06:44 PM BST
CLOSE: ENG 218/2
England will start day three 255 runs behind but with their best player, Nat Sciver-Brunt, and grittiest, bubbliest character, Tammy Beaumont at the crease after a glut of runs at Trent Bridge.
06:41 PM BST
OVER 53: ENG 208/2 (Beaumont 100 Sciver-Brunt 40)
Just the single off Jonassen’s over and that’s it. England walk off, Beaumont, still helmeted, raises her bat to acknowledge the dressing room and the crowd.
Play resumes at 11am tomorrow.
06:39 PM BST
OVER 52: ENG 208/2 (Beaumont 100 Sciver-Brunt 40)
Sutherland drops short to Sciver-Brown who swipes it high over the slips for four, then gives her oartner the strike by whipping a single through square leg.
Beaumont has two balls left of the over and she goes for the 2 x 2= 4 equation, pulling two to midwicket then whisking a fuller ball on her pads through square leg to make her maiden Test century. She now has an Englan T20 ton, an ODI ton and a test hundred.
One over to go.
06:34 PM BST
OVER 51: ENG 208/2 (Beaumont 96 Sciver-Brunt 35)
Jonassen, the left-arm spinner, replaces Gardner. Beaumont exploits a loosener by pulling it for a single and Sciver-Brunt hangs back again to drive a single through mid-on. Beaumont, four runs short of her century, cannot pierce the field off the final four balls.
Two overs to go and Sutherland will take care of the first one.
06:31 PM BST
OVER 50: ENG 206/2 (Beaumont 95 Sciver-Brunt 34)
Gardner was the only the appetiser for Sciver-Brunt who works the leg-spinner off her pads for two, cuts for four to raise the fifty partnership and smears a back-foot cover drive for four more. To give her the strike, Beaumont had earlier driven King for three through mid-on. England are motoring along now.
06:29 PM BST
OVER 49: ENG 193/2 (Beaumont 92 Sciver-Brunt 24)
Gardner continues round the wicket and, having lined her up, Sciver-Brunt slog-sweeps two fours, the second of them despite Gardner tossing it wider. Gardner, keen to protect herself, comes back round the wicket and tosses it wider still and Sciver-Brunt thumps a cover drive for a third four of the over. Sciver-Brunt is a marquee/bar clearing batter.
06:23 PM BST
OVER 48: ENG 181/2 (Beaumont 92 Sciver-Brunt 12)
Healy brings King back for a second spell and the leg-break bowler uses changes of pace and flight to keep Sciver-Brunt down to three, two of which come from a drive through cover followed by a single when she crouches deep to whisk it through midwicket.
06:18 PM BST
OVER 47: ENG 178/2 (Beaumont 92 Sciver-Brunt 9)
Gardner conjures up a chance from round the wicket, Beaumont propping forward and edging between keeper and slip. Jonassen dives to her left but cannot grab it and it trickles down for four. Beaumont is having one of those days when everything goes for her.
06:13 PM BST
OVER 46: ENG 173/2 (Beaumont 88 Sciver-Brunt 8)
Another aggressive stroke by Beaumont, pulling Garth’s first shot ball for four then slapping a cut for a single off the encore.
06:09 PM BST
OVER 45: ENG 160/2 (Beaumont 83 Sciver-Brunt 7)
Beaumont has the measure of the pitch now and paddles a scoop over her shoulder for two and then makes a big stride to harpoon four through cover. Clever batting, restoring the momentum after Knight’s dismissal.
06:05 PM BST
OVER 44: ENG 160/2 (Beaumont 76 Sciver-Brunt 7)
Garth has been a fine addition for Australia and yields only one run, Beaumont cutting it down to third. The line. fourth and fifth stump, keeps Sciver-Brunt quiet.
06:02 PM BST
OVER 43: ENG 159/2 (Beaumont 75 Sciver-Brunt 7)
Shot! Sciver-Brunt, England’s best bat, gets her foot to the pitch and creams a cover drive that James Vince would put in his scrapbook for four. At the end of an over of cat and mouse, Garner responding to the assault by varying her length and pace cannily, Sciver-Brunt goes for a big slog sweep but drags it, clearing midwicket but nowhere near the fence. They run two.
05:58 PM BST
OVER 42: ENG 151/2 (Beaumont 74 Sciver-Brunt 0)
Beaumont, who was parp! parping along nicely with Knight is more circumspect at the start of a new partnership and defends a couple, lets two more go as Garth racks up a fourth maiden.
05:54 PM BST
OVER 41: ENG 151/2 (Beaumont 74 Sciver-Brunt 0)
Knight starts the over with a reverse sweep off Gardner for four but the offie holds her nerve, imparts yet more revs and pace on the next one and gives it an attractive loop. Knight was drawn into the spider’s web.
05:50 PM BST
Wicket!
Knight c Healy b Gardner 57 Nice nut, as they say. Definitely not a nude one. A bit more pace on the off-break makes it grip, rip and bounce and Knight nicks it through to the keeper who takes a smart catch. FOW 151/2
05:49 PM BST
OVER 40: ENG 147/1 (Beaumont 74 Knight 53)
More bounce for Garth but Knight rocks back to slice the ball down through gully for four then eases a cover drive for a single.
05:47 PM BST
OVER 39: ENG 144/1 (Beaumont 74 Knight 50)
Beaumont uses her feet to stride down to Gardner and caress an on-drive for four. It’s a stroke of the highest class in contrast with a rather agricultural swipe across the line that earns her two to midwicket. You’d kick yourself for missing out on this wicket and with such inconsistent bowling.
