath 19, Gardner 37) Ecclestone continues and still no sign of the new’n. There’s a couple off it. A headscratcher.
81st over: Australia 266-5 (McGrath 18, Gardner 36)
Curiously England have opted not to take the new ball.
Hmm. What’s the plan ‘ere then?
Charlie Dean is hit for two fours by Gardner in the first over back after drinks. Curious indeed.
Max Andrews is on the emails and he’s being a bit cheeky...
Morning,
Re over 72 and the search for the laptop charger, does the phrase “bare with” suggest this was a naked endeavour? Is this taking the sartorial casualness of WFH to a new level?”
I can assure you there is a dressing gown and lots of layers Max.
“On a cricketing note... (THANKFULLY)
Can’t help but see the parallels with the mens tests here: early inroads by the England bowlers but a match-turning fight back by the Aus batters.”
Maybe Max. Maybe. I don’t like to bring the men into it really but I will say that there has already been more moments of promise and energy in this half a day and a bit than I can remember over the past 2 months combined.
80th over: Australia 255-5 (McGrath 16, Gardner 27) Gardner again flashes hard and Ecclestone is smeared away for a boundary. 250 up for Australia.
and that’s DRINKS.
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79th over: Australia 249-5 (McGrath 15, Gardner 22) Dean is looping them up nicely, nice flight from the young tyro. The box of balls is about to make an appearance. One more to go.
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78th over: Australia 248-5 (McGrath 15, Gardner 21) Spin from both ends which is challenging for the clumsy typist to keep up. It’s gone a bit flat out there again for England, the flurry of quick runs has curbed their enthusiasm somewhat.
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77th over: Australia 247-5 (McGrath 15, Gardner 20)
76th over: Australia 243-5 (McGrath 11, Gardner 20) Ecclestone is miserly again, just one from it. A breather of sorts but this partnership is still looking quite handy. A point Ali Mitchell makes on the TV just as I was thinking it myself. Promise.
The only thing Meg Lanning and Rachael Haynes have got wrong during their partnership happened as they walked off for the tea break. Haynes went for the high-five, Lanning met her with the fist bump but they adjusted in time to make perfect contact #Ashes
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) January 27, 2022
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75th over: Australia 240-5 (McGrath 9, Gardner 19) Charlie Dean on debut, a tidy over, just a couple from it. England going with spin from both ends now with just five overs until the new ball is available.
Rachel and Hannah from Clifton Hill have been in touch, they are parked up on those lovely looking deckchairs at the Manuka and have sent a picture to prove it.
“Sorry you are in London, Jim. What a day!”
THANKS GUYS.
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74th over: Australia 240-5 (McGrath 9, Gardner 19)
Love the way that Gardner and McGrath play. Two quick wickets, two new players in, so they both start whacking boundaries. #Ashes
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) January 27, 2022
73rd over: Australia 239-5 (McGrath 9, Gardner 18) Kate Cross with a timely, laptop-charger-finding-friendly maiden. Thanks, Kate.
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72nd over: Australia 235-5 (McGrath 9, Gardner 18) My laptop has nearly died in and amongst the drama. Bare with whilst I scour for a cable. Keep an eye out everyone.
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71st over: Australia 236-5 (McGrath 6, Gardner 18) Gardner slashes Cross away for another boundary down through point!
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70th over: Australia 231-5 (McGrath 5, Gardner 14) Bloomin’ eck. Six! for Gardner as she hooks again but boshes this one over the rope at deep mid-wicket. Ooof! She follows up with a sublime straight drive for another boundary off Sciver. Australia are on the counter. It’s compelling viewing. There’s a possible 30 overs left today...
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69th over: Australia 215-5 (McGrath 5, Gardner 4) Kate Cross replaces Brunt and McGrath drives her sumpshushly* down the ground for four! This session is carnage compared to the relative sedateness of the afternoon. I’m tapping away, trying to keep up. Tap, tap, tap.
*I know. It was sumpshush I tell ya.
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68th over: Australia 215-5 (McGrath 0, Gardner 3) Sciver continues and LORDY LORD Ash Gardner has a wild old swipe! Crikes. Its been a coffee splurting few minutes. Gardner then picks up a couple with a more refined stroke through point.
