By Aaryan Shah – Sports Writer
The Australian women’s cricket team are on their way to securing the Ashes after a comprehensive win in the only completed T20 match and a draw in the Test Match.
Australia started the test with a wobble losing Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney (who played the match with a broken jaw) and Ellyse Perry in quick succession. Despite some missed chances by the visitors, captain Meg Lanning (93) and vice-captain Rachel Haynes (86) put on a 169 run stand to give the hosts the ascendency with both still yet to reach triple figures in Test Cricket. Both then fell in quick succession before half centuries to Ashleigh Gardner and Tahlia McGrath saw England staring down the barrel of a 400 run deficit. For Australia 400 became wishful thinking as experienced pair Katherine Brunt (5-80) and Nat Sciver (3-41) removed all set Aussie batters as the hosts finished with 9-337 declared.
Just when you thought England had momentum going into their first innings tight bowling from Ellyse Perry, (3-57), Darcie Brown (1-39) and Annabel Sutherland (2-62) had England reeling at 5-118. The bleeding wouldn’t stop there with Tahlia McGrath and Ash Gardner reducing England to 8-169, with avoiding a follow on the only thing in their sights.
Heather Knight, the English captain, had other ideas. The first-drop batter blasted the Aussie bowlers to all parts in a rapid 168 not out. Sophie Ecclestone proved to everyone that she could bat as well, surviving 117 balls for her 34 in a 100 run stand for the ages. England were eventually dismissed for 297 only 40 runs in arrears of Australia’s first innings.
Both openers then crumbled in Australia’s response with Alyssa Healy recording a pair of ducks for the match. With no further play on day three it was anyone’s game on the final day. Beth Mooney was back to her best recording the only half century of the innings whilst 41 for Perry and a pair of 30s to Tahlia McGrath and Ash Gardner who recorded a run a ball 38 left England needing 256 from 48 overs.
This was going to be exciting with the game now switching to one day mode; a style of play more widely practiced in women’s international cricket. England knew the runs and knew the target, with the Ashes well and truly on the line there was only one way forward for England; to have the demeanour of the pocket rocket and rising star of Indian women’s cricket Shefali Verma on their minds.
The chase started right to the script of the visitors with Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Winfield-Hill’s putting on a 52 run stand. Once both departed a 54-ball 48 from Heather Knight, 62 ball 58 (which included 2 sixes) from all-rounder Nat Sciver and Sophia Dunkley’s Verma-like 45 from 32 got England within touching distance as the visitors got to 6-233 with only 23 runs required. However, England was once further in the box seat at 4-218. This was when it was make or break for Australia. England could’ve got the four points required to make every cricket fans dream come true: England in the lead in an Ashes series that could turn in a few moments. Unfortunately the only thing that can be said about the test is after being 4-218 only needing 256 for a record chase it was England’s game to lose and after finishing on 9-245 they certainly in the end clung on for dear life. Another instance where champion teams are made. Coming from a position of near certain defeat then almost snatching victory. The compelling argument of yesterday’s see-sawing one off Women’s Ashes test calls for two things; 5 day Tests and more of them! In the only other completed match of the Women’s Ashes so far, Tahlia McGrath made one of the best all-round contributions to a game of cricket you will ever see, taking 3 wickets and finishing with 91 not out as 70 from Danielle Wyatt and 169 from England was not enough as Australia reached the victory target with 9 wickets and 3 overs to spare.
In other news…
In Big Bash news, the Sydney Sixers have failed to pull off what looked like one of the most unlikely victories early. Jackson Bird, Nathan Lyon and Stephen O’Keefe all chipped in early to have the Perth Scorchers 4-25 after 6 overs. From there it was all one way traffic as Laurie Evans (76 not out off 41 balls 4×4 4×6) and Ashton Turner ( 54 off 39 4×4 1×6) put on 104 for the 5th wicket. The Scorchers finished on 6-171 playing the majority of their BBL 11 home fixtures at Marvel Stadium, the venue of the final.
With Henriques playing through injury, Phillipe still out of action and Daniel Hughes hobbling on one leg the Sixers batting line-up was no match for the might of Andrew Tye (3-15), Jason Behrendorff (1-12) and the entire Scorchers bowling attack, bundled out for 92 with Hughes’ 42 the only Sixers batting contribution of note. Despite finding gaps on numerous occasions the luckless batter only found the rope twice and cleared it once. The Scorchers running out winners by 79 runs becoming the most successful BBL teams with four titles in the process.
Aaryan Shah is a Sports Writer for The Pioneer Australia. He’s mad for Cricket and AFL, and is also an Australian representative at Boccia.
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