05:45 PM BST
OVER 38: ENG 138/1 (Beaumont 68 Knight 50)
Fifty for Knight. Garth gives her the width outside off and she dabs it through third for four. Two of the three previous times she has passed fifty against Australia in Tests she has gone on to make 157 and 168*.
Fiona Tomas reports from Trent Bridge
Knight brings up her fifty. You cannot underestimate the calming presence she has in this England side. England could have panicked after the early loss of Emma Lamb but Beaumont and Knight have put up a spirited resistance in murky light at Trent Bridge, where the floodlights have been on for some time now.
05:41 PM BST
OVER 37: ENG 133/1 (Beaumont 67 Knight 46)
Gardner finds Knight’s edge when she drives. It’s only a feather and hits Healy who couldn’t move her hands in time. The ball cannons towards slip but drops well short. Knight hasn’t used her sweep much this innings if at all. Now she unfurls the reverse to broom four down through third.
Here’s that ‘catch’ – they should have listened to Litchfield.
05:37 PM BST
OVER 36: ENG 128/1 (Beaumont 66 Knight 42)
Australia hook King and turn to Garth. Healy brings herself up to the stumps and takes out second slip. Looks like Garth is going to go for balls down the channel, nice and full, inviting the drive but, with Healy up, preventing them from using their feet. Knight works a pair of twos square on both sides of the wicket but the last ball of the over spits up a bit and Knight does well to leave it.
05:30 PM BST
OVER 35: ENG 124/1 (Beaumont 66 Knight 36)
Ash Gardner is Australia’s other spinning all-rounder (and Jess Jonassen turns her arm over too). She comes on for her first over of off-breaks and it’s pretty impressive. Plenty of flight and turn but, at the end of the over and best of all, bounce. Beaumont plays out the maiden.
05:28 PM BST
Fiona Tomas reports from Trent Bridge
Knight and Beuamont have steadied the ship a bit but Australia have been much more effective than England in the field. That was a brilliant stop from Kim Garth, which sort of sums up the day the Aussies are having.
05:24 PM BST
OVER 34: ENG 124/1 (Beaumont 66 Knight 36)
Alana King seems to be suffering from insufficient overs. Or maybe it’s the ball she’s not used to as she has peppered her overs with full tosses and legside gimmes. Knight cuffs a full toss for two and on come the drinks.
05:22 PM BST
OVER 33: ENG 122/1 (Beaumont 66 Knight 36)
Sutherland tries the short ploy again but this time the ball doesn’t get up and Beaumont leans back and scythes a cut for four. But that’s the only error of the over as Sutherland maintains a tight line.
05:19 PM BST
OVER 32: ENG 118/1 (Beaumont 62 Knight 36)
Beaumont survives an appeal when she defends and the ball spoons up and is caught by short leg. Australia convince themselves it was a bump ball and do not go to DRS but replays show she nicked it into her boot. Big life for England.
Had they not burned a review just before tea, they may well have gone for it then. Chastened, they went for the majority opinion. Beaumont knew, though.
05:15 PM BST
OVER 31: ENG 117/1 (Beaumont 61 Knight 36)
Time for the woman of the day, Annabel Sutherland, to return to the bowling fray. After too much polite action, Sutherland drops in a bumper that rears up and fizzes past Beaumont’s hooter. The weather makes proceedings in the third session on days like these soporific. No snoozing when Sutherland has the ball.
05:10 PM BST
OVER 30: ENG 116/1 (Beaumont 60 Knight 36)
Litchfield, the debutant, in time honoured tradition, is under the lid at short leg. Knight sweeps hard when King fires it too close to leg and middle. Litchfield turns turtle but can’t get her head out of the road and wears the ball flush on her helmet badge. But she’s OK.
Knight, denied a boundary there, gets one two balls later when she leans into a cover drive and creams it for four.
05:07 PM BST
OVER 29: ENG 112/1 (Beaumont 60 Knight 32)
Knight on-drives Perry for three. She had targeted the same area the previous ball but only patted it. This time she gave it more oomph but still didn’t time it as sweetly as she would have wished.
05:01 PM BST
OVER 28: ENG 109/1 (Beaumont 60 Knight 29)
Almost … King draws the inside edge off a leg-break that pitched on leg and straightened. It rebounds into Beaumont’s pad but loops over short leg. An allsorts over, a legside full toss fiddled fine for three and two that turned appreciably. Decent drift, too.
04:58 PM BST
OVER 27: ENG 105/1 (Beaumont 57 Knight 28)
Perry finds a bit more rhythm and is backed up by her infield to register her first maiden. Maybe a long bowl is exactly what she needs.
04:53 PM BST
OVER 26: ENG 105/1 (Beaumont 57 Knight 28)
Fifty for Beaumont and a hundred for England when King serves up a pie, a fat long hop that the opener carts for four in front of square. And then she shows us that she is prepared to sweep, bending her right knee to lean out and skelp another boundary. King first lost her length and then her line …
04:49 PM BST
OVER 25: ENG 97/1 (Beaumont 49 Knight 28)
Perry has gone for 14 off her three overs so far and is given a fourth. She was unable to bowl at times last year and looks very rusty indeed. No balls, full bungers and too many arrowing on to the pads. Knight tickles one of the legside ones for a single and they run a leg-bye off the other. But the last ball is full and hoops away. Knight genuinely plays and misses at it, going for a booming drive. Wouldn’t have mattered as it was the second no-ball of what turned into an eight-ball over.