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67th over: Australia 213-5 (McGrath 0, Gardner 1) So England remove both set batters to bring Tahlia McGrath and Ash Gardner to the crease. The old “add two wickets to the score” adage ringin’ true and it does feel like a completely different game situation now.
The ball from Brunt to get Haynes was an absolute snorter by the way. A glove destroyer.
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WICKET! Haynes ct Jones b Brunt 86 (Australia 212 -5)
Here we go!
WICKET! Lanning ct Knight b Sciver 93
But it’s not to be for Lanning! She falls short by 7 runs, poking at a lovely outswinger from Sciver and a fantastic pouch by captain Knight low down to her right in the slips. England have a breakthrough!
65th over: Australia 205-3 (Haynes 86, Lanning 93) None of that unlucky 87 nonsense for Meg Lanning, she deftly glances Brunt for 4 down to the fine leg boundary to move into the 90s. She’s seven away from that elusive first Test ton. It’s been some knock from the skipper.
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64th over: Australia 205-3 (Haynes 85 , Lanning 87) Nat Sciver is keeping things tidy from the other end. A mis-hit pull from Lanning plops down safely behind square leg, she gets one run and finds herself on the Aussie bogey number of 87...
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63rd over: Australia 204-3 (Haynes 85 , Lanning 86) A single to each batter as Brunt keeps it tight in the first few overs back after tea. Better from England. And still good from Australia tbf.
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62nd over: Australia 202-3 (Haynes 84 , Lanning 85) 200 up for Australia. Gulp.
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61st over: Australia 199-3 (Haynes 82 , Lanning 84) A maiden first up from Brunt. Tidy stuff. “Morning Jim.” Isn’t it just Adrian Armstrong. 04:08 to be precise on my clock here in the UK. “Your first post sent me down a Springsteen rabbit hole. This session could be summed up from an England perspective as Drive All Night v. Fade Away. Maybe the Boss canon is where a wicket will have to come from? Sadly he didn’t write anything called Tell-Tale Wristband on DRS, or Just Hold Your Catches - both of which may have to join the corpus of lost Half Man Half Biscuit song titles (note to Biscuiteers: new album, The Voltarol Years, out next month). But we can live in hope that somewhere in New Jersey there’s a scrap of notepaper headed Unexpected Extra Yard, or a tape labelled Calamitous Run-Out.”
You are ON FIRE Ade. Does Heather Knight feel like she has a freight train running through the middle of her head yet I wonder?
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Thanks for your emails so far, it’s the dead of night here in London, I’m tapping away while the rest of the postcode sleeps and so it is comforting to know there are some OBO’ers out there in both the UK and Aus.
Drop me a line on email or twittwoo @Jimbo_Cricket
Cameron Byers is on the line:
“This is looking like a pretty imposing partnership now. Has that session alone taking the ashes out of England’s reach?”
Crikey Cameron. But yeh, maybe. The players are on there way back out. It’ll be Brunt to start and England could really do with the stalwart seamer pulling a lapin out of the chapeau.
A first bowl in Test cricket for Deano!
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 27, 2022
Scorecard: https://t.co/giiHXDJWpz#Ashes | #AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/kEokve0b1J
Tea - Australia 199-3
60th over: Australia 199-3 (Haynes 82 , Lanning 84) Australia have dominated that session, it has been a quietly brutal one for England, the runs started to flow and it all went a little flat out there. Props to Lanning and Haynes who have batted quite beautifully so far, balancing attack and defence, showing judgement outside off and jumping on anything loose. Proper criggit.
Both batters are within sniffing distance of a maiden Test ton. Will one or both get there? Can England prise their way back into this Test?
Join us in a few mins to find out. First, to the kettle!
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59th over: Australia 198-3 (Haynes 82 , Lanning 83) Three more off Ecclestone and we’ll have one more before tea.
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58th over: Australia 195-3 (Haynes 81 , Lanning 81) Haynes opens up the shoulders and takes Shrubsole (who is back into the attack in place of Kate Cross) for 8 runs, including a meaty pull through mid-wicket. Both batters now firmly eyeing a hundred and England the clattering scoreboard. They would love to snare one before tea, we might have a couple of overs before the break.
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57th over: Australia 186-3 (Haynes 73 , Lanning 81) Ecclestone continues and WE HAVE A REVIEW FOR A CATCH - Anya Shrubsole dives forward to scoop one off the turf at leg slip, has she held one here? Umpire soft signal is Not Out but they are taking a look. It stays that way, taken on the half volley. A maiden, and a whiff of a chance for England.
