Women’s Ashes: Australia v England one-off cricket Test, day two – live

Key events
Annabel Sutherland continued to impress across the second session as she reached a third Test hundred – in just her ninth knock in the format – to pile on the pain for England. The all-rounder led the way whether in partnership with skipper Alyssa Healy or the in-form Beth Mooney, as Australia put on another 124 runs while giving up only one more scalp in the two hours.
England came out after tea full of guts and guile even if they were perhaps fortunate to pick up the wicket of Healy with a lbw decision that could have gone either way. But the tourists were left to rue yet more dropped catches and horror misfields that gifted Mooney in particular several lives and leaves Australia in a great position to build a commanding lead after the break.
Thanks a lot for following along across an entertaining couple of sessions. James Wallace is up n atom over in England to guide us through the final couple of hours.
84th over: Australia 278-3 (Sutherland 135, Mooney 43) Mooney and Sutherland have little trouble working singles off Filer’s shorter gear but Australia’s keeper heads to the dinner break with a spring in her step after a cracking cover drive.
83rd over: Australia 272-3 (Sutherland 134, Mooney 38) Australia push beyond a 100-run lead as Sutherland and Mooney also take their partnership to triple figures. Bell tries varying her length but both batters are punishing anything near their pads, as Mooney flicks for a two then a single, and Sutherland finishes the over with a boundary at deep square.
82nd over: Australia 264-3 (Sutherland 130, Mooney 35) Lauren Filer is second to take the new ball but as though Mooney hasn’t had enough luck in this knock, now a leading edge pops up and lands safely between three England fielders. Sutherland clubs a pull past mid-on for four but Filer is able to get the new ball swinging.
81st over: Australia 257-3 (Sutherland 124, Mooney 34) Lauren Bell grasps the new cherry in her hand with one slip and two gullies in place but, as England surely feared, the Australian duo take an immediate liking to the harder ball. Sutherland smacks a drive through cover to the rope then adds three off the back foot to the same region. Mooney picks up the pace with her own stylish drive to the boundary.
80th over: Australia 245-3 (Sutherland 117, Mooney 29) Sutherland can’t find a gap on the off-side so turns to leg to flick a fuller delivery to midwicket for a single. Mooney hits Ecclestone away with a similar stroke as Bouchier saves a run by cutting the ball off before it reaches the rope. The new ball is due as England search for a way to shake up this partnership.
79th over: Australia 241-3 (Sutherland 116, Mooney 26) A half-hearted appeal for lbw is spreads across the MCG perhaps as much to liven up England as in hope of dismissing Mooney with the ball pitching outside leg.
78th over: Australia 238-3 (Sutherland 114, Mooney 26) Australia pick up a pair of singles off Ecclestone who might be ready for a second spell of the day with the new ball very nearly due.
77th over: Australia 236-3 (Sutherland 113, Mooney 25) Ominous signs for England as Mooney is now looking almost as comfortable as Sutherland, starting the over with a clip for two through midwicket and finishing it with a square drive that deserves more than just a single.
Would anyone expect (or suggest) Australia to declare before stumps today in the hope of snatching a wicket or two, or should they continue to pile on a huge total that ideally takes the game away from England?
76th over: Australia 233-3 (Sutherland 113, Mooney 22) Good fortune is smiling on Sutherland as an inside edge is just thick enough to bounce away for a single then she survives a ripper from Ecclestone that drifts in, spins hard and bounces high over the bat.
Matters on the field might have taken a turn for the worst for England over the past half an hour or so, with the number of dropped catches and messy misfields now mounting up. Thankfully Em Jackson has some more cheery news and a healthy dose of sarcasm to pass on from their homeland.
“As the Aussies race past England’s lacklustre total, I have to wonder how many more runs England may have put on in the knowledge that Birmingham City FC’s owners have invested in The Hundred. Birmingham City FC, that world-leading sports franchise who are [checks notes] top by 2 points of the third tier of the English league pyramid & who have won fewer trophies, in the last 2 decades, than the West Indies (& the same number as Sri Lanka), both of whom have had nothing like the resources of BCFC financially. It makes you think … ”
75th over: Australia 231-3 (Sutherland 112, Mooney 21) A rough over for England as MacDonald-Gay drifts too far down leg to beat Mooney and Jones behind the stumps to give up four byes, then a misfield from Filer gifts Sutherland three more.
