Australia v England: day one of the Women’s Ashes Test match – live!

99th over: England 231-7 (Wilson 7, Shrusbole 0)

Oooooo… variation from Tahlia McGrath who, having bowled nothing but outswingers in this spell, gets one to come in. Wilson, out there long enough, is able to cover the movement enough to not only keep it out but also pick up a single on the leg side.

98th over: England 230-7 (Wilson 6, Shrubsole 0)

Picture-perfect forward-press-and-block from Shrubsole as Jonassen bags her seventh maiden.

97th over: England 230-7 (Wilson 8, Shrubsole 0)

Runs for Wilson, as she drives McGrath through cover. It was similar to Brunt’s shot, but Wilson played it late to keep the ball on the deck. A pressure situation, but Wilson relishes this kind of tussle. And with capable batsmen to come, now is the time to prove her worth to this side.

96th over: England 228-7 (Wilson 4, Shrubsole 0)

Jonassen keeps matters on a leash. Wilson, good against the spinners, particularly behind square, tries to sweep but can only glove down the leg side (and through the keeper’s legs) for a single.

Important point, this. Of course, we’ve seen players react late to the red ball, especially when it’s hit back at them in their follow-through, Perry was unmoved for most of the ball’s journey.

95th over: England 227-7 (Wilson 3, Shrubsole 0)

Have to say, the worst ball from that McGrath over was the one that snared Brunt. Shrubsole struggles to lay bat on ball as McGrath finds a bit of extra nip to move the ball away late. A second scalp for the South Australian on her debut.

Brunt doesn’t want to go. She might think it’s a bump ball (it’s not) or she might be stunned by how how bad a shot that was (very). Tahlia McGrath floats one up and Brunt tries to slap-shot it through the covers. She’s not quite to the pitch of the ball and skews it to Jonassen at backward point, who puts in a dive to her left for good measure.

94th over: England 227-7 (Wilson 3, Brunt 1)

Jonassen has a big LBW shout to Wilson. Strikes on the knee role, seemingly in front of middle. The umpire suggests it’s too high. Wilson’s about five-foot-nothing. Think England have got away with one, there…

93rd over: England 227-6 (Wilson 3, Brunt 1)

Right-arm seamer Tahlia McGrath replaces Megan Schutt, who has been frugal if not incisive. Just one from the over, as Healy stands up with a slip for company.

92nd over: England 226-6 (Wilson 3, Brunt 0)

Leg side trash, a beamer, ended up on her backside in her follow-through and then snares England’s crown jewell. No wonder Perry was laughing like that crazy pigeon lady from Home Alone 2 when she finished that over.

How’s your luck?! Perry, struggling with the first five balls of the over, gets the prized wicket of Sarah Taylor with a bit of blind (literally) luck. Taylor drives aerially back to the bowler, but she doesn’t pick the ball up until it’s close to her left hand. Perry spots it out of the corner of her eye and tightens her hand instinctly, deflecting it off her shoulder and into the air for a simple second chance.

91st over: England 222-5 (Taylor 29, Wilson 1)

Taylor’s pads get in on the act, tickling one fine and away for four. A single allows Schutt three balls at Fran Wilson. A well-timed clip through midwicket is stopped smartly by Nicole Bolton – one of the two covering that region – but a no ball gives Schutt a fourth at the debutant. A squarer dab on the leg side and Wilson is off the mark in Test cricket…

90th over: England 215-5 (Taylor 28, Wilson 0)

Fine over from Perry. She almost coerces Taylor into a mistake: sending one down with no away shape an almost sneaking through bat and pad, as Taylor gets a single into the on side. Fran Wilson faces her first ball in Test cricket… and leaves it outside off stump. Not a bad place to make your Ashes debut…

Ugly from Elwiss.. she picks up the length of a short-ish delivery from Perry, but in trying to play it around the corner, she loses her shape and top edges high to Megan Schutt, who starts level with the square leg umpire before taking a few steps in to take a simple catch. After all the graft, a grim misjudgement from England’s number four. In her 17th over, Perry has her first wicket.