04:45 PM BST
OVER 24: ENG 93/1 (Beaumont 49 Knight 27)
She starts with a maiden but there may have been four on offer had Beaumont been prepared to sweep when King sprayed a leg-break too far outside leg-stump. That aberration apart, though, it was a solid beginning and baby steps towards establishing some control.
04:43 PM BST
OVER 23: ENG 93/1 (Beaumont 49 Knight 27)
This is too easy. Perry continues and Knight square drives off the back foot for four then works two through midwicket. Alana King, at last, is being called into action.
04:36 PM BST
OVER 22: ENG 87/1 (Beaumont 49 Knight 21)
Brown overpitches and drifts wide. Knight skewers it out with a bat pointing towards gully and hacks it, one bounce, over the slips for four. Unlike in the last over, Knight beats cover when she drives and jogs back for three. Australia’s medium pacers don’t look at all penetrative here. Time for spin, surely, given Ecclestone’s long, successful stints.
Beaumont brings up the fifty partnership by scything a square cut for four to end the over.
04:29 PM BST
OVER 21: ENG 75/1 (Beaumont 45 Knight 14)
Brown is given no rest as Perry drops short, Beaumont pulls and Brown runs around from fine leg to dive and halve what looked like a certain four.
At tea Simon Doull and Isa Guha again argued convincingly that this pitch cannot warrant a second slip, you need one slip and a gully because of the lack of carry. But Australia, like England, persist with a seemingly superfluous fielder there. Perry delivers a sit up and beg short one outside off and such is the lack of bounce that Beaumont hits it in front of square for two, he bat coming round on the cut too soon.
04:26 PM BST
OVER 20: ENG 71/1 (Beaumont 41 Knight 14)
Brown resumes. She looks a bit floaty when she pitches up but she is getting it to swing. Not the one she drags down, though. It had ‘smack me’ written all over it and Knight does, missing out on four by slapping it on the pull too close to deep backward square. She runs two and Brown reverts to bowling to her offside ring, Three times in the over a well-placed cover stops them burgling a single. Kate Cross bowled four no-balls yesterday – Brown delivers Australia’s first.
04:22 PM BST
Good afternoon
What have we learned so far? Test batting > Test bowling but that’s only to be expected given the dominance of white-ball cricket and the inability to earn a living if you simply hone Test bowling skills.
04:04 PM BST
Tea
That was a better session for England, though they still trail Australia by 405 runs.
Sophie Ecclestone wrapped up the Australian innings, taking her first Test five-for, before Tammy Beaumont punished the bad ball ruthlessly to reach 41 not out from 56 balls.
England lost Emma Lamb for 10 to Annabel Sutherland, who earlier made her maiden Test century. The pitch is flat so there are plenty of runs out there for England.
There will be 34 overs in the evening session – Rob Bagchi will talk you through that.
04:01 PM BST
OVER 19: ENG 68/1 (Beaumont 41 Knight 12)
Ellyse Perry, who has become a change bowler in her thirties, is on for Kim Garth. After an accurate start, she spears a full toss outside leg stump that is whapped for four by Beaumont.
Now there’s a review for caught behind. Beaumont flicked at a ball outside leg stump that ended up in the hands of Healy. There didn’t seem much appeal, but Healy decided to review at the last second. Replays confirm the only contact was the bat scraping the ground.
And that, in fact, is the last ball before tea.
03:55 PM BST
OVER 18: ENG 64/1 (Beaumont 37 Knight 12)
Darcie Brown replaces Sutherland, whose spell yielded figures of 4-0-14-1. Alyssa Healy must have tempted to try one of her spinners before tea. It’s a reasonable first over to Knight, who looks in the mood to bat long. After racing to 12 from 9 balls, she hasn’t scored off her 18.
03:51 PM BST
OVER 17: ENG 63/1 (Beaumont 36 Knight 12)
This is Garth’s eighth over, a long spell broken only by a change of ends. She has two slips and a gully for Knight, who keeps her discipline outside off stump this time. It’s a maiden, Garth’s third of the day.
03:48 PM BST
OVER 16: ENG 63/1 (Beaumont 36 Knight 12)
All of a sudden Sutherland has lost her line. She bowls two more full tosses, both whipped to the midwicket boundary by Beaumont. A better ball goes past the edge, with Beaumont missing a cut shot. While you can never discount the occasional jaffa, this should be a very good pitch to bat one for at least the next day.
03:44 PM BST
OVER 15: ENG 55/1 (Beaumont 28 Knight 12)
Knight is beaten, chasing another tempter from Garth, who is faster than she looks to the naked eye – the last ball of the over was 70mph. Bar a couple of injudicious strokes outside off stump, Knight has looked good.
03:40 PM BST
OVER 14: ENG 55/1 (Beaumont 28 Knight 12)
Beaumont digs out a yorker, then whacks a low full toss – presumably another attempted yorker – past mid-on for four. Those are the first runs Sutherland has conceded from her 14th delivery.
This is an encouraging start from Beaumont, who has been busy but not reckless. It’s the future.
03:35 PM BST
OVER 13: ENG 49/1 (Beaumont 22 Knight 12)
Knight works Garth, who has been a little innocuous, off the pads for her second boundary. Saying which, Garth almost gets her first wicket when Knight chases a wide outswinger and edges wide of gully at catchable height. The ball runs away for four but Knight knows it was a poor stroke and smiles sheepishly at her partner Beaumont.
03:31 PM BST
OVER 12: ENG 41/1 (Beaumont 22 Knight 4)
Beaumont is beaten on the inside by another fine delivery from Sutherland that just misses off stump. Sutherlands looks really menacing, and all Beaumont can do is play out a maiden.