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56th over: Australia 186-3 (Haynes 73 , Lanning 81)
55th over: Australia 184-3 (Haynes 72 , Lanning 80) Four to Haynes now as she smears one through mid on.
England's bowlers have created decent pressure and several chances but the fielding has really let them down. There's little room for error in a four-day Test with rain forecast when you desperately need to win. #Ashes
— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) January 27, 2022
Hmmm...
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54th over: Australia 178-3 (Haynes 67 , Lanning 79) Cross is back on it and there’s just a solitary single to Haynes, clipped off the legs.
The last time England women won the toss and bowled first in a Test, was at Bowral in 2008.
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) January 26, 2022
Isa Guha took a 5-fer on day one as Australia were bowled out for 154.
Guha would go on to take 9 in the match, which England won by 6 wickets.#Ashes https://t.co/xAwxHjCrfW pic.twitter.com/wc8Jdbbxnh
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53rd over: Australia 177-3 (Haynes 66 , Lanning 79) Another four through backward point for Lanning. England have started to leak runs and look a little weary in the last few overs (since I came on shift) Any ideas out there on how to find a wicket?
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52nd over: Australia 170-3 (Haynes 64 , Lanning 74) Those dropped catches will be weighing heavier the longer these two continue on their merry way.
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51st over: Australia 168-3 (Haynes 63 , Lanning 73) Lanning drives imperiously through the covers for four. She’s looking very comfortable now.
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50th over: Australia 162-3 (Haynes 62 , Lanning 68) Gah. Just as I’d given her the big props, Cross is a bit rusty in her first over back and Lanning takes her for three boundaries in a row. The last of which is a dominant cut shot. She’s goes past partner Rachael Haynes, and could be on for her first ever Test ton. Ahem.
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49th over: Australia 148-3 (Haynes 62, Lanning 56) A leg slip is put in place for Ecclestone’s over, it’s another tidy one from England’s premier twirler. Just a scampered single from Haynes to mid on. Looks like Kate Cross is coming back into the attack, she bowled a really tight spell in the morning session. England need something to happen.
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48th over: Australia 148-3 (Haynes 59, Lanning 55) Tidy from Dean, just a couple of singles off it. England are searching for one here. Digging in. Already feels like a crucial passage in the game.
Thanks Geoff, lovely as per. Jim here with you for the rest of the day, in the words of the Boss, Bruce Springsteen rather than Heather Knight in this instance - “Is there anybody out there?!”
Drop me a line.
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47th over: Australia 146-3 (Haynes 59, Lanning 55) Ecclestone finds her length but loses her line, turning down the leg side for Haynes to deflect away through fine leg for four leg byes. England have let this game slip. A minor cheer-up as Ecclestone hits the pad and gets a good appeal away, but too high.
That’s enough for me today. James Wallace will steer the ship from here.
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46th over: Australia 141-3 (Haynes 59, Lanning 54) First dance for Haynes, down the wicket to drive Dean over mid-off for a couple.
45th over: Australia 137-3 (Haynes 56, Lanning 53) Ecclestone spins on, driven away by Lanning to point for a single, then the same by Haynes. Still isn’t hitting a consistent length.
44th over: Australia 135-3 (Haynes 55, Lanning 52) It will be double spin. Lots of flight from Dean to Haynes, who drives but straight at cover. Well stopped by Sciver with heat on the ball. Same again next delivery. But wait a while and you’ll get a short one, that’s been the pattern today. Haynes cuts it for one.
Lanning sweeps, hit on the pad, and they’ll go upstairs for a DRS after the umpire says no. The deflection was caught at slip, not sure if they were appealing for a catch or an lbw. Looks like it has hit Lanning on the forearm, not the wristband of the glove. So she’s spared from the catch, and ball-tracking shows the lbw shout going over the stumps. Lanning had a good stretch forward, which saves her.
That’s drinks.
Half century! Lanning 51 from 97 balls
43rd over: Australia 133-3 (Haynes 54, Lanning 51) Ecclestone comes on having changed ends. Will this be double spin or is Dean out of the attack. One slip and a short leg for the left-arm orthodox spinner, who drops too short to Lanning again and is cut for two. There’s a deep point and a deep square leg to protect the boundaries. Lanning pulls! Fine of the deep square leg for four! That’s Lanning’s 50, and she’s six runs away from her highest Test score.
