Australia v England: Women’s Ashes Test match day four – live!
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24th over: England 53-0 (Winfield 17, Beaumont 31)
Winfield keeps it ticking over, flicking Wellington through midwicket for a couple early in the over. Not a lot going on out there at the moment. “You could play a timeless Test on this pitch and it wouldn’t start going along the ground until day 18,” quips Jim Maxwell on TMS. Correctly. “It is very hard to make something happen on a surface like this. You are relying on a mistake from the batsman. It would be lucky to bounce above bail height if you banged it in short.”
LadiesWhoLegspin (@LadiesWhoLeague)
Today Ellyse Perry made 213*. She also bowled a spell. She also stayed back and signed autographs and took photos with everyone who asked. You don’t get this in many other sports. Women in sport are the best. 🏏🏏🏏 pic.twitter.com/oeVElsSVa5
23rd over: England 51-0 (Winfield 15, Beaumont 31)
Perry again. Operating with a catching cover, Alex Blackwell, who has the helmet on despite standing about 15 metres from the bat. A bit like when Joe Root used to pop it on at shortish third slip. First proper slower one we’ve seen from the seamer today, dropping an off-cutter to Winfield. She gets down the other end with a push through cover, retaining the strike. That’ll work nicely.
I heard this exchange on TMS as well. To echo Daggers, let’s hope Charlotte has been misinformed. It would be a very bad decision to use this track again for the T20 on Friday.
22nd over: England 50-0 (Winfield 14, Beaumont 31)
Wellington might not get that much assistance from the final day pitch, but she sure is giving it a chance to turn by throwing it up well above the eyeline. Singles to each – Beaumont sweeping, Winfield driving – brings up England’s 50. The solid start they desparately needed.
21st over: England 48-0 (Winfield 13, Beaumont 30)
A second no-ball for Perry. Not overly potent as yet. Must be spent after her work yesterday. Winfield is picking out cover time and again, but hitting the ball well. Top scored in the opening ODI but hasn’t made a run since. But I’ll back her in here.
20th over: England 46-0 (Winfield 13, Beaumont 28)
Only one over from Jonassen, Amanda Wellington getting the third over of the morning. I mean, afternoon. “I think the rough marks are too wide for any great grip or purchase and they are not that deep,” says Charles Dagnall on the TMS call. Three singles to start her day, all to cover, Beaumont twice and Winfield once. Good start here from the visitors. No real zip out there yet.
19th over: England 43-0 (Winfield 12, Beaumont 27)
Perry to open up from the Moreton Fig Tree End. We’re very lucky with our press box position here at North Sydney, just to the right of that peaceful landmark. We also have a balcony, which feels a bit like Buckingham Palace. At least in my head. Perry delivers a massive no-ball second up, overstepping by at least three inches. After her heroics over the last few days, we’ll give her that. She blasted through England on the final day of the Ashes Test in 2015 in similar circumstances to this, claiming nine wickets in that match. Winfield up to the task.
A reminder what Perry did on the final day of the Ashes Test in 2015, running through England with 6-for-32 to bowl them out for 101.
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With THAT Sarah Taylor dismissal…
18th over: England 41-0 (Winfield 12, Beaumont 26)
First ball earns a bit of an ooh and an ahh when Jonassen pushes through her quicker one, but Beaumont is down in time. She gets away with the second ball, paddling fine. Expect to see plenty of that from her today if she plays a long hand. Winfield forward in defence for the rest.
And we’re away! The Australians racing out ahead of the England openers, who are going at a more leisurely place. No hurry for them, or any of their colleagues, out there today. 100 overs. Count them down. Jonassen to bowl the first over. PLAY!
“What are you two talking about?”
“Football.” Team England bloody love having a kick. Any old time. In warm ups, at every interval, even after stumps a couple of them had the ball out last night. World Cup champions, support staff, they’re all into it. Good energy.
Before play today that extended to a pair who were intergral in winning the World Cup on this very ground in 2009, Charlotte Edwards and Isa Guha. During this Test they have been running between the TV and radio commentary boxes for the entire day – hard yakka, make no mistake. But had time to show off their other skills first.
And a fourth glorious Sydney day to match. One where England will need to dig deep if they are to survive 100 overs and keep the series alive. They resume with 128 runs to find in order to get back in the black after Ellyse Perry completed an unbeaten double hundred that turned this match on its head. Ten brisk wickets today, and they will hold the Women’s Ashes aloft at this beautiful ground. No further incentive required.
The good news for England is that Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Winfield both reached the close last night, knocking off 40 of those runs without losing a wicket. If the theme of the match continues, it will be a lot easier to bat today than it was then. And the track doesn’t look like its about to start turning square any time soon either.
Adam Collins with you here at North Sydney Oval steering the OBO for the first half of the day before I slap hands with Vish when he wakes up in London. You know the drill, let’s talk throughout on the email or the tweet or anywhere else you can hunt me down.
England emerged from a lengthy huddle before breaking into warm-ups just before. Their task is a simple one: bat all day. Resilience, they say, underpinned their World Cup triumph in July. This presents another ideal opportunity to show what they’re made of.
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Adam Collins