03:27 PM BST
From Fiona Tomas at Trent Bridge
I spoke too soon. Emma Lamb cut a frustrated figure as she traipsed off there. Australia, buoyed by that sensational first innings, are off the mark and Sutherland is only just getting the party started.
03:27 PM BST
OVER 11: ENG 41/1 (Beaumont 22 Knight 4)
Kim Garth changes ends to replace Darcie Brown (5-0-24-0). Australia would love to get the captain Heather Knight early, especially as she made an extraordinary 168 not out in the last Ashes Test.
England like to bat round Knight, who averages 98 in her six Tests as captain. She gets off the mark with a crisp square drive for four.
03:21 PM BST
OVER 10: ENG 36/1 (Beaumont 21 Knight 0)
That dismissal will frustrate Lamb, who until then had been very disciplined outside off stump. It was good bowling from Sutherland, with a nice full length and a hint of movement, but Lamb could have ignored it.
03:20 PM BST
Wicket!
Lamb c Jonassen b Sutherland 10
Annabel Sutherland is having a day out! She struck a maiden Test century this morning and now she has struck with the last ball of her first over. Lamb wafted outside off stump and edged low to second slip, where Jess Jonassen crouched to take a good catch. FOW: 36/1
03:15 PM BST
OVER 9: ENG 36/0 (Lamb 10 Beaumont 21)
Beaumont hits consecutive boundaries off Brown, following a cracking cover drive with an edge between slip and gully. The first ball was awful, the second very good: Brown’s new-ball spell in miniature.
A mixed over ends with a short ball that Beaumont pulls thrillingly for four. She pounced on that and whirled it round the corner with those familiar fast hands.
03:10 PM BST
OVER 8: ENG 24/0 (Lamb 10 Beaumont 9)
Lamb is beaten by a grubber from Garth which, happily for England, is wide of off stump. I’d be bowling as straight as possible on this pitch with fielders on the drive.
03:10 PM BST
From Fiona Tomas at Trent Bridge
This has been a positive start from Beaumont and Lamb, who will be well aware of the task ahead. Darcie Brown has been firing it down and there’s been a few close calls but so far, so good for England.
03:07 PM BST
OVER 7: ENG 24/0 (Lamb 10 Beaumont 9)
Now Lamb gets his first boundary, driving handsomely through the covers when Brown overpitches. This is only Lamb’s second innings against Australia – the first was a two-ball duck in the reverse series – but she has made an assured start.
03:03 PM BST
OVER 6: ENG 19/0 (Lamb 5 Beaumont 9)
A rare bad ball from Garth, a wide, swinging half-volley, is clouted to the cover boundary by Beaumont. That’s the first boundary of the innings, at least on the scorecard.
Beaumont tries to cut the next ball and is beaten by a bit of low bounce. I’m not sure the length was right for the shot anyway.
02:59 PM BST
OVER 5: ENG 15/0 (Lamb 5 Beaumont 5)
Dropped! Beaumont edges a beauty from Brown to the right of second slip, where Phoebe Litchfield puts down an extremely difficult chance low to her right. It only just carried. This is s sharp spell from Brown, whose pace is in the low 70s.
02:54 PM BST
OVER 4: ENG 13/0 (Lamb 4 Beaumont 4)
Garth continues to dangle the ball outside off stump, challenging Lamb to go after it. She doesn’t, but when Garth tightens her line Lamb drives a single to mid-off. It’s an interesting tactical battle.
02:50 PM BST
OVER 3: ENG 12/0 (Lamb 3 Beaumont 4)
Oof. Beaumont is beaten by a jaffa from Brown that moves away late. She tickles four to fine leg later in the over, though they are given as leg byes.
Australia are trying to tempt England to chase the new ball outside off stump. So far Lamb and Beaumont have waited for the ball to come to them before they play an attacking stroke.
02:46 PM BST
OVER 2: ENG 6/0 (Lamb 3 Beaumont 2)
Kim Garth, more accurate than Brown but not as quick, shares the new ball. Her fourth ball is an off-side wide but everything else is in the corridor of uncertainty. Lamb isn’t interested in taking risks at this stage.
02:43 PM BST
From Fiona Tomas at Trent Bridge
England will need a marathon batting effort if they are to stay in this Test – and indeed the series. They’ve talked up the entertaining style they want to play, but now they have to back that up. It’s worth mentioning that Tammy Beaumont retired on 201 from 238 balls in England’s warm-up against Australia A last week, so there’s reason to be optimistic.
02:42 PM BST
OVER 1: ENG 3/0 (Lamb 1 Beaumont 2)
The speedy Darcie Brown, 20, takes the new ball. Lamb works a single off the pads, then Beaumont times her first ball through the covers for two. That’s a nice positive start.
Brown is getting a hint of swing, bowling an attacking full length, and Beaumont survives an appeal for caught behind after missing an expansive drive. The noise was bat on ground rather than ball.
02:37 PM BST
Here come the players
Tammy Beaumont and Emma Lamb will open the batting for England. They promised to go hard at the Australian bowlers, and they certainly did so in the warm-up games. This is the real quiz.
02:30 PM BST
Ecclestone leads England off the field
And quite right too. She finishes with 46.2-9-129-5. I think that’s the first Test five-for by an England spinner since Laura Harper against India in 2005, though I’m not 100 per cent sure.
Lauren Filer was the pick of the quicks, bowling better than figures of 22-1-99-2 suggest.
02:30 PM BST
Wicket!