74th over: Australia 223-3 (Sutherland 109, Mooney 20) Mooney remains busy at the crease against Ecclestone, working the off-spinner away to different parts of the field. She finally finds a gap off the back foot through cover, as Sutherland shows how it’s done with a drive for two across the same region.
73rd over: Australia 220-3 (Sutherland 107, Mooney 19) MacDonald-Gay toils away to Mooney but it is surely hard after seeing a couple of gilt-edged opportunities go to waste off her own bowling. But the young seamer continues to impress with another tidy over, only giving up a single to mid-off.
72nd over: Australia 219-3 (Sutherland 107, Mooney 18) Australia are motoring along now with Sutherland in command and Mooney already on her fourth life. England would be well aware that Sutherland has only been dismissed once from the three times she has passed fifty in a Test, and that was only after she reached 210 against South Africa a little under a year ago.
Hundred for Annabel Sutherland
The Australian all-rounder hits her third century in just her sixth Test and brings it up with a classy cut through point. It’s Sutherland’s second ton against England after reaching three figures at Trent Bridge 18 months ago and this time has returned to haunt them with the milestone coming off 193 deliveries with one six and 14 boundaries.
71st over: Australia 211-3 (Sutherland 99, Mooney 18) Beth Mooney is dropped for a third time and England are all at sea. MacDonald-Gay targets Mooney outside off-stump with a field set for just the occasion but Maia Bouchier drops a dolly that flew straight towards her midriff. Mooney can barely believe it and you have to feel for the England bowlers who have been solid throughout.
70th over: Australia 205-3 (Sutherland 99, Mooney 12) Sutherland races through the 90s to the brink of her third Test century with a paid of boundaries off Ecclestone. The first is a gift with a misfield at cover in another sign that the wheels might be falling off for England, but the second is all class as Sutherland rocks back and pulls to the rope. The 23-year-old will be left to ponder the one remaining run over a drinks break.
69th over: Australia 197-3 (Sutherland 91, Mooney 12) Oh no, another grassed catch and this time Ecclestone returns the favour to MacDonald-Gay in the worst possible way. Mooney slashes off the back foot but takes an edge that flies wide of Ecclestone as the only slip in the cordon. The off-spinner mis-times her leaning dive to the left and barely gets two hands around the ball as it bounces away. Once again, Sutherland makes England pay with a crafty boundary to third off the next delivery. If only England had held a few of their chances today, we could have a very different sort of contest. If only …
68th over: Australia 191-3 (Sutherland 86, Mooney 11) DROPPED! Mooney drives in the air but MacDonald-Gay can’t grasp the chance at cover. England are already paying the price for dropping Sutherland earlier today so they can ill-afford to offer the in-form Mooney multiple lives as well. Sutherland piles on the pain when stepping down the pitch to crunch Ecclestone back over her head for four.
67th over: Australia 184-3 (Sutherland 82, Mooney 8) Sciver-Brunt to Sutherland and the Australian picks up a couple when finding a gap through cover.
66th over: Australia 182-3 (Sutherland 80, Mooney 8) Mooney tends to be comfortable with using her feet against spin and pounces on a shorter ball from Ecclestone to flat bat it from outside off to the deep midwicket rope.
Mooney is already showing signs of carrying her form from the T20 leg of the series into the Test, and is even on track to back up comments in her regular column for Guardian Australia when talking about Australia’s greater goal at the MCG.
65th over: Australia 176-3 (Sutherland 79, Mooney 3) Beth Mooney gets off the mark with a backfoot drive through cover and adds another from a clip off the pads. Sutherland then opens up with the shot of the day so far as she steps down the pitch and clobbers Sciver-Brunt back over mid-off for two runs! The lofted shot was slightly mis-timed but Sutherland’s power did all the damage.