42nd over: Australia 126-3 (Haynes 53, Lanning 45) Lovely cover drive from Lanning against the off-spinner, out to deep cover for a couple. Sweeps fine for two more. Then slashes a boundary away behind point.
41st over: Australia 117-3 (Haynes 52, Lanning 37) Sciver nearly draws a glove from Lanning down the leg side, but it just misses. Then Jones misses a ball behind the stumps, past her on an awkward bounce for four byes.
40th over: Australia 113-3 (Haynes 52, Lanning 37) Dean gets through a quiet over, hasn’t looked very threatening as yet.
Half century! Haynes 52 from 107 balls
39th over: Australia 112-3 (Haynes 52, Lanning 36) Bit of Desmond Haynes in that shot, as Rachael Haynes leans back and whips a pull shot through the leg side for her eighth boundary. Sciver’s length is just short enough, given that Haynes is adept at pulling length balls.
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38th over: Australia 107-3 (Haynes 48, Lanning 35) Charlie Dean gives up three singles, including a drag-down to Haynes. Runs coming easily enough for the Australians.
37th over: Australia 104-3 (Haynes 47, Lanning 33) Sciver comes on to replace Brunt from the shopping centre end. Tries the short ball that brought her first wicket, but Haynes yanks it behind square to the sweeper. Lanning slashes hard at point where Dunkley has to deflect the ball up rather than stopping it clean, giving away a run.
36th over: Australia 102-3 (Haynes 46, Lanning 32) One spinner replaces another - Charlie Dean to bowl on Test debut. Ecclestone taken off after four overs. Created chances but bowled some loose ones as well. Dean is an off-spinner coming around the wicket to the left-hander. Gets some turn away from the bat first ball, driven to cover but no run. Haynes leaves the next, outside off. Haynes cuts a single to get Australia to triple figures. Lanning pushes a single square first ball. A nice breeze is coming across the ground, that might help the spinners get some drift.
35th over: Australia 99-3 (Haynes 44, Lanning 31) Brunt to Lanning now, England’s attack leader into her 10th over. Zeroing in on the stumps. Sciver is kicking the turf at second slip. Knight next to her at first. Beaumont under the lid at short leg. Lanning blocks everything out.
34th over: Australia 99-3 (Haynes 44, Lanning 31) Ecclestone continues, a couple of singles and a leg bye. This must be really deflating for England, creating chances of Lanning and then Haynes, taking neither.
33rd over: Australia 96-3 (Haynes 44, Lanning 29) Brunt carrying on to Haynes, and now Haynes is dropped! At second slip by Sciver this time. Had to fall to her left towards that ball but it was at a decent height from an angled bat, should have been caught. England failing in the slip cordon badly. That might be an awkward conversation tonight when Brunt and Sciver get home.
32nd over: Australia 96-3 (Haynes 44, Lanning 29) Back and forth between Lanning and Ecclestone. Another short ball cut for four, then another edge along the ground that gets Lanning off strike. Haynes turns past short leg, then misses a sweep and hears a loud appeal for lbw. Not out. Hit her on the foot outside off stump. She gets the sweep away next ball.
The 50 partnership came up from 99 balls in that over.
If you spot any score errors in earlier posts, try refreshing the page, they have probably been corrected.
31st over: Australia 88-3 (Haynes 43, Lanning 22) Haynes drops and runs a single to cover, bringing Lanning on strike to cash in on width from Brunt - not much width but Lanning doesn’t need much to slam a cut shot to the fence. Then plays her trademark straight bat punch through point for one. Lots of miles for the fielders as they swap for between right-hander and left-hander. Tight off-side field, so Haynes tries to pull to leg, not short enough for the shot and she skies it! Lands between mid-on and midwicket. Shrubsole could have done better with that, she ran around the ball rather than really going for the catch. Haynes tried to fetch it from too wide. Haynes gets off strike, then Brunt sends down a sharp bouncer at Lanning who is flinching away from the ball as she pulls. Gets a single but didn’t have eyes on the ball, that was lucky too.