Brown ct and b Ecclestone 5 That’ll do. Sophie Ecclestone completes a deserved maiden five-for with a sharp return catch off Darcie Brown. Sutherland ends unbeaten on 137, a quite brilliant innings that helped Australia add 235 from the last four wickets. FOW: 473 all out
02:27 PM BST
OVER 124: AUS 472/9 (Sutherland 136 Brown 5)
Cross off, Filer on, and Brown is beaten first up. But she gets in line immaculately to the second ball, driving it to wide long off for an all-run four. Dunkley did very well to save the boundary, if not any actual runs.
02:22 PM BST
OVER 123: AUS 469/9 (Sutherland 136 Brown 1)
Ecclestone doesn’t have a Test five-for (her best figures are 4/88 against India in 2021) so she’ll be especially keen to pick up the last wicket. She isn’t thrilled when an overthrow allows Sutherland to keep strike, and she’s even less amused when Sutherland launches the last ball into the crowd at midwicket. That’s the second six of the innings, and it was some shot.
02:18 PM BST
OVER 122: AUS 460/9 (Sutherland 128 Brown 1)
Sutherland chips Cross just short of Dunkley at deep backward square. She’s happy to take singles, even with the No11 Darcie Brown at the crease. Brown gets off the mark before playing and missing outside off stump.
02:15 PM BST
OVER 121: AUS 457/9 (Sutherland 126 Brown 0)
That partnership was only 12 short of the highest ninth-wicket stand in a women’s Test, a record that has stood for 51 years.
02:12 PM BST
Wicket!
Garth LBW b Ecclestone 22
Sophie Ecclestone finally ends an irksome ninth-wicket partnership. Kim Garth pushed outside the line of a classic arm ball that hit her on the back leg. She reviewed, simply because Australia had three left, but it was plumb. Garth made a slow, selfless 22 in a partnership of 95 with Sutherland. FOW: 457/9
https://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=8;filter=advanced;orderby=fow_score;partnership_wicketmax1=9;partnership_wicketmin1=9;partnership_wicketval1=partnership_wicket;template=results;type=fow;view=innings
02:08 PM BST
OVER 120: AUS 452/8 (Sutherland 121 Garth 22)
The silver lining for England is that this pitch is still very good, so there’s no reason they can’t go big in their first innings.
Sutherland is dropped down the leg side by Jones, another sharp chance standing up to the stumps. She tried to pull Cross and gloved it down the leg side. Jones got into position smartly but couldn’t hold on.
02:05 PM BST
OVER 118: AUS 449/8 (Sutherland 118 Garth 22)
Garth laps Ecclestone for four, a premeditated stroke and a good one. Australia have played Ecclestone well this morning; her second day figures are 13-3-44-0. England look really flat.
02:01 PM BST
OVER 117: AUS 444/8 (Sutherland 117 Garth 18)
A loose delivery from Cross is back cut for four by Garth, the first boundary of the afternoon session. When Sutherland reached her century, Garth has made 2 from 33 balls. Since then she’s added another 16 from 33.
01:57 PM BST
OVER 117: AUS 439/8 (Sutherland 116 Garth 14)
It’s Ecclestone to Garth at the other end. Six dot balls = you know what. Australia are in no hurry. There is so much time left in this game and theywant to keep England out there for as long possible.
01:54 PM BST
OVER 116: AUS 439/8 (Sutherland 116 Garth 14)
Kate Cross starts with a very defensive field for Sutherland, just a gully catching. Sutherland is happy to play herself back in after lunch; thus, it’s a maiden.
01:51 PM BST
Time for the afternoon session
If you’ll excuse a statement of the offensively obvious, England really can’t afford two bad sessions in a row.
01:46 PM BST
The centurion speaks
01:17 PM BST
Fiona Tomas’s lunchtime verdict
It’s been a very dominant morning session from Australia, who have registered 111 runs with the loss of just the one wicket. Annabel Sutherland has created her own slice of history with the fastest recorded Test hundred by an Australian woman. The atmosphere around Trent Bridge is a bit subdued. You feel the crowd have picked up on how problematic this could be for England. Will Australia declare? Sutherland’s on such a roll she might go all day at this rate. Alyssa Healy chose to bat first and this is exactly what she would have wanted.
01:14 PM BST
Lunch
That was a difficult morning for England. Annabel Sutherland made a high-class maiden Test century – I can barely remember a false stroke – and had good support from Alana King (21) and the debutant Kim Garth (14 not out from 56 balls).
England did not bowl badly, but they did look a little tired after their exertions yesterday. And to be fair, this was always going to be a deceptively difficult clean-up job. Sutherland, who opened against England A last week, is a No8 in name only.
01:12 PM BST
OVER 115: AUS 439/8 (Sutherland 116 Garth 14)
The last over of the morning, bowled by a weary Sophie Ecclestone, passes without incident. That’s lunch.
01:08 PM BST
OVER 114: AUS 439/8 (Sutherland 116 Garth 14)
Filer pushes Garth back with a couple of short balls and then spears in a full, straight delivery looking for LBW. It’s a bit too straight and would have missed leg stump.
Sutherland tries to hook Filer, is beaten for pace and top-edges the ball over the slips for four. It fooled the cameraman too, who was straight off to deep midwicket. Although it’s been a frustrating morning, Filer and England should take huge encouragement from how much she has hurried the Australian batters – even one who is 116 not out.
01:04 PM BST
OVER 113: AUS 434/8 (Sutherland 112 Garth 14)
Garth started very watchfully, but since Sutherland reached three figures she has started to play a few strokes. Australia’s lower order have played with such clarity this morning, it’s extremely impressive.