64th over: Australia 171-3 (Sutherland 77, Mooney 0) Ecclestone is back with plenty of energy after a slightly extended break. Or perhaps it’s the change of ends that is working for the off-spinner. But Sutherland has picked up where she left off before the break even in a maiden over.
63rd over: Australia 171-3 (Sutherland 77, Mooney 0) Sciver-Brunt works away again to Sutherland with a tight line as Australia’s scoring has dried up. Sutherland eventually picks up a single with a chip on the leg side.
WICKET! Healy lbw b Ecclestone 34 (Australia 170-3)
Sophie Ecclestone returns to the attack from the opposite end that she owned in the first session. She takes a few deliveries to get the fingers warmed up but soon has the ball crashing into Healy’s front pad. The umpire raises a finger but Healy reviews immediately. The ball looks to have deflected off the inside edge onto the pad but the DRS decides that the timing between each contact isn’t conclusive and ball tracking shows that it was taking out the top of middle. The finest of margins on that one as it essentially comes down to the field umpire’s call.
62nd over: Australia 170-3 (Sutherland 76, Mooney 0)
61st over: Australia 170-2 (Sutherland 76, Healy 34) Heather Knight asks for the ball to be checked for being out of shape and seems shocked as it passes through the rings. Sciver-Brunt has found a testing length now as she bowls a maiden to Sutherland.
60th over: Australia 170-2 (Sutherland 76, Healy 34) Scores are level other for the not insignificant fact that Australia still have eight first-innings wickets up their sleeve. Healy opens up the face of the bat to angle a wider ball to the rope at third before Bell responds with an inswinging yorker. Bell drops shorter with a bouncer that is almost a slower ball as Healy quickly readjusts her cut shot to pick up a single through cover.
59th over: Australia 162-2 (Sutherland 74, Healy 28) The Australian pair are largely untroubled against Sciver-Brunt’s medium pace. They start the over with three singles off the back foot before a trio of off-cutters to Sutherland.
58th over: Australia 159-2 (Sutherland 73, Healy 26) Sutherland sets off for a sneaky single after a nudge to Sciver-Brunt at mid-on as a sharp throw takes out the stumps. It’s close but the batter is saved by a well-timed dive across the crease. England will be pleased with any lift in intensity and pressure in the field. Healy adds a pair of singles, the first from a composed cut and the next clipped off her hip.
57th over: Australia 156-2 (Sutherland 72, Healy 24) Sophie Ecclestone is given a breather after bowling from this end throughout the entire first session. Nat Sciver-Brunt comes into the attack for the first time today and starts with a neat maiden to Sutherland.
56th over: Australia 156-2 (Sutherland 72, Healy 24) Bell has been less threatening to the right-handers than she was when angling the ball across left-hander Litchfield and Australia are able to ease into the second session. Healy clips off her pads for a single the Sutherland picks a gap through cover to add one more.
Legs and arms are rested, bellies are full and Lauren Bell is ready to get us under way in the second session as she prepares to bowl to Alyssa Healy with Australia 16 runs short of England’s first innings total of 170 but with eight wickets in hand.
Peter Warrington was following along yesterday and is back with his own thoughts on Australia’s selection for this Test as well as our reporter’s view from the MCG.
“I think Geoff Lemon articulated exactly the selection issues I rose in the comments/blog yesterday. The fact that we can select weirdly or poorly and still win doesn’t really sit well with me; consistency of process and selectorial transparency and justice are important building blocks. Unsurprisingly, I thought it was one of Geoff’s best pieces!”
Paul Barnes has been in touch to dispute some arguably loose language in today’s OBO.
“You say ‘Australia have selected an especially deep batting line-up stacked with supposed all-rounders.’ Really? Would you care to name a ‘supposed all-rounder’ and the batting or bowling figures that make them ‘supposed’. Healy and Mooney’s bowling figures, perhaps. Or Ellyse Perry doesn’t bowl much any more. Clearly not up standard …. Perhaps the 11’s batting?’