89th over: England 213-4 (Elwiss 27, Taylor 26)

Close shout for LBW as Schutt catches Elwiss falling over to the off side. Luckily, she got forward enough in the first place, giving the umpire a good indication that it was going over the top.

88th over: England 212-4 (Elwiss 27, Taylor 25)

Perry continues after drinks, with two slips and a gully for Elwiss. The penultimate ball squares up the right-hander, angling into off stump and drawing the batsman forward, before seaming away and missing both edge and bail by a whisker. The final delivery gets the edge but squirts away through the cordon for Elwiss’ second boundary. Chuck a third grabber in there.

87th over: England 208-4 (Elwiss 23, Taylor 25)

A couple more to ST as Schutt’s prodiguous inswing is countered by an inside-out approach. If she can find one that holds its line or even nips away off the seam, she’d be in business. That’s drinks…

86th over: England 206-4 (Elwiss 23, Taylor 23)

Another boundary off Perry, followed by a single, takes Taylor to Elwiss’ score. No clearer indication of their differing approaches to the new ball.

85th over: England 201-4 (Elwiss 23, Taylor 18)

CLOSE! England and Elwiss have got away with one there. Taylor tips and runs to Rachael Hayes, straight to the Australian captain’s favoured left-hand. Elwiss is late (again) setting off and Haynes – one of the best fielders in the game – misses by a whisker. Elwiss not in the picture. Huge opportunity for Australia.

84th over: England 200-4 (Elwiss 23, Taylor 17)

What Taylor has done is put Elwiss at ease. The 26-year-old hasn’t really got one out of the screws this session but doesn’t have to do anything cavalier now that runs are flowing freely at the other end. Comfortable in defence to Perry, before finding a single into square leg to hand the mic back to Taylor.

83rd over: England 196-4 (Elwiss 21, Taylor 15)

Oh Sarah, that is just rude. Schutt starts one from, basically, in front of first slip and moves it in towards the toes. Taylor lines it up and clips it exquisitely through midwicket for four. Not long after that, Schutt moves over to the off side and is picked off with a drive through cover that gets the purists purring.

82nd over: England 188-4 (Elwiss 21, Taylor 7)

Ellyse Perry starts short and wide and Taylor crunches a cut shot in front of point for four. Unfortunately for Elwiss, by the time she gets the strike (one ball later), Perry’s sorted her act out and nearly draws an outside edge with a full delivery that moves away sharply.

81st over: England 183-4 (Elwiss 21, Taylor 2)

Right, if this new ball is going to do anything under lights, then Megan Schutt’s the one that’ll orchestrate it. Her 14-overs up to this point have only gone for 17 runs! Seven maidens in that, too. Two from the over, including an innocuous looking leg bye that nearly results in the run out of Elwiss! Nicole Bolton charges in from midwicket, throws down the stumps at the keeper’s end but Elwiss, slack in backing up, gets there with ease.

80th over: England 181-4 (Elwiss 20, Taylor 2)

A maiden take us to the new

cherry


nut
pitaya. Other alternative monikers for the pink ball are available, of course.

Good to have you with us Chris. Commentary is also available on the BBC website.

If you can sneak an extra window on your work screen, BT are streaming the whole Test on YouTube.

79th over: England 181-4 (Elwiss 20, Taylor 2)

Class from Taylor, who gets off the mark with a couple of nice inside-out drives into the covers. The big test is an over away…

78th over: England 177-4 (Elwiss 17, Taylor 0)

Australia loving this. Sarah Taylor out to bat during the Twilight period, with the new ball due. A difficult time for anyone to start their innings, even if you’re the sharpest talent in the game.

