What a game of cricket.
It shouldn’t be forgotten just how in control Lanning and Perry looked no more than an hour ago. But young Alex Hartley picked up the dancing Australian captain and changed the game. A half-century for Perry wasn’t enough, nor some impressive late hitting once the required rate got into double figures. England looked to have blown their chance with some dropped catches in the deep, but that was all forgotten when Sciver then Brunt secured a pair of vital takes at the death.
Brunt is player of the match for her two wickets in an over, brisk unbeaten 45 to propel England to an unlikely 259-8, then the aforementioned late catch to get rid of Ash Gardner. Hartley was the best of England’s bowlers, 2-for-31 through two relentless spells.
After five games, both teams now sit at four wins and a loss, India as well. This World Cup is perfectly placed with a week to go in the group stage. It was a classic. Thanks for your company. Until next time.
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ENGLAND WIN BY THREE RUNS!
Six needed, but it falls short. An instant classic. What a triumph for this plucky England outfit. They have done knocked off the world champions! England’s first World Cup win over Australia in 24 years. Magnificent moment for Heather Knight and her charges.
SIX NEEDED off the last ball.
WICKET! Gardner c Brunt b Gunn 11 (Australia 250-8)
NEARLY all the way, Brunt has taken the catch racing around from long-on and she BLOODY LOVES IT. Wonderful celebration. 10 off two needed.
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49th over: Australia 244-7 (Gardner 10, Jonassen 3). Brunt versus Gardner. Albeit after Jonassen takes two balls to get down the other end. With her chance she gets it over the circle at point but not to the boundary. Two taken. Excellent yorker from Brunt, Gardner can’t get that away. Leg bye signalled. Jonassen down the ground, one more. Gardner miscues the final ball down the ground again. Strike retained. They need 16 to win and six balls to do it.
WICKET! Healy lbw b Hazell 14 (Australia 237-7)
No edge, hitting in line, three red lights. OUT! Hazell has copped it today, and then leaked 15 runs in four balls to start this 48th over. But she has picked up Healy and that’s all that matters to her teammates, who are utterly elated when the decision is confirmed. Earlier in the over Gardner popped her first ball into the crowd. They need her to face the bulk of the 12 balls remaining. Australia require 22 from them. One more twist?
48th over: Australia 238-7 (Gardner 7, Jonassen 1)
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HEALY LBW TO HAZELL! Review! After 15 runs added in four balls. Stand by!
47th over: Australia 222-6 (Healy 6, Gardner 0). Healy takes Brunt over extra cover to end the over, a lovely strike of the cricket ball into the gap. Gardner on strike now. She hits it a MILE. Watch this space.
WICKET! Perry c Sciver b Brunt 70. (Australia 218-6)
Perry holes out! And it is Sciver who takes the catch - on the rope! Brilliant work from Brunt to land the slower ball and Sciver to hold her nerve there after dropping a far easier chance from Australian superstar just moments ago. England look home. But don’t discount Ash Gardner, Australia’s cleanest hitter. That’s all I’ll say. For now.
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WICKET! Blackwell b Brunt 21 (Australia 215-5)
Blackwell makes room but misses, Brunt hits the stumps. Some confusion as to whether it was gloves or ball, so they check upstairs, but that’s all good. Blackwell has done a job there but her day is done. England on the brink of a famous victory.
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46th over: Australia 215-4 (Perry 69, Blackwell 22). Dare I use the momentum word: but MOMENTUM. Perry dropped on 68, then Blackwell splits the gap between the two deep midwickets to utter perfection; one bounce four. Sciver, after dropping the earlier catch, cannot make up the ground. Nine from it. Still within two runs a ball. Blackwell into the 20s and doing everything right. Perry looks tired, but the more likely of the these two to clear the rope. 45 off four the equation.
PERRY DROPPED! Nat Sciver has put her down in the deep. Should have taken it. Oh my!
