England v Australia: Women's Ashes Test, day three – live!

150th over: Australia 403-6 (Mooney 46, Molineux 18) Marsh appeals loudly for an lbw against Mooney. Mooney squares up and the ball hits her high on the legs. Probably too high. The replay says umpires call. Duly unperturbed, she then thrashes two fours in a row, the second a lofted whallop over midwicket. That’s the four hundred. And on we got.

149th over: Australia 393-6 (Mooney 37, Molineux 17) Molineux looks utterly relaxed at the crease. Nurdling three runs, even when her timing is a bit off.

Amazing news! Throw, chuck, vomit money at it ECB – please. With two World Cup winning sides as your poster boys and girls – what better chance will you have? An interesting email on Thursday from a father concerned that the ECB hadn’t made the most of England Women’s win. Let’s hope they won’t waste this opportunity.

148th over: Australia 388-6 (Mooney 35, Molineux 14) Heather Knight swaps Sophie Ecclestone for Anya Shrubsole. It’s a maiden. And the drinks are being brought out… and still no declaration. Is it 400 they’re looking for – or will they wait till lunch?

147th over: Australia 388-6 (Mooney 35, Molineux 14) Marsh again. Molineux tries to sweep her but Sarah Taylor collects neatly behind the stumps.

Going back to Sarah Bacon’s message – wondering how much the netball has cut through the public consciousness. As much as the CWC (pre-final)?

Abhijato Sensarma thinks aloud:

‘I’ll make the statement everyone runs around: on an aggregate, women aren’t as fast as men at the professional level i.e. at the peak of their abilities. Hence, there is a general perception that LOIs are still alright in quality while Test matches featuring them aren’t, ahem, ‘broadcastable’.

But cricket at its heart is more about skills than speed, especially on a level playing field. At least India, England and Australia have bridged the gap in terms of skills with the men – I just can’t see why they shouldn’t be able to play four-day matches more often. Two to three years of non-broadcasted but regular matches between the other top nations would improve their skills too, and soon we will surely see high-quality cricket amongst enough teams. The televised matches will attract viewers with the general advancement of the game, the market will open up, and Tests will become commonplace for women cricketers again. If only the ICC/national boards somehow become philanthropic in the short term, it would all go so well for everyone in the long term!

146th over: Australia 386-6 (Mooney 34, Molineux 13) England’s throwing is having a funny five minutes, infected with randomness and a slight mad urgency. Oh that is lovely from Molineux, a late, late, cut that whizzes square for four past point. Shrubsole is not so impressed.

145th over: Australia 379-6 (Mooney 32, Molineux 8) Will Laura Marsh get a break before Australia declare? Oh dear, that’s five overthrows as no-one backs up a Shrubsole shy at the stumps. Marsh waves both arms in the air in frustration, as does Shrubsole.

Palfreyman tries to put a good spin on England’s position.

144th over: Australia 372-6 (Mooney 25, Molineux 8) Molineux’s debut innings hovers in the balance with a mis-timed pull, but it falls clear of a scampering Marsh. Two from Shrubsole’s over.

143rd over: Australia 370-6 (Mooney 25, Molineux 6) Marsh, bowling her 31st over of the match, is as on the money as she was yesterday. Mooney has her instructions, we assume they aren’t ATTACK! ATTACK! More ACCUMULATE! ACCUMULATE!

An email from Sarah Bacon

“Thanks, Tanya, for doing OBO today!”

A pleasure!

“With apologies, I’m watching the Aussie Diamonds taking on South Africa in the semi-finals of the netball this morning (while keeping a close eye on the cricket on my PC!). Intriguing (laudable?) to see so many English Rose fans in the stands today, lustily supporting … Australia? Wow. Methinks they’re hoping for England to beat NZ’s Silver Ferns this afternoon, in order to meet Australia in the finals tomorrow. Good luck with that.”

Hmmm – a case of be careful what you wish for ?!?!

142nd over: Australia 370-6 (Mooney 25, Molineux 6) Anya Shrubsole gets her first over of the day. Mooney steps forward and smears the ball through mid-on for four. There’s a bit of a wind fluttering the players’ trousers, but good cricket-watching weather.