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30th over: Australia 80-3 (Haynes 41, Lanning 16) Ecclestone to Lanning, which could be quite a contest. The left-arm spinner turning it away from the bat. Draws another edge from Lanning, a thick one along the ground to silly point. No run from the over. Strap in.
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29th over: Australia 80-3 (Haynes 41, Lanning 11) We’re back in action. Brunt with the ball, Lanning playing defensively until she pushes a single down the ground.
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Lunch - Australia 79 for 3
That would have been categorically England’s session had the last catch been taken. As things stand, it’s more like honours even given how deep Australia’s batting goes. England would be happy with the early wickets from the seamers given their decision to bowl, but had the chance to finish with an exclamation mark. Goodness me. Back with you after the sandwiches.
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28th over: Australia 79-3 (Haynes 41, Lanning 15) Ecclestone, tall and talented, drags down her first ball badly and gets pulled away by Haynes for four. The loosener out of the way. Four catchers around the bat, and Haynes inside edges past short leg for a dicey single. But short again from the spinner to Lanning, who cuts four. Then Ecclestone gets her length right and Lanning is dropped! Dropped at slip, outside edge from the forward push, straightforward just to the left of Heather Knight, who gets hands to it and fumbles it away. Bad, bad miss just before lunch.
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27th over: Australia 69-3 (Haynes 36, Lanning 10) Cross with the ball in hand, a couple of singles as we approach the lunch break. We’ll have one over of spin before then.
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26th over: Australia 66-3 (Haynes 34, Lanning 9) A couple of leg byes as Haynes misses a leg glance, then she takes a single to put Lanning back on strike against Shrubsole. Lanning gets through the last three deliveries.
25th over: Australia 63-3 (Haynes 33, Lanning 9) Cross keeps Lanning becalmed for another over, tight line and Australia’s captain isn’t game to do anything but stay around.
24th over: Australia 63-3 (Haynes 33, Lanning 9) They’re bringing the bat-pad catcher across to the off side for Lanning. I would have thought short leg would be more chance of a catch, but perhaps this is more about putting a player in Lanning’s eyeline and putting her off getting on the front foot. Shrubsole immediately gets the ball coming in and hitting the pad, and England burn a review to a ball hitting about three stumps outside the line of off. Big inswing for Shrubsole throughout the over, and she finds the pads twice more, with some bat involved as Lanning tries to push forward. Lanning finishes the over with a single from an overthrow, sloppy bit of work from England.
23rd over: Australia 62-3 (Haynes 33, Lanning 8) Cross has changed around to the shopping centre end, and bowls a peach that whispers past the off stump as Haynes pushes forward and is beaten. Still two slips, gully and point. Inswing to the left-hander for Cross, the extravagant early movement has gone but the ball is still doing a little bit when pitched up. No run from the over.
22nd over: Australia 62-3 (Haynes 33, Lanning 8) Shrubsole to Haynes, too straight to the left-hander as the slips wait redundantly. Haynes drops a single to leg on the third attempt. Lanning inside edges another one into her pad. Decent contest between these two. Then Shrubsole hits the pad but going down leg.
21st over: Australia 61-3 (Haynes 32, Lanning 8) Too wide from Sciver across the left-hander again, she’s given too many freebies to Haynes today. Cracked for four once again. Haynes follows up with a drop and run to point. “Good cricket,” people mutter around the world. Lanning hops and turns a ball just past the short leg catcher. Then cuts but can’t get past backward point. The one thing missing from Lanning’s extensive cricket CV is a major Test innings, things have never worked out for her in this format. Perhaps today is the day.
20th over: Australia 56-3 (Haynes 27, Lanning 8) Shrubsole back into action. Bowls too short, and Lanning is able to step across her stumps and whip a pull shot for four. Shrubsole corrects, getting a tiny bit of swing away from the angle in, beating Lanning’s outside edge, then taking her inside edge into the pads. There is a short leg in place for Shrubsole, so that is a potential mode of dismissal. Inswing beats Lanning again, a thick inside edge as she tries to drive. Hard into the ground instead of racing through the covers. Good comeback.
19th over: Australia 52-3 (Haynes 27, Lanning 4) Sciver concentrates on bowling a tight line to Haynes, right on the off stump, giving no width. Looks like it will be a patience game against the set player. Two slips, gully, point, cover, mid-off, mid-on, midwicket, long leg. Glorious sunshine washing over the ground. Six dot balls.