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45th over: Australia 206-4 (Perry 67, Blackwell 15). Gunn versus Blackwell. Two to midwicket, scampering. That’s the way to do this. As is the way she cleared the front leg to make room, no mistake made on execution, hitting the long-on rope. Next in the bag of tricks: the reverse lap. It only nets one. Perry has two balls to look at uses the first to take a single to midwicket. Then a second wide of the over - Gunn barely making a mistake all day, but two sundries hurts here. 11 from it, precisely what Australia require. Blackwell keeps the strike with a single to mid-on.
44th over: Australia 195-4 (Perry 66, Blackwell 7). Blackwell shouldn’t be underestimated here. The perfect foil to Perry as she’ll score from every ball and collect plenty of twos as well. After doing that, the strike rotated three times, she clobbers a boundary via a slog sweep. It’ll do. Still: eight from it. Double-digit overs needed at each time of asking now.
43rd over: Australia 187-4 (Perry 64, Blackwell 1). Okay. Perry does look for the next level here, launching Gunn over her head for six of the best. She retains the strike via a single that could have been two. Good batting. Even with the blow, still less than what is required taking nine from it. In IPL-speak, Perry has to take someone down.
42nd over: Australia 178-3 (Perry 56, Blackwell 0). Perry releases through cover, does enough to get a precious boundary for the world champions, hit hard over the circle. Blackwell, in her eighth global tournament, the new player to the crease. We looking at a grandstand finish at Bristol.
WICKET! Villani c Gunn b Shrubsole 14 (Australia 173-4)
Shrubsole gets Villani! Holes out to long-on. Redeemed after dropping her earlier. Nicely taken by Gunn in the deep. The pressure was building for some time and the Australian couldn’t find a way out.
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41st over: Australia 172-3 (Perry 50, Villani 14). Another half-century for Perry. Her third on the spin. 71 balls for her 21st ODI 50. For all that hard work, needs to find another gear very soon. One she certainly has. It was the third of three singles in the over to get the milestone. Barely getting them down there at the speed of conventional spinners. So clever, so effective.
40th over: Australia 169-3 (Perry 48, Villani 13). Shrubsole back and with a chance to redeem herself after the Villani dropped catch when she was on two. The leg before may have been overturned, but only four from it. That’s a win for England. The batting power play a shocker for Australia, only 16 from it. 19 dots in that 30 balls. Ten overs to go, Australia need 91. Blimey.
NOT OUT! Toe of the bat. Overturned!
VILLANI LBW! REVIEW! Straight upstairs.
39th over: Australia 165-3 (Perry 47, Villani 11). Jenny Gunn with all the slower ball varieties in the world. Perry now accumulating plenty of dots too, three to begin this over. The power play anything but in this five over block. Two singles to finish it off, but that’s their lot. And all of a sudden: 8.6 an over needed.
38th over: Australia 163-3 (Perry 46, Villani 10). Hartley’s final over. Two more dots to start it, in keeping with the day she has had. Villani does blot the final set with an aerial drive over cover, but it’s a calculated risk really. Seven from it, making 2/31 from ten, collecting Mooney and Lanning in the process. 35 dot balls. Superb.
Whatever way this match goes, that was class from Alex Hartley. Conceded just 2 boundaries, 35 dot balls. 2-31 from her 10 overs. #WWC17
— Vithushan (@Vitu_E) July 9, 2017
37th over: Australia 156-3 (Perry 44, Villani 5). Gunn back. I like that. Pace off the ball. And it works. Villani takes half the over to get up the other end. Perry only gets a single herself. That’s three from the previous two overs. The crowd involved too now, they understand how big another scalp would be here. Namely Perry. Villani has now faced 18 balls for her five.
36th over: Australia 153-3 (Perry 43, Villani 4). Hartley to Villani and does it well. Gutsy from the bowler to throw it way above the eyeline. But the Australian waits until the final ball to score and retain the strike. Dot balls, sure, but the 7.66 runs an over needed still not enough to worry these two.
WATCH:
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) July 9, 2017
In-play highlights of both @englandcricket men & women. @BBCSport App & online #BBCCricket pic.twitter.com/NlHPhXVm4c
35th over: Australia 153-3 (Perry 43, Villani 3). Here. Comes. Elysse. Perry. Just the most glorious drive through the off-side to begin the Hazell set. To end it: pinning the ears back and launching over cow. 12 from it. That’ll settle things down, after some sketchy running between times. Drinks then the batting power play ahead. Big.