141st over: Australia 365-6 (Mooney 20, Molineux 6) A superb ball from Laura Marsh spins just past Molineux’s bat and then somehow just over the top of off stump. Then a misfield as the ball passes Georgia Elwiss at point.

If you want to watch Raf rant, try this

140th over: Australia 362-6 (Mooney 19, Molineux 4) Australia seem jumpy considering the position they’re in. Mooney calls through a quick single that would have been out had Marsh’s throw connected. Lots of hand clapping and exhortation from England’s fielders. And Molineux is off the mark with a four with soft hands past backward point. Lovely shot.

139th over: Australia 357-6 (Mooney 18, Molineux 0) Just a leg bye off another tight over from Marsh. Molineux opens her eyes wide between the bars of her helmet.

138th over: Australia 356-6 (Mooney 17, Molineux 0) Brunt deserved that wicket after throwing her all into her bowling The wicket brings in Sophie Molineux – who was given her baggy green by the great Belinda Clark two days ago and is the Southern Vipers new KSL signing

Jonassen flashes at a wide one and is well caught by Nat Sciver at gully

137th over: Australia 355-5 (Mooney 17, Jonassen 8) Just two off Marsh’s over.

136th over: Australia 353-5 (Mooney 16, Jonassen 7) Brunt over pitches and Mooney drives just to the left of Jonassen’s toes. Four. Yummy!

Romeo writes: “I’m not sure Katherine Brunt really wants to be described as a stallion. Maybe she does, but it does look a bit odd. And ‘mare’ would also look a bit strange and she’s hardly a ‘filly’.”

I hesitated myself. But female terms for animals often have unpleasant connotations. I think we should battle to reclaim them but, but, but… as you say…. In these gender-flexible times, I’m hoping you can imagine a glossy haired female stallion. Or maybe I should just stay away from animals…

135th over: Australia 348-5 (Mooney 12, Jonassen 6) Marsh again keeps it tight, just one off it, and the cameras pan onto Lanning and she looks straight ahead, and the camera pans away. Hmm. Will they just pass 350 or bat on till lunch and then try to bowl England out twice?

134th over: Australia 347-5 (Mooney 12, Jonassen 5) Katherine Brunt takes the ball. The commentators mention that her speeds have been up this Test match, consistently in the mid-70s. She just looks incredibly fit, a prime stallion, sleek and shiny, but there we go, she strays a little wide and Mooney drives her through the covers and across the boundary for four.

133rd over: Australia 343-5 (Mooney 8, Jonassen 5) Laura Marsh flies it high and just two come from the over. You’d expect the Aussies to get a bit more of a shift on today.

Do drop me a line if you can – love to know what is happening round the world this Saturday morning. Anyway, here we go: the players are out and Australia bat on…

Nat Sciver thinks England’s bowlers have got better and better since the first day. They’ll be hoping that Australia’s bowlers take a while to get going too. Looking forward to seeing this young talent running in – she’s come back from a series of horrendous injuries to play her Test debut, she’s fast, she swings it and she’s full of vigour.

There are 108 overs scheduled and the forecast is for a lovely day, all day. Charlotte Edwards hopes Australia declare now and England score quickly and then somehow bowl Australia out again. Ebony Rainford-Brent thinks Australia will want to rub England’s nose in the dirt.

A nice read from Adam Collins, who will be taking over later, on Perry.

This was Perry yesterday on the beauty of Test cricket:

“I just really enjoy the challenge,” she says. “It’s a bit of a novelty too that we don’t play a lot of them so you really want to make the most of it, having that time to just get into your innings and absorb pressure at times then capitalise on periods that flow your way.”

Her century makes her the second woman after the wonderful Betty Wilson to hit two Test hundreds in a row.

Good morning everyone! The rain is torrenting heavily outside my front door but fingers crossed for better weather in Taunton – where rain has already poked her unwelcome fingers, curtailing things early yesterday. The attrition continued for much of Friday, with the peerless Ellyse Perry reaching her century and Rachel Haynes falling just short. England looked deflated as they walked off for lunch at 341 for five. They have two days (if the weather is kind) to somehow conjure a win from here. I’m afraid it isn’t going to happen – The Ashes will remain with Australia, who are simply a better resourced and prepared side, with a stronger structure behind them. Perhaps just a better side too – and there is no shame in that.

Raf Nicholson explains in more detail in her match report from yesterday.