- Australia Women fight back after fifties from Beaumont, Knight
SYDNEY: Australia Women fought back on day one of the inaugural Ashes day-night Test match after fifties from Tammy Beaumont and Heather Knight helped England reach 235-7 at the close of play at the North Sydney Oval.
Trailing 4-2 in the multi-format series after the ODIs, the tourists built a good platform, reaching 177-3 thanks to a 104-run partnership between Beaumont and captain Knight. But Australia, who can retain the Ashes with victory, fought back with four wickets, including the scalps of Nat Sciver and Sarah Taylor, under the lights in the final session to leave the only Test in the balance.
After winning the toss and electing bat, England, who handed debuts to Sophie Ecclestone and Fran Wilson, lost Lauren Winfield (4) cheaply after she chased a wide delivery from debutant Tahlia McGrath (2-35) and Nicole Bolton did the rest, taking an excellent one-handed catch at short cover.
The wicket brought the skipper Knight (62) to the crease to join Beaumont (70) and the pair made batting look easy, with both players going past 50 after lunch. However, neither were able to go on to three figures and with the day seemingly drifting away from Australia, Amanda-Jade Wellington (1-56), also on her debut, returned to make the crucial breakthrough, enticing Beaumont into edging to Alex Blackwell at slip.
A disappointed Knight soon followed, missing an attempted sweep before being struck on the pad and dismissed lbw by Jess Jonassen (2-52) to a delivery that looked like it could be sliding down the leg side. Georgia Elwiss and Sciver guided the tourists to the dinner break but Australia’s fightback continued under the lights in the final session.
Jonassen trapped Sciver (18) in front just before the new ball before Elwiss’s 95-ball stay for 27 was ended when she top-edged a Ellyse Perry (2-48) bouncer to Megan Schutt. Sarah Taylor looked in good touch for her 29 until her innings was cut short thanks to a bit of good fortune for Perry. England’s wicket-keeper slapped the ball straight back at the bowler, and the ball hit Perry before popping up for her to take an easy catch.
The momentum was now back with the hosts as McGrath returned to pick up the wicket of Katherine Brunt, Fran Wilson and Anya Shrubsole held firm to see their side to the close. All-rounder Perry, Jonassen and McGrath all finished with two wickets, giving the Aussies hope of finishing off the England tail quickly before the tourists can edge their first-innings total up towards 300.