34th over: Australia 141-3 (Perry 32, Villani 2). Oh no! England’s vice-captain has put down a sitter at mid-on. Villani gets the life. A penetrative over from Hartley too. They’ve certainly had their chances.
The moment #MegLanning was dismissed! #ENGvAUS #WWC17 pic.twitter.com/aKcjybBqRp
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 9, 2017
33rd over: Australia 138-3 (Perry 30, Villani 1). Perry makes sure there isn’t a lull after the wicket, immediately back into the act going after Hazell down the ground, a boundary scored. Seven from it - exactly what they need from here.
32nd over: Australia 131-3 (Perry 23, Villani 1). Villani the new player who, who clobbered 59 in 40 balls in a player of the match performance midweek. But this isn’t Pakistan. She’s off the mark to square leg.
WICKET! Lanning b Hartley 40. (Australia 129-3)
WHAAAAAT?! Lanning takes a dance to Hartley, back into the attack, and misses. Bowled! Came from nowhere. Hartley the best of the England bowlers today and she’s done it!
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30th over: Australia 129-2 (Perry 22, Lanning 40). Our OBO colleague Geoff Lemon informs the world that Perry’s average has gone above 50 again. Noteworthy of itself, but doubly so given she’s gone at 80-plus since the last World Cup in 2013, where she batted at nine. Madness. All without a ton. In front of us here, Lanning gives what looks for the briefest moment a chance to the first ball of Hazell’s new spell. She only just clears mid-off. Still, it’s four. Seven from the over. Need a tick under seven an over from here.
30th over: Australia 122-2 (Perry 21, Lanning 34). Boundaries in three consecutive overs for Lanning, treating the accumulation phase like a power play. Brunt tries the change-up over the wrist and Lanning well up to the task, again going around the corner behind square. Must be causing some trouble for her busted shoulder, but that’s for worrying about later.
29th over: Australia 116-2 (Perry 20, Lanning 29). Crank up that shoulder. Flicking around the corner, fine leg had no chance when Lanning leapt on a short delivery to start Sciver’s sixth over. Sounds a bit daft with more than half the runs still needed in fewer than half the overs, but England are in all sorts, make no mistake about it.
England need a breakthrough fast. Drop it short and make this Australia pair play aerially.
— Francis Kelly (@_Franciskelly) July 9, 2017
28th over: Australia 110-2 (Perry 20, Lanning 24). 4316 the attendance here at Bristol today, we are told. I think that constitutes a sell out. Or near enough. Brunt is back for her second crack here, which isn’t a bad shout. There’ll be little point keeping overs for later on if these two are still hanging about. In saying that, a full toss to Meghann Moira Lanning isn’t the way forward. She just tucks it away to the rope with the least fuss required. Three further singles from there make it a quite productive over for the Australians.
27th over: Australia 103-2 (Perry 19, Lanning 18). Much better second spell this from Sciver as well. Wins Lanning’s inside edge from a full delivery curling back; harder to do than it sounds. Nothing more than good, honest medium pace. But that little bit of hoop at least keeps the Australian pair thinking ball to ball.
26th over: Australia 100-2 (Perry 19, Lanning 15). Hartley, to her credit, giving both batsman plenty of chances to drive. Gotta be in it to win it. They claim four singles in the process, but nothing more. In turn, the 100 is up. Albeit from the least convincing moment of the over for the Australians, Lanning forced to correct her stroke before coming down but not quite reaching the pitch. Good bowling, all told.
25th over: Australia 96-2 (Perry 17, Lanning 13). Sciver back from the Ashley Down Road end. But both batsman here using the pace, taking runs behind square along the carpet, then pushing down the ground for a couple more. The board ticking just the way Australia want it to now. Half way there.
