England had hoped to avoid a humiliating clean sweep by winning the one-off Test of the ongoing Ashes series, but Australia has firmly put them on the back seat right from Day 1 of the MCG Test.
The hosts’ dominance continued on the second day as well, leaving England with a mountain to climb. With Annabel Sutherland and Beth Mooney leading the charge, Australia amassed 422 runs for a loss of 5 wickets, maintaining a huge lead of 252 runs. England’s sloppy fielding with eight missed catches and several run leaks, allowed Australia to build such a mammoth total. Sophie Ecclestone did show some resilience, picking up two wickets.
Annabel Sutherland, the 23-year-old Australian all-rounder, stole the show on day 2. In a display of her batting prowess, she smashed 163 runs off 258 balls which included 21 fours and 1 six. She became the first woman to hit a test century at the MCG. Reflecting on this in the post-match press conference, she said, “Hasn’t sunk in yet, pretty strange to be honest. But I think just given the occasion..and yeah..being a victorian as well, it’s pretty cool. I will reflect on it over the next few days.”
She also joined the elite group of players with three Test centuries for Australia, matching the achievements of Betty Wilson and Jill Kennare. Sutherland, in an interaction with the media post the match described batting in Test matches as an opportunity to build a meaningful innings, embracing the ebbs and flows of the game. She highlighted her ability to recognize key moments and navigate challenging periods.
Sutherland was dropped three times before she went on to make the historic century. To this, she said, “Yeah, it’s probably a game, you always need a little bit of luck on your side.” She also admitted that as a bowler it was promising for them to know that England created chances all throughout the day.
Sutherland came in to bat, when Australia were at 99, two down. She was promoted to number three due to Ellyse Perry’s injury. She expressed that she is ready to take any opportunity to bat, regardless of where she’s placed in the order. She emphasized that the team has depth in batting, with the ability to bat all the way down to number 10, so she’s happy to contribute wherever needed.
Australia, leading by 252 runs, maintained a strong grip over England who failed to show up a fighting performance. England youngster, Ryana MacDonald-Gay reflecting on day two said, “Yeah pretty tired, my feet are killing me. Yeah, I think it was a good day. It was quite long, but we have done well.”
When asked about dropped catches, and poor fielding performance, she acknowledged that after a long, hot day of playing 100 overs, it’s tough to maintain focus for every ball, and that’s something the team needs to improve on. However, she didn’t see it as a mental or physical challenge, just as part of the game.
The 20-year-old expressing her love for the Test matches said that it feels distinct from the rest of the Ashes series. She mentioned that playing a Test match is always special due to their rarity and as a young player, she has thoroughly enjoyed the experience. She highlighted how valuable it has been to observe senior players and learn from their approach, especially when facing the Australian team.
Appreciating Sutherland’s knock, MacDonald-Gay remarked, “She batted very well today. It was sort of hard to figure out where to bowl because you just felt that you are never gonna get her out.”
MacDonald-Gay remained optimistic for Day 3, approaching it with the mindset of chipping away at Australia’s wickets, with a particular focus on dismissing Mooney (98*) early. She highlighted the need to disrupt any developing partnerships and prevent Australia from building momentum.
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