01:03 PM BST
A bit of news from the men’s Ashes
England have called up 18-year-old legspinner Rehan Ahmed as cover for Moeen Ali ahead of Lord’s Test. Now that, folks, is how you double down.
Read more…
01:00 PM BST
OVER 112: AUS 429/8 (Sutherland 111 Garth 10)
At 148 balls, Sutherland’s hundred is the fastest by an Australian in a women’s Test, beating Jill Kennare (156) against England in 1984. That’s a bit of a surprise, and a reflection of how little Test cricket this team have played. If they were playing even 2-3 Tests a year, you could see somebody like Alyssa Healy belting a century in 90 balls.
That’s not to denigrate Sutherland, who has paced her innings perfectly: the first took 100 balls as she helped Australia rebuild from 238/6, the second came in just 48 deliveries.
12:56 PM BST
More from Fiona at Trent Bridge
Annabel Sutherland brings up her first hundred of her Test career and the first of this Women’s Ashes. It’s been a sensational performance from the 21-year-old all-rounder. England need to find some answers and jazz up their attack or this could go pear-shaped. They’ve looked leggy out there under this overcast weather.
12:56 PM BST
OVER 110: AUS 421/8 (Sutherland 111 Garth 9)
Garth gets his first boundary in Test cricket, dragging a sweep off Ecclestone through square leg. As Fiona says, Ecclestone hasn’t been quite as threatening this morning. She said she felt okay physically before play so maybe it’s more mental fatigue.
12:53 PM BST
Fiona Tomas at Trent Bridge
We’re seeing less turn from Sophie Ecclestone today. England’s spin queen bowled 31 overs out of the 85 we had yesterday. We’re only day two into the first ever five-day women’s Test in this country – there’s still a long way to go. You wonder realistically how much England can afford to rely on her, but if anyone’s energy reserves can go the distance you feel Ecclestone’s can.
12:52 PM BST
OVER 109: AUS 415/8 (Sutherland 108 Garth 2)
Sutherland helps herself to another boundary off Filer – and then a third with a slash over Knight at slip. That could easily have gone to hand, but Sutherland has earned a bit of luck.
That also brings up the fifty partnership with Garth, who is two not out. Not quite the most one-sided fifty partnership we’ve ever seen. Once upon a time in a match between Glamorgan and Essex, the great Javed Miandad added 50 with Robin Hobbs, who was out first ball.
12:50 PM BST
A CENTURY FOR ANNABEL SUTHERLAND!
What a marvellous innings this has been. She flicks Lauren Flier’s first ball to the midwicket boundary to reach her first century in international cricket at the age of 21. It’s been an immaculate innings really: 148 balls, 12 fours. As a few of the commentators have noted, she plays so straight.
12:47 PM BST
OVER 109: AUS 403/8 (Sutherland 96 Garth 2)
There’s a run-out referral, the third of the morning, when Ecclestone touches a Sutherland drive onto the stumps, but again Kim Garth was backing up carefully.
Sutherland moves into the nineties with a superbly placed drive off Ecclestone that beat mid-off and the cover sweeper. This has been a near flawless innings, so composed for a 21-year-old, and a clip for three takes her to 96.
12:42 PM BST
OVER 108: AUS 396/8 (Sutherland 89 Garth 2)
Another excellent over from Cross, stump and stump with unyielding accuracy. But Garth is looking very secure for a Nol0, and so far it has undoubtedly been Australia’s morning
12:39 PM BST
OVER 107: AUS 395/8 (Sutherland 88 Garth 2)
Sutherland drives Ecclestone for a single to long on, Garth defends the rest of the over. Rinse and repeat.
12:36 PM BST
Fifty years ago today…
12:34 PM BST
OVER 106: AUS 394/8 (Sutherland 87 Garth 2)
Lauren Bell off, Kate Cross on. England’s tactics this morning have felt a little formulaic. They haven’t played badly, but there has been a slight lack of urgency.
Cross has an LBW appeal turned down against Garth. Probably missing leg, umpire’s call at best, and Heather Knight decides not review. A fine comeback over from Cross ends with Garth playing and missing outside off.
12:30 PM BST
OVER 105: AUS 393/8 (Sutherland 86 Garth 2)
Sutherland sweeps Ecclestone round the corner for four and then takes a single to move within 14 runs of a memorable and extremely assured century. It would be only the third by a lower-order batter (Nos8-11) in a women’s Test and the first this century.
The debutant Garth continues to play a selfless supporting role. She has 2 from 21 balls, Sutherland 86 from 135. It might be time for another burst from Lauren Filer before lunch because this is threatening to get away from England.
12:27 PM BST
OVER 104: AUS 388/8 (Sutherland 81 Garth 2)
Sutherland is dropped by Jones down the leg side, a very difficult catch standing up to the stumps for Bell. It was barely a chance, in truth, although Jones’ standards are so high that she’ll probably be frustrated with herself.
12:23 PM BST
From Fiona Tomas at Trent Bridge
Annabel Sutherland, who is the the first No8 batter to make a half-century for AustraliaWwomen in a Test match since Karen Brown against New Zealand at Hagley Oval in 1990, is putting up quite the resistance. The tourists are certainly showing their strength and depth in their lower order and you wonder whether England will be able to replicate this sort of finish. Australia edging up to the 400 mark.
12:22 PM BST
OVER 103: AUS 385/8 (Sutherland 78 Garth 2)
Sutherland is taking all the runs on offer, trusting Garth’s defence. That might change if she’s there with the No11 Darcie Brown and has a century in sight. One run from Ecclestone’s over.