24th over: Australia 91-2 (Perry 15, Lanning 11). Hartley is mixing up her pace and lines to Lanning for the bulk of this over. It’s effective, only one taken. I fancy she won’t be so lucky once the Australian captain is seeing them the way she does after about half an hour at the crease.
New car, new jacket. Mitch Starc doing funemployment right, if you ask me.
Loving the support in Bristol! 😎 #WWC17 pic.twitter.com/7XodmSco0W
— Australia Women 🏏 (@SouthernStars) July 9, 2017
23rd over: Australia 90-2 (Perry 14, Lanning 11). Easy runs to be had through the legside thrice to start the over. Just a bit straight from Gunn. Overcorrects, third man utilised next. Back to her happy place to end the set.
22nd over: Australia 85-2 (Perry 12, Lanning 8). Excuse the lag, it wouldn’t be an on-campus OBO without a wifi wobble. Feels like we’re back on track now. Three singles taken from Hartley here by the dynamic Aussie pair. Neither in a hurry. Neither swinging the bat beyond the minmum required to beat the ring. There is a formula here, and no to players understand that better than Lanning and Perry. Risks are for chumps, not these two.
21st over: Australia 82-2 (Perry 10, Lanning 7). Lanning sees a half-tracker on her hip, picks the gap perfectly between the various sweepers on the legside. Gunn back on the mark for the remainder of her set. Nice response.
20th over: Australia 78-2 (Perry 10, Lanning 3). Good again from Hartley. Only one there. Perry, in keeping with how she has gone about it for the entire tournament, very happy to take her time to get settled. England were 81-3 at the corresponding stage of the innings, if you’re into that kind of thing.
19th over: Australia 77-2 (Perry 10, Lanning 2). Lanning does come out this time. These two average over 100 when batting together. So that’s not ideal for the hosts. Lanning averages something ridiculous in winning run chases as well. All her numbers are a bit ridiculous though, to be fair. She’s away with ease, a couple of singles through midwicket. This is what she does, you see.
WICKET! Taylor snaffles behind the stumps as Gunn takes Bolton's edge. #AusWomen 75-2 chasing 260. FREE LIVE STREAM: https://t.co/LxrajGKLoQ pic.twitter.com/hNXXygAB2X
— Sky Sports Cricket🏏 (@SkyCricket) July 9, 2017
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WICKET! Bolton c Taylor b Gunn 26 (Australia 72-2)
Jenny Gunn! First legitimate ball, after spraying a wide first up, wins Bolton’s edge and Taylor takes the classy catch up to the stumps. Now we have a proper game.
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18th over: Australia 71-1 (Bolton 26, Perry 7). Hartley operating around the wicket to Perry with her left-arm orthodox. High and bouncy action, gives it a rip. Not supported there by her spin twin Hazell, who has let Bolton get her first boundary after 42 deliveries. It’s slogged sweep to square leg and goes through Hazell’s hands. Can’t say they didn’t have their chances.
17th over: Australia 63-1 (Bolton 19, Perry 6). Perry away with a pristine cover drive on the up through the offside ring. Have that. Time for a glass of cordial out in the middle. I’ll do the same. Back in a tic.
16th over: Australia 57-1 (Bolton 19, Perry 1). Perry walks out. In other words: not Lanning. What’s going on there? Of course, the captain is carrying an injury and Perry stepped in with a vital 71 on Wednesday at the number three slot. But still. Not at all expected. Lanning has the helmet on padded up, so presumably she’s next in any case.
WICKET! Mooney c Winfield b Hartley 31 (Australia 56-1)
There it is! Great catch from Lauren Winfield at mid-off, low to her left. Clutch moment. That has to get England moving, as Mooney looked ready to shift up the gears with spin now from both ends. Hartley immediately into the book.
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15th over: Australia 55-0 (Bolton 18, Mooney 31). Hazell is requiring a question to be answered to each delivery, maintaining a very straight line. Bolton then Mooney both happy to watch and defend. Nothing to see here, their message. Has to be soon. Or England will be in all sorts regardless of the required run rate.
14th over: Australia 54-0 (Bolton 17, Mooney 31). Trying something on, Sciver’s slower ball is chest-high when arriving at Mooney’s end. She fancies a piece of it, but doesn’t make contact. Not with the free hit, either.