18th over: Australia 52-3 (Haynes 27, Lanning 4) Cross is settling into her work now, challenging Lanning on off stump. Making her play into the gully. Then a thick outside edge the same way. Tension building. No run from the over.
17th over: Australia 52-3 (Haynes 27, Lanning 4) Haynes on the cut shot again! She’s playing a lone hand here, laying into some width from Sciver. Four runs.
16th over: Australia 48-3 (Haynes 23, Lanning 4) Edged by Lanning for four! Cross pitches up, Lanning drives, and the edge is dying as it goes between first and second slip. Not sure if that carried well enough to be scooped up, but it was very streaky. This after Cross had a good lbw shout against Haynes turned down, maybe a bit of inside edge.
15th over: Australia 43-3 (Haynes 22, Lanning 0) The captain comes to the crease with a job to do. Haynes looking steady at the other end.
WICKET! Perry c Jones b Sciver 18, Australia 42-3
That is huge! Bharat Sundaresan tells me that Perry was working on her pull shot for 45 minutes in the nets yesterday. She tries it out against a Sciver short ball, gets a high top edge, and Jones does really well to run around towards backward square leg and take a tumbling catch. Perry is dismissed, something that has been almost unachievable in Test cricket for the last five years. England buoyant.
14th over: Australia 42-2 (Haynes 21, Perry 18) Too short from Cross again, and slashed away by Perry for four. So Cross follows up with a beauty! Pitches up, hits the seam, and it jags past the edge of Perry’s bat. I guess we’d call that... a Cross seam delivery?
Drinks break.
13th over: Australia 38-2 (Haynes 21, Perry 14) Brunt gets a break, with Sciver to take over. Bowling her tidy mediums on a straight line. Haynes blocks out the first over.
12th over: Australia 38-2 (Haynes 21, Perry 14) Ominous for England now, as Perry is up and running too. Stands up tall and punches Cross through backward point for four. Crisp timing.
11th over: Australia 34-2 (Haynes 21, Perry 10) A bit of inswing for Brunt to the left-hander now, it bends in but Haynes reads the swing to perfection and drives through cover for four! Lovely shot. She gets beaten by bounce from the next one, aiming a cut shot that goes under the ball, but Haynes gets onto a similar shot a couple of balls later and smokes it for four. Brunt is apparently blaming backward point for that one. Maybe the short wide ball was more the problem?
10th over: Australia 26-2 (Haynes 13, Perry 10) Kate Cross on to bowl, hits a good length early and has Perry pushing away from her body. One sliced shot is well stopped by Winfield-Hill diving in the gully. The next takes a thick edge that flies between gully and Sciver at slip for four.
9th over: Australia 22-2 (Haynes 13, Perry 6) The slip cordon has been reduced for Haynes. Brunt has a deep square leg now, and uses her, dropping in a couple of bouncers. Haynes takes on the second one and pulls it for a run. Perry punches into gaps at cover a couple of times to take singles, Haynes guides away a brace. Runs coming.
8th over: Australia 17-2 (Haynes 10, Perry 4) Perry is starting to work Shrubsole around, off side and then leg side, two here, one there.
7th over: Australia 14-2 (Haynes 10, Perry 1) Perry off the mark with a single pushed to cover. That brings Haynes onto strike to get a thick edge down through deep third for four. Looks like the swing has died away already.
Updated
6th over: Australia 9-2 (Haynes 6, Perry 0) First boundary of the day! Shrubsole gets too straight to the left-hander, who clips her away through midwicket with elan. Nice outfield by the look of that, the ball skates away.
Updated
5th over: Australia 5-2 (Haynes 2, Perry 0) Brunt fires in the yorker and Haynes ends up flat on her face after digging it out just past short leg. Surprised by that length and just keeps it out of her bootlaces. Pushes a leg-side single to follow.
Updated
4th over: Australia 4-2 (Haynes 1, Perry 0) Ellyse Perry into her work early then, and Mooney’s brave injury comeback doesn’t last long, after having clipped two more runs from the first ball of the Shrubsole over. The right-handed Perry covers the line of the swing comfortably while stretching forward and sees out the over.
WICKET! Mooney c Jones b Shrubsole 3, Australia 4-2
A wicket apiece for the opening bowlers! Shrubsole gets her line right, bit of swing across the left-hander who props forward in an attempted defence. Finds the thick outside edge and Jones pouches it moving across to her left.