Going down leg? We can see all three stumps but the umpire’s happy to send Sciver on her way. She’s hanging back to Jonassen and is late to intercept a ball into her that goes on to strike the pad. Jonassen, who has bowled smartly, picks up her second.

77th over: England 176-3 (Elwiss 17, Sciver 18)

Another outing for the ‘Kayak’: for those just joining us, it’s a name England players have given to a paddle-sweep that Nat Sciver likes to play. It brings her four runs at the start of Wellington’s 16th over.

76th over: England 172-3 (Elwiss 17, Sciver 14)

A single apiece for Sciver and Elwiss, who are starting to play with a bit more authority. Mockers incoming, no doubt…

75th over: England 170-3 (Elwiss 16, Sciver 13)

A misjudgement at point allows Elwiss a couple after she thinks she’s flayed a short, wide delivery from Wellington straight to the fielder. A powerful sweep races away to the fielder behind square on the leg side. Megan Schutt and Ellyse Perry are starting to go through some light warm-ups. The new pink ball is just around the corner…

74th over: England 167-3 (Elwiss 13, Sciver 13)

Eeesh… Sciver’s got away with one there. She’s keen to hang back to Jonassen and, as a result, is beaten with a bit of skid off the pitch. A thin inside edge beats the stumps and runs away for a couple to fine leg. To be fair, it might have only been one for any other pair, but these two are sharp between the wickets.

73rd over: England 165-3 (Elwiss 13, Sciver 11)

Cracking delivery from Wellington – sharp spin past Elwiss’ outside edge as the number four bat presses forward and finds nothing but air.

72nd over: England 164-2 (Elwiss 12, Sciver 11)

Jonassen flights a couple up, enticing something uppish. Sciver and Elwiss, though, keep their urges in check and play it all under the eyes. Sciver even manages to pinch a couple, as Australia’s fielders give them too much room.

71st over: England 162-3 (Elwiss 12, Sciver 9)

The leg-spin of Amanda-Jade Wellington to continue on after a good go at the end of the second session. Elwiss off the mark in this period with a comfortable single.

70th over: England 161-3 (Elwiss 11, Sciver 9)

Back in play for the last session of the day. You can email in or get in touch over Twitter (details up top). Should be a thrilling finale to what has been an absorbing day’s play so far. Nat Sciver kicks us off with an extra cover drive that shocks Jess Jonassen so much that she goes on to deliver a ball straight to mid off! The natural light is fading fast and North Sydney is looking ominously beautiful, like the first chapter of a Cormac McCarthy novel.

69th over: England 157-3 (Elwiss 11, Sciver 5)

No runs off the bat, but a bit of extra movement into the right-hander beats Alyssa Healy on the leg side for a couple of byes. That takes us to the second and final intermission today. Solid from England, who picked up the pace to put on 94 in the middle session. But the loss of Tammy Beaumont (70) and Heather Knight (62) have kept Australia in this. Both looked in the mood for centuries but were undone by enforced misjudgements outside off stump and on leg stump respectively.

Right, back in 40-minutes!

68th over: England 155-3 (Elwiss 11, Sciver 5)

A second maiden in a row and 15 balls without a run for England. No dramas, though: the Dinner break – the 40-minute interlude – is an over away, by my calculations…

67th over: England 155-2 (Elwiss 11, Sciver 5)

Like this from Rachael Haynes. Schutt’s got a knack for picking up wickets, especially when batsmen have gone into their shells and she’s bang on the money as she returns to replace Wellington. Healy up, Schutt unneringly accurate and a sixth maiden to show for her efforts.

66th over: England 155-3 (Elwiss 11, Sciver 5)

Elwiss and Jonassen meet again, only this time Elwiss is able to push one away and scamper through for a single. That being said, she’s nearly done herself over when she doesn’t ground her bat and just banks on the fact that her feet will be beyond the crease before the ball threatens the stump as the throw comes in. Only just, though…

65th over: England 154-3 (Elwiss 10, Sciver 5)

Sciver off the mark with a paddle-sweep. “She calls that ‘the Kayak’,” laughs England legend Charlotte Edwards. Wellington drifts too far down the leg side and Sciver shovels it on the way to get off the mark, ninth ball, with four.