Nat Sciver just doesn't feel like a wicket-taking option - her ODI bowling SR has slipped from a career 33 to 43 in the past year.
— CRICKETher (@crickether) July 9, 2017
13th over: Australia 51-0 (Bolton 16, Mooney 31). Up comes the 50 stand, Mooney taking Hazell down the ground for one. A further single in the same general direction from Bolton. A lot of similarities to that West Indies chase to open the comp from these two. Rancho relaxo.
12th over: Australia 49-0 (Bolton 15, Mooney 30). Pleading shout for leg before when Sciver’s slower ball slips through Mooney’s defensive posture, but missing leg. And no review anyway, having burned it on the legside strangling that wasn’t earlier on.
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11th over: Australia 46-0 (Bolton 14, Mooney 28). Action! Oh, dropped catch! Hazell into the attack and puts down Mooney. Tough chance to her right in her follow through. Maybe a half-chance, but they all count. Doubly frustrating for the hosts with a run out nearly taken the ball before, some sharp work from Brunt but doesn’t hit and Hazell doesn’t either with her flick. Bolton was well short. Not to be. “These two have build a lovely platform now for Lanning and Perry,” says Lottie Edwards. That they have. Even if one fell now, they’ve pretty much done their job as a pair.
10th over: Australia 42-0 (Bolton 13, Mooney 25). 42 dots in the power play, five boundaries. Any meaningful pressure England had built probably gone now after Nat Sciver leaks boundaries with her fourth and fifth balls of the afternoon. The first was dross, a full toss on Mooney’s pads. No issues there. The second is a bit tricky, opening the face and guiding into the cordon. No one there though. Eight from it.
9th over: Australia 34-0 (Bolton 13, Mooney 17). All very sedate. I’m not sure this is in England’s interests. Brunt waits for one on the pads, grabs one to midwicket. Two more in that region to end the set. Risk-free cricket.
8th over: Australia 31-0 (Bolton 11, Mooney 16). A sense that both sides will be relatively at peace with this opening. Two taken from this Shrubsole set, a single each through the onside. But Australia showed against the West Indies in their tournament opener how quickly they can drain the life out of a chase. Knight will have to start throwing it around soon.
Charlotte Edwards is onto the radio comms. Given it is a touch quiet at the moment, check her out singing here with Suzie Bates. They both have skillz. Wait for the Celine Dion bit. Seriously.
7th over: Australia 29-0 (Bolton 10, Mooney 15). It is Brunt again. A couple to Bolton off her hips, then a single guided to third man. Wonder how long before we’ll see spin here. It wasn’t meant to be a spin-to-win tournament, but the numbers suggest it is still the most effective way to earn ten wickets. And that’ll be what England need here, one way or another.
6th over: Australia 26-0 (Bolton 7, Mooney 15). Nicely timed straight drive from Mooney goes all the way to the rope. She’s in good nick here. Of note: Brunt, in trying to pull off a diving stop, gets up feeling for her shoulder/neck region. Don’t expect it’ll keep her away from the bowling crease though. Tough operator.
5th over: Australia 21-0 (Bolton 6, Mooney 11). Much better from Brunt, a maiden to Mooney. The news from HQ is that South Africa need 331 to win the First Test after a solid fightback today. Join OBO doyen Rob Smyth on the ~other side~ in a second tab. Or if you’re anything like me, a 22nd tab.
4th over: Australia 21-0 (Bolton 6, Mooney 11). Bolton back in defence for the remainder of the set. Looking forward to seeing Jenny Gunn sooner rather than later. One of the most effective bowlers in the game with her unorthodox approach. Lashed them with the bat earlier.
Eng have a habit of picking match-winners to replace last min injuries. Nicky Shaw for Gunn in WWC09 final. Gunn for Wilson #WWC17? 🤷🏼♀️
— Isabelle Westbury (@izzywestbury) July 9, 2017
NOT OUT! The initial replays looked like it may have ran off the middle of the bat, but there’s no spike - as they say - on the piece of technology that matters. So, Bolton can continue. “Some deflation there,” says Ebony Rainford-Brent off Shrubsole’s response. Like a good fast bowler, she still thinks it is out.
