Day 3 Report : Women’s Ashes Test at Taunton

Brief Scorecard – Day 3 at stumps:

Australia (1^st innings) – 420/8d (154.4 overs, Run Rate 2.71)

Ellyse Perry – 116 (281) (4s-16)

Rachael Haynes – 87 (246) (4s-12)

England bowling figures –

Katherine Brunt – 22-5-48-2

Sophie Eccelstone – 34.2-8-90-2

Laura Marsh – 34-5-90-2

England (1^st innings) – 199/6* (83 overs, Run Rate 2.39)

Natalie Sciver – 62* (132) (4s-6)

Anya Shrubsole – 1* (36)

Australia bowling figures –

Sophie Molineux – 29-5-71-3*

Ashleigh Gardner – 15-5-24-1*

Ellyse Perry – 10-3-30-1*

Other major contributions –

Amy Jones – 64 (140) (4s-12) (Bowler – Sophie Molineux)

Rachael Haynes – 28 (65) (4s-4) (Bowler – Sophie Molineux)

Major Partnership – 2^th wicket partnership of 79runs (21.1overs) between Amy Jones and Heather Knight

6^th wicket partnership of 67runs (26.4overs) between Natalie Sciver and Katherine Brunt

 

Debutants – Australia – Sophie Molineux, Ashleigh Gardner and Tayla Vlaeminck

        England – Amy Jones and Kirstie Gordon

Pre-match Ashes position – Having lost all the three ODIs, English team now needs to win the only Test to keep their Ashes hopes alive while Australia Women just need a draw to retain the Ashes cup.

After Day 2 wash-out, Day 3 play started as per schedule. Beth Mooney took charge from the very beginning and opened up her arms whenever opportunity struck. Jess Jonassen could not do much as Katherine Brunt got her caught out by Natalie Sciver in 6^th over of the day. Debutant Sophie Molineux joined Mooney in the middle and played some classic shots as Australia reached 388/6 by the time of first drinks break.

Mooney survived a LBW appeal on the first ball of 150^th over and hit the bowler for two consecutive fours in the next two. The 7^th wicket partnership between Mooney and Molineux was broken by Sophie Eccelstone two overs later and another debutant, Ashleigh Gardner, came out to bat. Mooney reached her maiden Test fifty by taking a quick single on the fourth ball of 154^th over. The Southern Stars declared their first innings in the following over as Amy Jones took a brilliant catch to end her vital knock.

With 15 minutes to lunch, England’s openers Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont stepped out in the ground and Ellyse Perry and Megan Schutt started the proceedings for Australia. First massive moment came on the first ball of third over when Beaumont got out for a duck on being bowled by Perry.

England’s captain Heather Knight came in at number three and took on Perry for hitting some beautiful shots post lunch. The duo of Sophie Molineux and Tayla Vlaeminck were brought into attack in 10^th over and the later felt some pressure of debut in her opening spell. The 79run partnership between Jones and Knight was broken by Molineux as she picked up her first test wicket trapping the England’s skipper for an LBW in 24^th over. Georgia Elwiss survived a run out on the following ball.

On the other end, Amy Jones seemed to be quite comfortable against Molineux as she reached her half-century by hitting a lovely four to the bowler in 30^th over. A direct-hit from Nicole Bolton in 38^th over sent back Elwiss as England’s scoreboard read 118/3 at tea break.

Young Molineux struck again to take another crucial wicket of set batter, Amy Jones, in 44^th over putting England in real danger. Wicket-keeper Sarah Taylor could not do much and became third victim of the debutant.

With the top order back into the dressing room, Natalie Sciver and Katherine Brunt held their nerves and built up a vital sixth wicket partnership. In the process, a milestone was achieved on the last ball of 61^st over as Sciver took a single to bring up 100,000^th run in women’s Test cricket. The batter also reached her maiden Test fifty in 65^th over.

Spinner Ashleigh Gardner bowled brilliantly in her first ten overs and came back to brake the stumps of Brunt in her 11^th as England lost their sixth wicket with nine overs of Day 3 still left. With 199/6 on the board, England needs 72 more runs to avoid a forced follow-on when they resume batting on Day 4.

That’s all for now… See you tomorrow with the sole Ashes Test result… Stay tuned to latest updates on Twitter handle of Femalecricket.