64th over: England 148-3 (Elwiss 9, Sciver 0)

Jonassen and Elwiss do the dot-ball dance. The left-arm spinner leads with a maiden.

63rd over: England 148-3 (Elwiss 9, Sciver 0)

A run from Elwiss, watchfulness from Sciver and a good set of six from AJ-Dubz. The leggie has been the most expensive of the Australian bowlers but she’s pegging back her economy rate now with some excellent control.

62nd over: England 147-3 (Elwiss 8, Sciver 0)

Elwiss is tetchy. Five dots against Jonassen are all mostly attempts to find something in the off side. Last ball, she finds one through backward point.

61st over: England 146-3 (Elwiss 7, Sciver 0)

The shadows are getting longer as the lights are switched on at the North Sydney Oval. Sciver dots out the last four balls of the over.

60th over: England 145-3 (Elwiss 6, Sciver 0)

Nat Sciver to the crease, then. Can’t wait to see how she goes here. A fine World Cup has led into a fairly tame start to this Ashes series. She’s not all smashy smashy: her Test debut – Perth, 2014 – saw her grind out a 49 that helped England to victory. She’s got time on her side in the short- and long-term. But Australia have kicked this up a gear and “Dinner” suddenly seems a long way away for the tourists…

About that sweep… Knight goes down again, sweeping on line rather than length. As such, she’s not able to fully commit to the shot and, set too early, can’t quite follow the ball as it pitches on leg and straightens enough for the umpire to raise the finger after it strike’s the out half of the England captain’s front pad.

59th over: England 145-2 (Knight 62, Elwiss 6)

These two bats exchange the strike and, for a moment, it looks like Knight has crunched one through the leg side, down on one knee on the sweep. Just one, mind, thanks to a strong hand from the fielder at square leg.

58th over: England 142-2 (Knight 60, Elwiss 5)

Jonassen and Elwiss duke it out between themselves. Elwiss, right-handed, is playing inside out to both these twirlers, who are taking the ball away from her. Outside edge in play, perhaps, but she’s middled every defensive shot so far.

57th over: England 142-2 (Knight 60, Elwiss 5)

Another leg-side “free hit”, this time Wellington’s the charitable bowler and Knight’s the recipient.

56th over: England 136-2 (Knight 55, Elwiss 4)

Just one from the over as Knight keeps Elwiss calm, who has come out looking for a single-a-ball, here.

55th over: England 135-2 (Knight 54, Elwiss 4)

If Georgia Elwiss could have ordered a ball to get off the mark this morning, it would have been a freebie outside leg stump, with one fielder behind square. A sweep helps it on the way, beyond Schutt at fine leg, for four.

54th over: England 130-2 (Knight 53, Elwiss 0)

Knight takes the entirety of this over, as Jonassen darts a few in. Single off the final ball. Georgia Elwiss is at the other end. Selection over Jenny has brought out the Gunn Nuts. She bowls a bit too, does Elwiss, and a place at number four further beefs-up a strong middle order.

53rd over: England 129-2 (Knight 51)

Excellent knock from Beaumont, who looked odds-on for three figures before that misjudgement. Credit to the bowler for enticing such an error. Into the England middle order we go.

A fine-innings comes to an end in an equally impressive way. Wellington drifts one into the right-hander and gets a bit of tweak away. Beaumont presses forward and tries to force one into the off side but only manages to edge to first slip where Alex Blackwell takes a tidy catch to her left.

52nd over: England 127-1 (Beaumont 69, Knight 51)

Well in, Heather Knight. A Test centurion already, she’s brought up an accomplished fifty off 67 balls. Six boundaries to help her get there.