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REVIEW! Odd one! Legside wide signalled but Shrubsole reckons she has hit Bolton’s edge. Knight agrees. DRS. Stand by.
3rd over: Australia 17-0 (Bolton 5, Mooney 10). Delightful sqaure drive from Mooney that races away to the rope, Australia’s first boundary of the response. No risks there, all timing. She caps the over with another, taken very fine and into double figures. Struggling with her radar a bit here, Brunt.
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2nd over: Australia 8-0 (Bolton 2, Mooney 5). Anya Shrubsole from in front of us here at the Pavilion End. The Lennon and McCartney of new ball bowling in the women’s game. Her first delivery isn’t so melodic, short and wide and carved by Mooney to get her off the mark with relative ease. Board ticked over for a couple more, including a leg-bye. That’s the first exta. I only note that so I can refer to the 32 runs in sundries Australia gave away. Including 23 via wides. Messy.
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1st over: Australia 2-0 (Bolton 2, Mooney 0). Bolton watchful but positive, getting out of the blocks with a couple tickled down to fine leg. Would have been four if not for a diving stop by long leg Alex Hartley - not usually known for her fielding, the left-arm ortho.
Since Meg Lanning debuted in Jan 2011 Australia have lost 4 ODI chases. Lanning's scores in those chases: 0, 0, 0, 5 #WWC17
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) July 9, 2017
Players are back on the field. And the OBO is back from lunch as well. Didn’t really finish the way Australia had planned, England’s lower-order hitters Jenny Gunn and Katherine Brunt both coming off, their seventh wicket stand worth 85. That leaves a not insigificant job ahead of the world champion Australians. Indeed, if they win it’ll be the highest successful run chase in a Women’s World Cup fixture. Of course, the game has changed plenty over the last four years, but that is still not for nothing. Righto. Brunt has the ball in her hand, Aussie pair Nicole Bolton and Beth Mooney are ready to roll. 260 to get. Let’s do it.
AUSTRALIA REQUIRE 260 FROM THEIR 50 OVERS!
50th over: England 259-8 (Brunt 45) HUGE SIX! Glorious way to start the over from Gunn, who holds the pose as she hits high, straight and true. A single brings Brunt oin strike and, after two minutes of fielding changes, Brunt just clubs one through extra cover. Nothing off the last three balls as Gunn, a dot and Shrubsole’s wicket close out the innings. Excellent back-end fightback from England. Not really seen that from an England side before. Competitive total but, you fancy, Lanning et al see themselves as favourites.
That’s all from me. Adam Collins will be here to see you through the Canary Yellow chase.
WICKET! Shrubsole c Schutt b Villani 0 (England 259-8)
Shrubsole gets hold of her second ball but can only find Megan Schutt in the deep.
WICKET! Gunn st Healy b Villani 39 (England 259-7)
A brilliant cameo from Gunn ends. With her and Brunt, England put on 85 at just under seven an over. Brilliant work.
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49th over: England 246-6 (Brunt 41, Gunn 32) Schutt on for her final over. Her first nine went for just 36. This one sees five taken from it. Quality spell from her: 1-41 from her 10 overs and only two boundaries conceded. Elyse Villani to bowl the last over...
Gunn for Wilson not looking such a bad enforced swap. #WWC17
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) July 9, 2017
48th over: England 240-6 (Brunt 38, Gunn 29) JENNY GUNN HAS HIT A SIX! And what a hit it was. Beams floats one up and she gives herself room and clubs one over midwicket. A single brings Brunt on strike who hits the shot of the day – charging and punching through extra cover like a G.
Jenny Gunn just hit her first six since February 2013 as she launches Kristen Beams for a maximum. Good lower-order hitting from Eng #WWC17
— Kalika (@Journo_K) July 9, 2017
47th over: England 227-6 (Brunt 33, Gunn 22)
Brunt goes downtown for six over wide mid on! Belting shot that brings up the fifty partnership (52 from 60). Good aggression from Brunt. Garnder pulls the next delivery back but Brunt charges and threads one through the covers to keep the strike.
