With honours even after a back-and-forth opening day in the first Women’s Ashes Test, both Australia and England will look to push ahead on Day 2. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 2:30pm (AEDT).
England crawled their way through the opening day’s play, but the top order more or less did their job. At one point, they sat 2 for 119, but struggled following the departures of Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight.
While Georgia Elwiss, Natalie Sciver and Sarah Taylor all got starts, wickets fell at regular intervals and a lack of positivity hurt the tourists as they went to stumps a disappointing 7 for 235.
Even if they might have taken that score before the start of play, after looking to start building the run rate, it was a frustrating second half of the day.
Full credit has to go to the Australian bowlers though, who toiled hard on a North Sydney Oval pitch which provided little.
Ellyse Perry and Megan Schutt were good first up, but it was the spinners – Jess Jonassen and Amanda-Jade Wellington – who really applied the squeeze during the second half of the day. They bowled a majority of the second session, getting through 49 of the day’s overs between them.
Jonassen was particularly good, bowling 31 overs and ending with figures of 2 for 52. She will be key early on Day 2 as Australia try to rip through the tail.
What we did see was a pitch that, even if not providing much, had inconsistent bounce. There were enough balls keeping low during the day to give the batters plenty to think about. That’s only going to become more prominent as the pitch wears, make scoring tougher.
Today’s first hour is critical. Australia need to be batting by the end of it, building a total before the night session. England will be looking to get through that hour, while keeping the scoreboard ticking over.
If the swing Schutt was able to get is anything to go by, then Anya Shrubsole is going to be deadly under lights for the tourists.
Day 2 prediction
Australia should knock over the English tail pretty cheaply, then need to make hay while the sun shines, hang around during the night session, and start building a lead.
England have some good swing bowlers though and that’s going to be easier said than done. I suspect the hosts might be on a similar score to England by the end of the day.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of Day 2 at North Sydney Oval from 2:30pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment below.
Andrew Costi
Roar Rookie
Scott Pryde
Expert
Right then, that'll do it here on The Roar for our live coverage of the second day of the Women's Ashes Test as Australia and England head into tomorrow with the match still delicately poised. Hopefully you enjoyed the coverage. That wraps up my involvement in this Test. The third day's play will be live from 2:30pm (AEDT) with Andrew Costi tomomrrow, then Dylan Carmody will on for Day 4 from the same time. I'm live at 8pm (AEDT) tomorrow night with Australia and Lebanon in the Rugby League World Cup, and the Women's Ashes T20's start next Friday evening. Then, the men's Ashes start on Thursday, November 23! Bye for now.
Scott Pryde
Expert
ENGLAND BOWLING - 1ST INNINGS
Scott Pryde
Expert
AUSTRALIAN 1ST INNINGS BATTING SCORECARD
TOTAL: 5/177 (85)
Australia trail by 103 runs.Scott Pryde
Expert
AUSTRALIAN BOWLING - 1ST INNINGS Wickets reasonably evenly spread around. Great work from Jess Jonassen yesterday and then Megan Schutt and Ellyse Perry today.
Scott Pryde
Expert
ENGLAND 1ST INNINGS BATTING SCORECARD England ended up all out for 280 at the end of their innings. Most of the damage was done up top, the final three wickets falling for 45 in 16 overs at the start of Day 2.
TOTAL: 10/280 (116)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Australia trail by 103 runs with 5 wickets in hand at stumps on Day 2. Scorecards from the match so far to come.
Scott Pryde
Expert
STUMPS ON DAY 2 Brunt attacks the pads of Perry, but she flicks it into the leg side. It won't clear the field, but it simply doesn't matter because Australia have survived to stumps five down. This has been a classy knock from Perry who goes to stumps on 70. Healy has done her job to get there, but Australia will be still disappointed with some cheap dismissals, including that of Rachael Haynes with the second new ball, just a few overs from stumps. Australia need to be more positive tomorrow. England have bowled well, but on a pitch providing nothing, this match is meandering long and could be headed for a draw if Australia don't get going tomorrow. Of course, England could also wrap up the tail quickly, and that will be the plan with what is still a relatively new ball. Australia 5/177 (85)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Brunt goes just a fraction fuller this time, into the middle stump line and Perry is forward with a very solid defensive shot. Lovely technique. It should be the final ball of the day coming up. Australia 5/177 (84.5)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Back of a length from Brunt, no swing on that and Perry is able to just defend off the back foot with a push to cover. Australia 5/177 (84.4)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Perry defends the second ball of this over outside off, then ducks under a bouncer that would have been lucky to clear her knee roll outside the off stump. Australia 5/177 (84.3)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Brunt to continue. Healy on strike. The ball goes across the body of Healy and she works it into the leg side for a single to get off the mark. Australia 5/177 (84.1)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Perry leaves the last one alone outside the off stump back of a length and it goes through to the keeper. This should be the final over coming up. Brunt to bowl it. Australia 5/176 (84)
Scott Pryde
Expert
FOUR Lovely shot! Bang! Full, wide - that was over pitched in fact with Shrubsole trying to over correct - and Perry smacks it away through the covers for another boundary. Australia 5/176 (83.5)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Perry up to 66. She defends one, then is able to go on the back foot and defend easily. Shrubsole not making the Australian batters work for this at the moment. Australia 5/172 (83.4)
Scott Pryde
Expert
FOUR Too short, back of a length and Perry has smacked it off the back foot. Lovely shot, opening the face and it runs away to the backward point boundary. Australia 5/172 (83.2)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Shrubsole to continue. She needs to bowl fuller and does so here. Punch down the ground from Perry and then a mix up from the batters. They get away with it though thanks to a misfield, scrambling back. Australia 5/168 (83.1)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Not the greatest finish to the over from Brunt. Healy defends one, then is able to leave one alone as Brunt swings it away down the leg side. Maybe two overs to go. Australia 5/168 (83)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Straight up and down from Brunt here on the fourth stump line. Healy hits the drive solidly to mid off, but won't beat the fielder there. The next is into the pads and that's dangerous - flicked to mid wicket though. Australia 5/168 (82.4)
Scott Pryde
Expert
Brunt to continue at Healy. Imperative that Healy and Perry get to stumps here. The first is left outside off stump, then the second is a little wider and left alone again. The ball bouncing its way through to Taylor. Australia 5/168 (82.2)