Tammy
Beaumont and Heather Knight put on a century stand for the second wicket but
thereafter nobody else could amass more than 29 runs. Once the floodlights came
on, Megan Schutt and Ellyse Perry made life more difficult, and when Perry induced
a caught-and-bowled from Sarah Taylor, they must have scented blood. The
following morning, Shrubsole and Marsh did their best to advance the score past
the psychologically important mark of 300 but their side could muster only 280.
In reply, England’s
attack began well. Laura Marsh and teenage debutante spinner Sophia Ecclestone
claimed the top three batters, before Shrubsole had Villiani brilliantly caught
by Taylor. 95-4, after 56 overs, and things were looking up. However, Ellyse
Perry was watchful at the other end. When joined by Haynes, the runs began to
flow more easily. Alyssa Healy upped the scoring rate even more and put on 102
for the sixth wicket with Perry who was playing beautifully.
The third day
saw the all-rounder reach three figures. Amazingly it was her first international
century in any format after more than 170 attempts. But she didn’t stop there.
By stumps, she had progressed to a superb 213 not out, the third highest individual
Test score in history. More importantly, the Aussies declared on an unbeatable
448-9. Facing 17 awkward overs in the lights, Winfield and Beaumont
successfully held on intact. However they faced a mountain on the final day to
avoid a defeat which would cost them the Ashes before the Twenty20 games had
even started.
So full
credit to England for digging in throughout the day. It can’t have been much of
a spectacle for the North Sydney Oval crowd but the top four displayed
diligence that the men’s team would do well to repeat when the situation
demands it. Newbies McGrath and Wellington nabbed an opener apiece, but Heather
Knight, passing 70 for the second time in the match, led from the front. On
206-2, she shook hands with her opposite number and it was honours even.
With a
four-point margin, the Ashes are still up for grabs. However, England must win
all three of the T20 fixtures to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Anything’s
possible in the biff-bang stuff but I can’t help feeling that Australia will
manage at least one win and hold the women’s trophy for another two years. With
Ellyse Perry in this form, who would bet against?
