Match drawn as England finish 245-9 chasing a record 257 for victory against Australia; Nat Sciver hits half-century as tourists pushed hard for victory before late wickets put the home side on the brink of retaining the Women's Ashes; Australia lead the multi-format series 6-4
Sunday 30 January 2022 13:08, UK
The Women’s Ashes Test ended in a thrilling draw as both England and Australia came agonisingly close to forcing a win in a dramatic final session.
When Australia declared on 216-7, England were set a tempting but improbable 257 to win in 48 overs and despite a required rate that hovered around six an over throughout the final session, they took it on and even looked favourites with five overs to go.
Nat Sciver (58) and Heather Knight (48) set up the chase, which would have been a record in a Women's Test match, and Sophia Dunkley thumped 45 from 32 balls to put the tourists in the ascendancy.
Even once Dunkley was dismissed, England kept pushing for the win and it was only when they lost two wickets in two balls to slip to nine down, with 13 runs more needed, that they changed tact and batted out for the draw, ending on 245-9.
Australia had 13 balls to try and snatch victory in a game that appeared to be slipping away from them and retain the Ashes, but Kate Cross (1no) and Sophie Ecclestone (0no) survived to keep the series alive with the home side 6-4 up going into the three one-day internationals.
What became one of the most remarkable days of Test cricket in recent times, began with expectations of a bore draw. Australia were 52 runs ahead with eight wickets in hand and a partnership of 91 between Beth Mooney (63), playing less than two weeks after breaking her jaw in the nets, and Ellyse Perry (41) did little to alter those expectations.
Ecclestone (1-68) broke that stand with the wicket of Perry and Charlie Dean (2-24) removed Mooney just before lunch to claim her maiden Test wicket on debut.
Katherine Brunt (3-24) dismissed Meg Lanning (12) to raise England's hopes of bowling the Aussies out quickly in the afternoon session but it was not to be and the home side were able to bat on for much of the session before making the declaration.
Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Winfield-Hill took England to 23-0 at tea, leaving them needing to score in excess of five-and-a-half-an-over in the 42 overs in the evening session and with the latter struggling to get going, that quickly rose above six.
That was where it stayed for the majority of the session as Beaumont departed for a fluent 36 and Winfield-Hill (33) dismissed just as she had found some rhythm. Knight and Sciver took the baton and ran with it, comfortably keeping the score ticking over and never allowing the rate to get out of hand.
Knight, fresh from an unbeaten 168 in the first innings, was in excellent touch again but having been off the field for less than an hour in the entire match, as struggling with a lower back issue and twice required physio treatment.
Still, it came as a shock when she missed an attempted legside flick and was trapped lbw by Darcie Brown (1-18). A review was in vain and the 72-run third-wicket stand was broken.
Brown thought she had Dunkley next ball, another lbw given by the umpire but successfully reviewed by the England right-hander with ball-tracking showing it would have gone narrowly over the top.
It was a shaky start for Dunkley but once she had shrugged off within an over as she thumped Ashleigh Gardner back down the ground for four and then added another boundary in the following over, back over Brown's head.
That was just the start as, having seen Sciver go to a 48-ball fifty early in the over, Dunkley smashed Annabel Sutherland for back-to-back sixes with a pulled four off Alana King taking England to within 45 runs of victory with 10 overs left.
Australia's response was to go negative, Sutherland bowling around the wicket to the two right-handers and firing the ball down the legside twice before the umpire had a quiet word. The seamer tried it once more in her next over, drawing a quizzical look from Sciver but irking the set England batter worked as the next ball was pulled straight to Lanning at square leg.
Sutherland then had Amy Jones (4) caught in the deep as the game tightened once more, only for Dunkley to respond by swatting the bowler for four through extra cover later in the over.
It proved to be her last telling blow as a fantastic innings came to an end a few balls later, a slightly mistimed shot over the top carrying to Mooney, who took a fine catch running in from long on.
Pressure was mounting on England and Sutherland struck again to make it four wickets in five overs when Brunt (4) edged a short ball behind, but still the visitors had the edge.
Anya Shrubsole and Dean appeared to have settled things down with some smart cricket and good running to take it down to 13 needed from 15 balls with three wickets in hand. However, the game took another twist when Shrubsole (6) was run out after being called through for a very risky single by Dean (3), who then top-edged a sweep off King next ball and was caught.
England had lost 6-26 in 5.2 overs and suddenly it was Australia in with a chance of a victory that would have seen them retain the Ashes.
Perhaps wary that both Cross and Ecclestone are more than capable with the bat, and with so few runs to play with, Lanning kept the field spread, even as Cross blocked the first two balls of the penultimate over and Sutherland then drew a play and miss.
The field was eventually brought up and by the end of the final over by King, Cross was surrounded. She kept the leg-spinner at bay though to guarantee the four points were shared. The only Test of the series ending in a draw, as most had expected going into the last day, albeit in a far more extraordinary way than anyone could have envisaged.
England captain Heather Knight: "First of all, what a brilliant Test match from both teams! We've gone toe-to-toe with the Australians, we've fought over four days and I don't think it deserves a draw in the end. Delighted with the way the girls fought and the fact that we went for it is really pleasing.
"A word for Katherine [Brunt], if this is her last Test match, what a performance she has put it: the way she bowled, the way she fought, she's a great warrior. I'm really pleased with the fact we got close."
Australia captain Meg Lanning: "Oh, wow, still quite know what quite happened in that last hour. England batted extremely well, but to fight back. I'm extremely proud of the group. That's the great thing, we aren't relying on one or two players, that says a lot for the pathway programs. Annabel Sutherland was outstanding. I need a rest after that. It's a great series, two great sides."
The Women's Ashes series will now be decided by the three one-day internationals. The first takes place in Canberra on February 3 before the final two are held at Junction Oval in Melbourne on February 6 and 8 respectively. Victory in a one-day international is worth two points, while the sides will pick up a point apiece in the event of a tie or no result.
The series-concluding fifth men's T20 international between West Indies and England takes place in Barbados on Sunday (8pm UK time).
England's men's Test team return to action in March - also against the West Indies. The three-match series starts in Antigua (March 8-12) followed by fixtures in Barbados (March 16-20) and Grenada (March 24-28).