12:19 PM BST
OVER 102: AUS 384/8 (Sutherland 77 Garth 2)
Sutherland races into the seventies by taking nine runs off three deliveries from Bell. Garth survives an LBW appeal – and an England review – after pushing around an inswinger. It would have missed leg stump so England lose a review; they have two left.
Garth gets her first Test runs from her 14th delivery, driven pleasantly through extra cover for two.
12:13 PM BST
OVER 101: AUS 373/8 (Sutherland 68 Garth 0)
Garth is equally watchful against Ecclestone after the drinks break. Australia are in no hurry here; nor should they be now that’s a five-day Test.
12:07 PM BST
OVER 100: AUS 372/8 (Sutherland 67 Garth 0)
Kim Garth, who made her Ireland debut aged 14, has put on the Baggy Green for the first time at the age of 27. She defends her first five deliveries from Lauren Bell, and that’s drinks.
12:06 PM BST
Fiona Tomas at Trent Bridge
It took an age for England to ask for a review of Jess Jonassen’s glove yesterday afternoon, which ultimately kick-started Sophie Ecclestone’s golden wicket haul. England are already acting more decisively with their appeals today.
12:03 PM BST
OVER 99: AUS 372/8 (Sutherland 67 Garth 0)
Sutherland sweeps Ecclestone over square leg for four, the first time we’ve seen that shot in this match, and then works a couple to deep midwicket.
Ecclestone slows the ball down to take the edge as Sutherland pushes forward, but the ball goes wide of Knight at slip.
The debutant Garth survives a run-out referral at the non-striker’s end before facing a ball. Sutherland drove the ball back at Ecclestone, who knocked it onto the stumps. Garth’s bat was in the air for a while but she had it grounded when it matters.
11:59 AM BST
OVER 98: AUS 362/8 (Sutherland 59 Garth 0)
That was the last ball of the over.
11:55 AM BST
Wicket!!!
King b Bell 21 Got her! Lauren Bell, back in the attack in place of Filer, bowls King with a lovely inswinger. King went for a big drive but the ball swung back through the gate to hit the top of off and middle. There might have been a slight inside edge as well. England needed that; so did Lauren Bell. FOW: 362/8
11:51 AM BST
Watch Annabel Sutherland reach her maiden fifty
11:50 AM BST
OVER 97: AUS 359/7 (Sutherland 56 King 21)
King, a natural aggressor, looks unsure whether to stick or twist against Ecclestone. She’s propping and cocking, as Sir Geoffrey would say, and gets a thick edge onto the pad that drops in front of Beaumont at short leg.
A very good maiden from Ecclestone, who has picked up where she left off last night.
11:48 AM BST
OVER 96: AUS 359/7 (Sutherland 56 King 21)
Sutherland is beaten by another beauty from Filer, fullish in length and snapping off the seam. Filer’s figures don’t look amazing (18-1-76-2) but her pace and wicket-taking threat have been a revelation.
In other news, Mark Butcher and Mel Jones are on commentary, and I’d happily listen to them talk all day long about absolutely anything. They are both so good.
11:44 AM BST
OVER 95: AUS 357/7 (Sutherland 54 King 21)
Sophie Ecclestone, on for Kate Cross, almost strikes with her fourth ball. King plays around a delivery that skids on to hit the pad in front of leg stump. Anna Harris gives it not out but England review with confidence. It was very close, but it’s umpire’s call so King survives.
11:37 AM BST
OVER 94: AUS 354/7 (Sutherland 51 King 21)
Filer beats Sutherland for pace outside off stump with another good delivery. Sutherlands responds with a classy punch for two that brings up a fine half-century: 100 balls, 7×4. It’s her first in international cricket at the age of 21, and on this evidence there will be plenty more. She’s an offensively good No8.
11:34 AM BST
OVER 93: AUS 351/7 (Sutherland 48 King 21)
Cross is having a chat with the umpire Anna Harris about the ball, but it won’t be changed yet. Apparently they had the wrong batch of balls yesterday evening which, as Isa Guha says on Sky, is unacceptable for an Ashes Test.
It’s been a pretty good spell from Cross this morning, but she hasn’t been able to make a much-needed breakthrough.
11:28 AM BST
OVER 92: AUS 350/7 (Sutherland 47 King 21)
A short ball from Flier doesn’t get up and is pulled witheringly for four by King. That brings up the 350, which is a fine recovery from 238/6. England need to be careful this innings doesn’t get away from them.
11:24 AM BST
OVER 91: AUS 346/7 (Sutherland 47 King 17)
Cross beats Sutherland’s attempted drive with a classic outswinger. But Sutherland nails the shot later in the over, punching the ball beautifully down the ground for four. She’s three runs away from the first fifty of her fledgling international career. She did make a hundred against England A last week, while opening the batting, but that was an unofficial match.
11:20 AM BST
OVER 90: AUS 341/7 (Sutherland 43 King 16)
After a couple of overs from Lauren Bell, the pacy Lauren Filer comes into the attack. The camera cuts to the England coach Jon Lewis, who is meticulously extracting something from his left nostril. “Not the best camera angle…” deadpans Isa Guha on Sky.
Filer looks sharp straight away – around 75 mph – and she beats King’s attempted cut with a cracking delivery that seams and bounces from a length. A leg-stump full toss is whipped away for a single, with Bell doing well to save the boundary at long leg.
11:16 AM BST
OVER 89: AUS 340/7 (Sutherland 43 King 15)
Sutherland punches a couple of drives without piercing the field. The ball makes a lovely sound off her bat. It’s a tight over from Cross, the first maiden of the day.