Updated
3rd over: Australia 2-1 (Haynes 1, Mooney 1) Beth Mooney to the crease early, with her jaw wired shut from that fracture not even two weeks ago. I wonder if they put her up the order so she can get into her work quickly rather than sitting around all day getting more sore. Brunt bowls on her pads first up, clipped for a single. Two left-handers at the crease.
WICKET! Healy c Jones b Brunt 0, Australia 1-1
That score is the same, whichever country you write it in. First wicket for England! Lovely piece of bowling by Brunt, the ball angling in and then swinging away sharply. Brunt had already beaten a little swish from Healy outside the off stump the previous ball. That doesn’t stop Healy chasing it again. Poor shot but good bowling, and safely taken by the keeper.
2nd over: Australia 1-0 (Haynes 1, Healy 0) Three slips and a gully for the left-handed Haynes as Shubsole commences from the Manuka Pool end. Angling across the lefty, lots of swing away, but taking the ball too wide to encourage Haynes to play. No run.
1st over: Australia 1-0 (Haynes 1, Healy 0) Katherine Brunt starts us off from the Manuka Shops end of the ground. Good line, a little bit of outswing, challenging the right-hander just outside off stump.
Updated
And we’re away...
Teams
Interesting selection for Australia too - Megan Schutt misses out, a big call on their great swing bowler. They’ve gone for two spinners with JJ and King on debut, with Darcie Brown the only specialist quick, backed up by the all-round seam of Perry, Sutherland and McGrath. Lanning has dropped herself down to five, with Mooney at first drop.
Australia
Alyssa Healy +
Rachael Haynes
Beth Mooney
Ellyse Perry
Meg Lanning *
Tahlia McGrath
Ashleigh Gardner
Annabel Sutherland
Jess Jonassen
Alana King
Darcie Brown
England have not brought in their young quick Lauren Bell, who was included in the squad. They’ve gone for the long-timers in Brunt, Shrubsole and Cross, plus Sciver’s mediums. That relative lack of pace might not help them as the game goes on. Two spinners, with Dean to share the workload with Ecclestone.
England
Tammy Beaumont
Lauren Winfield-Hill
Heather Knight *
Natalie Sciver
Amy Jones +
Sophia Dunkley
Katherine Brunt
Charlie Dean
Sophie Ecclestone
Anya Shrubsole
Kate Cross
Updated
England win the toss and will bowl
Interesting call! Heather Knight says that the pitch will be good for batting throughout, and so if there is any help for the bowlers it will be early.
Updated
Just quickly, Ellyse Perry’s Test average since her double ton in 2017 is 474. You read that right. Five innings, four not outs, two centuries. Ridiculously good when she has time on her side. That will be a great point to watch.
Hanging out to see how both these XIs are structured. There are so many ways they could build bowling attacks especially. Wonder if they’ll be bold in that respect.
What do have on Tony Greig’s Weatherwall? Fine, it’s just me looking out a window. It is partially sunny. That’s my good news for the day. A warm morning that should become a warmer day, up towards 30 degrees by the end. Lots of scattered cloud around, of an unthreatening type, with some chance of showers at the end of the day.
On a side note, the BoM radar station that covers Canberra is called Captains Flat. Which they will be if it rains.
Preamble
Hello from Canberra - the nation’s capital, and a monument to compromise. Let us hope there will be no compromising from the two teams set to take the field today, Australia and England in their centrepiece Ashes Test match. If previous matches in Canberra are any guide, it should be a good batting deck, which means plenty of work for the bowlers if they are to produce incisive spells. But predictions are a fool’s errand, so let’s wait and see.
Neither XI has been named before the match, with both captains reserving the right to surprise their opponents. A win here is worth four points in the multiformat series, which Australia leads 4-2 following one T20 win and a couple of washouts. So we’ll have to hope that both teams want to take the game on rather than play it safe with three 50-over matches to follow.
These matches are such big occasions. The players in women’s cricket have had to push to have Tests scheduled at all, and even so get the opportunity rarely to don the whites, take up the red or pink ball, and play for four days. The need for a fifth day has been well displayed by every recent match in this format, but for now we’ll have to make do.
The teams have had limited preparation, but there are exciting players on both sides and they have plenty to play for. Let’s go.