This performance is seeming increasingly 'old England'. #WWC17
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) July 9, 2017
46th over: England 217-6 (Brunt 25, Gunn 20) Beams back on and shells a difficult chance off her own bowling. Gunn advances and slaps down the ground but Beams cannot get right behind the ball and palms it away. Single taken.
45th over: England 213-6 (Brunt 24, Gunn 18) Better from Gunn, timing a short part exquisitely through square leg, bisecting the two fielders stationed out to stop that exact shot. All along the turf, too.
44th over: England 210-6 (Brunt 21, Gunn 14) First boundary in yonks comes up as Brunt moves across her crease and is able to latch onto a slog sweep around the corner.
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43rd over: England 201-6 (Brunt 19, Gunn 12)
The England 200 comes up off 268 balls. Gardner giving the ball some air, with fielders down the ground, but neither bat obliging to hit her over the top.
42nd over: England 197-6 (Brunt 16, Gunn 11)
Villani back into the attack. Brunt buys five wides with some smart footwork, feigning to go outside off stump before retreating and getting the right-arm dibbler to follow her. No real intent off the bat but still 10 from the over.
41st over: England 187-6 (Brunt 13, Gunn 9) Good god, what utterly shocking umpiring. Was it a nick behind? Probably. Did Healy catch it? Well no, because it spilled out onto the ground in front of her, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE UMPIRE WHO GAVE IT OUT! Utter garbage umpiring, that. Luckily, England had a review in the chamber that they were able to call on. Plus, it looked like Australia weren’t too hot on the appeal and, had there been no DRS, might have withdrawn the appeal. Still, grim bit of work from yer man with the red top and black trillby.
40th over: England 183-6 (Brunt 12, Gunn 6) Not a good Power Play for England. Not at all. 20 runs. One wicket. Very meh. Looks like the plan or tipping their way to 250 rather than clobbering a few. Boo, that’s what I say.
39th over: England 180-6 (Brunt 12, Gunn 6) No boundaries, but some good running brings the first three of the innings. Brunt ticking...
38th over: England 175-6 (Brunt 12, Gunn 1)
In comes Jenny Gunn for Wyatt. A deserved wicket for Jonassen. Gunn’s lost her way with the bat a bit but she’s perfectly capable of clubbing a few. Or at least getting Brunt on strike at regular intervals.
This is weird. Broad and Wyatt fall off successive balls. One brings two for the third time today, albeit 118 miles apart.
— daniel norcross (@norcrosscricket) July 9, 2017
WICKET! Wyatt b Jonassen 27 (England 174-6)
Good bowling from Jonassen, who cramps Wyatt for room by coming over the wicket to the right-hander. Wyatt tries and fails to sweep. Stumps everywhere.
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37th over: England 173-5 (Wyatt 27, Brunt 11) Megan Schutt, three overs to go, ticks one off from the Ashley Down Road End. Change-ups aplenty. Brunt can’t really get her away but gets lucky when a skewed edge lands between backward point and fine leg (up in the circle) to give her a second two of the over.
36th over: England 168-5 (Wyatt 27, Brunt 6)
Jonassen starts the Power Play off but gets pumped, second ball, across the line for four by Brunt. Two fielders on the legside fence – backward square and midwicket – could only watch. That third fielder outside the ring is Villani at long on.
35th over: England 163-5 (Wyatt 27, Brunt 1)
Big leading edge back to the bowler does for Tammy. Shame, really, but Brunt has a chance to get her eye in before the Power Play robs Australia of an extra fielder outside the circle. Wyatt looks keen to get going, too, as she finishes the over by planting Garnder down the ground for her second six!
WICKET! Beaumont c & b Gardner 49 (England 156-5)
She won’t make it to her half-century but a fine hand played by Tammy Beaumont. She’s had to dig in and put on a valuable partnership of 54 with Danni Wyatt. Katherine Brunt the new bat, with the Power Play an over away...