11:11 AM BST
OVER 88: AUS 340/7 (Sutherland 43 King 15)
Too wide from Bell, and King cuts brusquely through the covers for four. This has been a good start for Australia. I know we keep saying it but their batting depth is really intimidating. Kim Garth, coming in next, made three white-ball fifties for Ireland before moving to Australia in 2020.
The bad ball aside, that was a much better over from Lauren Bell.
11:07 AM BST
OVER 87: AUS 335/7 (Sutherland 42 King 11)
Kate Cross, England’s attack leader, opens up at the other end. Her figures of 19-1-81-1 on the first day were a little unflattering, even if she wasn’t at her best.
Annabel Sutherland, who batted with calm authority last night, moves into the forties with a flick for two. She spoons the next ball on the leg side but it lands well short of midwicket.
11:03 AM BST
OVER 86: AUS 332/7 (Sutherland 39 King 11)
King gets the first runs of the day off from Bell’s third ball, slicing a drive wide of gully for four. This is a gamble from Heather Knight because Bell struggled for accuracy yesterday. Who would Sutherland and King least like to face first up? It has to be Lauren Filer.
10:58 AM BST
The players are on the field
It’s time for day of the Women’s Ashes. Lauren Bell – not Lauren Filer – will bowl the first over to Alana King.
10:50 AM BST
The Trent Bridge pitch
If England are to win this game, you’d think they’ll need a first-innings lead of at least 100.
10:47 AM BST
MCC wants soft balls and climate-friendly pitches to save cricket’s futre
This is a really interesting read from Tim Wigmore on cricket’s response to climate change and other crises.
Research into how technological advancements can progress bats, balls, pitches and other equipment is being planned through the new department, which could launch as early as this year. As well as ramping up innovation within the game, the new department will also seek partnerships with companies through a ‘Dragons’ Den’-style pitching process.
Read more…
10:33 AM BST
Sophie Ecclestone speaks to Sky Sports
I feel alright actually [after bowling 31 overs]. I’m ready to go! Trace and Debs, some of my golf mates, are here so I went to see them last night, it was really nice.
You can’t really prepare for bowling that many overs. I just love bowling. My action’s quite repeatable so I’m quite lucky really.
My spinning finger’s fine, yeah. The Dukes ball is more forgiving for my finger; the Kookaburra ball’s a bit different.
My plan’s a bit simple: just bowl my best ball over and over again. Being quite boring. I think we did quite well yesterday, getting seven wickets.
Variation in pace is massive for me, especially when the pitch isn’t doing much. I just want to take wickets; we need to take 20 if we want to win the game. If I go for four over midwicket it doesn’t bother me because it’s keeping me in the game.
I got a bit greedy at times yesterday, trying to target the inside and outside edge. [On Jess Jonassen’s dismissal] When it left my hand I thought it was too straight. I wasn’t sure whether she’d gloved it. I asked Tammy [Beaumont], ‘What do you think?’ She said, ‘Well I just caught the ball.’ I said, ‘Well that’s not helpful!’ I’m glad we went for the review.
[On Alyssa Healy’s dismissal] She goes pad-first quite early, especially to me, so I said to Heather that I’d bowl an arm-ball maybe second or third ball. I pulled it off quite well so I’m very happy with that. I went off on one; I went running.
I’m really hoping the seamers get the last three wickets this morning so I can have a sit down!
10:19 AM BST
Ellyse Perry on facing Lauren Filer
She bowls with great pace. She’s young and enthusiastic and that comes through with the way she bowls. She had so much energy. The biggest thing that stood out with her, in comparison to other bowlers, is that a length you’d normally be comfortable going back to really skidded on and stayed at stump height. She does hurry you a little bit. I thought it was so great facing her, it was a really good challenge all day.
10:12 AM BST
Fiona Tomas’s report of day one
With the sun peeking through the afternoon clouds and flashing off her disco-like blue sunglasses, Ecclestone had the aura of a rockstar as she strutted towards the crease, producing a double-wicket maiden to drag England back into a game that was running away from them.
Read more…
10:11 AM BST
Good morning
Hello and welcome to Telegraph Sport’s live coverage of day two of the Women’s Ashes Test at Trent Bridge. The first day was an intriguing slow burner, with Australia finishing on 328/7. Earlier they had been 202/2 and then 238/6, so both teams can claim a moral victory if they are so inclined.
Instinct suggests that Australia are slightly ahead on a very dry pitch – but only slightly, and if England wrap their innings up quickly this morning they will have the chance to make the most of the best batting conditions of the match.
That’s easier said than done. Australia’s tail only starts at 11, and Annabel Sutherland (who resumes on 39 not out), Alana King (7*) and the debutant Kim Garth are all very capable batters. The new ball is only five years old, so England may give it to their new X-factor: Lauren Filer, who was a revelation on her first day in international cricket.
Filer’s top speed was around 76 mph and, although she was understandably loose at times, she troubled all the Australian batters. Not only that, she picked up probably the two most important wickets: Beth Mooney and Ellyse Perry, who sliced to gully after making a stylish 99.
Filer caught the eye because we hadn’t seen her at this level. Sophie Ecclestone’s excellence has been taken for granted for years. The best left-arm spinners are artists, and watching Ecclestone’s subtle variations of pace, flight and line was a joy. Her quicker delivery bowled the Australian captain Alyssa Healy for a duck, and she produced a wonder ball to break the ominous third-wicket partnership between Perry and Tahlia McGrath.
Kate Cross and Lauren Bell found life more difficult, Bell in particular, so Filer should open the bowling with Cross this morning. We’ll soon find out.
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