Women's Ashes: Three quick jolts to Australia keep hopes alive for England, Aussies lead by 167 runs (Day 4, Lunch)
Jun 25, 2023
Nottingham [UK], June 25 : Fiery spells by Lauren Filer and Kate Cross helped England deliver some heavy blows to Australia's top order, ending the first session of day four of a one-off Ashes Test in Nottingham on Sunday with hopes of winning the match alive.
At the end of the first session, Australia was at 157/3, with Beth Mooney (73*) and Jess Jonassen (4*) unbeaten.
Australia started the first session at 82/0, with Mooney (33*) and Phoebe Litchfield (46*) unbeaten at the crease.
The Aussie duo started rebuilding their innings, but the 99-run stand between them was over after Cross clean-bowled Litchfield for 46 off 73 balls, consisting of eight boundaries. Australia was 99/1.
Australia reached the 100-run mark in 24.2 overs.
Ellyse Perry, who was dismissed just one run short of the century last innings, joined Mooney on the crease and the duo took Australia's lead over 150 runs.
Filer gave Aussies the second blow, dismissing Perry for 25 off 65 balls, consisting of two fours after the ball found the inside edge of Perry's willow and hit the top of the off stump. Australia was 149/2 at that point.
Australia reached the 150-run mark in 44.1 overs.
Before the end of the first session, Filer also castled all-rounder Tahlia McGrath for just four. Australia was 151/3.
Mooney and Jonnassen took Aussies through the remainder of the session without any delay.
Earlier, Tammy Beaumont became the first England women cricketer to score a Test double century on day three of the only Women's Ashes Test against Australia in Nottingham.
At Stumps, Australia's score read 82/0, with visitors leading by 92 runs. Beth Mooney (33) and Phoebe Litchfield (41) were unbeaten at the crease when the stumps were drawn for the day.
Beaumont, who was unbeaten on 100 at stumps on day two, joined forces with Nat Sciver-Brunt early on day three to put Australia on the back foot. Before lunch, though, Australia came through with the wicket of Sciver-Brunt (78), as Ashleigh Gardner struck once more.
Beaumont, on the other hand, continued in full bloom, building on her outstanding form in the warm-up game against Australia A, where she hit another double ton.
Earlier, debutant Danni Wyatt kept her company, but as she fell for 44, Beaumont swiftly lost partners on the opposite end. She did, however, accomplish her double century a little earlier, becoming the first England woman to do so in Test cricket.
She broke Betty Snowball's 1935 record of 189 to capture the English record. This was also the eighth double century in Women's Tests, with Pakistan's Kiran Baluch topping the list with her 242 against the West Indies in 2004.
Beaumont was the last wicket to go as England lost their last five wickets in 52 runs, handing Australia a 10-run advantage. England was all out for 463 in their first innings in reply to Australia's score of 473 in their first innings.
The visitors added to their lead with an undefeated 82-run stand between Beth Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield on day three, which carried the team to stumps.
Brief score: Australia 473 & 157/3 (Beth Mooney 73*, Phoebe Litchfield 46; Lauren Filer 2/27) vs England 463 (Tammy Beaumont 208, Heather Knight 57, Ashleigh Gardner 4/99).