You’re right that Perry is one now just hanging on to the “all-rounder” tag even if injury forced her from the field before she had an opportunity to bowl yesterday. But Perry has only bowled in a single T20 across this series so far. Tahlia McGrath has bowled in more matches but still only sent down less than six overs across the series which, to me, seems a curiously low number for a player named to bat at No 8.
Geoff Lemon took issue with some of Australia’s selection decisions even if they were largely untroubled on day one of this Test.
Another day, another session that Australia can claim as their own. The hosts piled on 98 runs for the loss of one wicket as Lauren Bell got the better of a one-on-one battle with Phoebe Litchfield to dismiss the opener for 45. Sophie Ecclestone bowled unchanged through the session without any luck as England failed to grasp several chances early in the day before Australia’s batters built a pair of ominous partnerships.
Annabel Sutherland will resume on 71 and Australia skipper Alyssa Healy is undefeated on 23, though there are still question marks over whether Ellyse Perry will bat in this innings due to a hip injury. She might not be needed unless England can quickly find a way through Australia’s lengthy batting line-up and prevent them taking a commanding first-innings lead.
55th over: Australia 154-2 (Sutherland 71, Healy 23) Sutherland dances down the pitch to drive Ecclestone but gets under the ball a touch too much as it is airbound through cover until out of danger on the way to the rope. The right-hander sweeps a fuller delivery behind backward square for four more as the clock ticks over for the break.
54th over: Australia 146-2 (Sutherland 63, Healy 23) Filer plucks away short of a length that allows each batter to drive and cut away for a single. The England quick goes around the wicket but sends the ball too wide as Sutherland punches a single and Healy drives sublimely through cover for two more.
53rd over: Australia 141-2 (Sutherland 61, Healy 20) A quality over from Ecclestone, her best for quite some time in a neverending spell. The off-spinner raps Healy on the pads with one that stayed straighter and England send the not-out decision off for a second opinion within milliseconds of their time running out. They would have been better off waiting slightly longer as replays clearly show the ball taking a thick inside edge off Healy’s bat. Well, that review was wasted. Ecclestone follows up immediately with a jaffa that drifts across Healy, spins hard and barely passes the outside edge. A maiden full of action.
52nd over: Australia 141-2 (Sutherland 61, Healy 20) Lauren Filer returns with England increasingly desperate to snap this partnership before the late-lunch / early-tea break. The field is set for more chin music to Sutherland but the first delivery is too high and wide to be a concern to the set batter. Sutherland sees off the rest of the over of what can only be termed “short stuff”. Maiden.
51st over: Australia 140-2 (Sutherland 61, Healy 20) Ecclestone to Healy and the Australian skipper is trying to work the angles to find an easy single. She eventually does off a fuller delivery that Healy clips to midwicket. Sutherland adds another single off her pads.
50th over: Australia 138-2 (Sutherland 60, Healy 19) Heather Knight backs MacDonald-Gay with another over after the young seamer was far too loose a few minutes ago. She is tidy enough this time but the Australia pair make the most of anything drifting onto their pads for three singles.
49th over: Australia 135-2 (Sutherland 59, Healy 17) Healy guides the first ball of the over down to third for a single as Ecclestone then targets the stumps with the next five deliveries to Sutherland.
48th over: Australia 134-2 (Sutherland 59, Healy 16) Sutherland is on the charge with a pair of punishing boundaries. MacDonald-Gay loses her line and the set batter flicks the first off her pads to the rope at fine leg, then dispatches a wider delivery down the leg side slightly squarer.
Fifty for Annabel Sutherland
47th over: Australia 125-2 (Sutherland 51, Healy 15) Annabel Sutherland brings up her half-century with a classy cover drive to the boundary. The all-rounder reaches the mark off 107 balls with one six and five fours as she builds on her formidable Test record that already includes two tons.
46th over: Australia 121-2 (Sutherland 47, Healy 15) A tidier over from MacDonald-Gay as she gives Healy no room to leave the Australia skipper defending on the front foot. Maiden over.