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34th over: England 156-4 (Beaumont 49, Wyatt 21) Perry is all over the shop! Starts with a wide and then a full bunger that Beaumont smokes high over square leg for six! Belting shot! And that’s the fifty partnership, from 9.2 overs. Pinches the strike to move to 49... DRINKS
Watched Perry bowling in nets this morning. Not running up at all. She looks tired. She WANTS to do it all - but should they let her? #WWC17
— Raf Nicholson (@RafNicholson) July 9, 2017
33rd over: England 147-4 (Beaumont 42, Wyatt 21) Schutt has a blow as Ashleigh Garder’s offies make a return. Flats in trouble? Not right now: Wyatt and Beaumont happy to try and play it cute. So too does Lanning, who brings Kristen Beams into a backstop position for both, urging them to seek runs elsewhere. Beaumont’s stay at the crease has ticked over two hours...
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32nd over: England 143-4 (Beaumont 41, Wyatt 18) Perry’s trying to do something here. When I find out what it is, I’ll let you know. But she’s bowled three wides already, with just three legal deliveries. Finally, we’re done but only five runs have been added to England’s score.
31st over: England 138-4 (Beaumont 40, Wyatt 17) Uncharacteristically loose from Schutt, who fires one very wide down leg for five. Impressively, earlier on in the over, Beaumont and Wyatt managed to scamper two leg byes from one LBW appeal. Who needs bats?
30th over: England 129-4 (Beaumont 37, Wyatt 16) After Wyatt’s dash against Jonassen, we’ve had just 12 runs in the last three overs. Good control from Australia, who know England are the ones who will have to force the issue. They’ll fancy anything England can muster at this current rate.
29th over: England 126-4 (Beaumont 36, Wyatt 14) Schutt’s first spell of five overs, 1-15, featured Alyssa Healy keeping bat. Immediately here, perhaps because of Beaumont’s desire to walk down, she is standing up. As a result, she’s done by a bit of extra bounce outside off stump and concedes four byes. For some reason, a run out change is sent upstairs – adverts, maybe? – despite the fact that Danni Wyatt’s entire bat was in. And on we go...
28th over: England 121-4 (Beaumont 36, Wyatt 13) More class from Beams. Wyatt and Beaumont just need to be happy with singles. Just the four of them. Jonassen looks like she is being replaced by Megan Schutt. The ninth bowling change of the innings our in-house scorer tells us.
27th over: England 117-4 (Beaumont 34, Wyatt 11) Oh Danni girl, the pipes... the pipes! Bit of room from Jonassen allows her to cut for four and then, straighter, Wyatt holds the shape and launches the left-arm spinner down the ground for the game’s first six. Class.
Speaking of Buckfast, thoroughly recommend this Vice documentary on the culture around it. WARNING: contains proper, Scottish swears:
26th over: England 106-4 (Beaumont 33, Wyatt 1) Villani gets the wicket and is hooked from the attack for Beams. Wyatt can’t really get her away but does get off the mark with a decent cut.
25th over: England 103-4 (Beaumont 31, Wyatt 0) Classy over from Jonassen, who is turning the ball at will. Not every ball, mind. Maybe some natural variation in there. Nevertheless, she ties England down for just one run.
24th over: England 102-4 (Beaumont 30)
Hundred up but four down. And, like Taylor, Sciver was looking classy. Danni Wyatt in for the most important moment of her England career. She needs to stand up.
WICKET! Sciver c Lanning b Villani 29 (England 102-4)
Looking fluent, in the mood, goes down the ground but it’s just no good. Villani has enough off the ball for Sciver to dip one straight to Meg Lanning. Has to tumble forward to take that catch but, is Meg Lanning, so pulls it off with ease.
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23rd over: England 97-3 (Beaumont 28, Sciver 26) Beaumont finally uses her feet effectively and drives hard down the ground. It bounces short of the fielder running in from mid off and, as a result, skips through her away for four.
22nd over: England 89-3 (Beaumont 22, Sciver 24) Elyse Villani, the poster girl for Military Medium Pace, comes into the attack to replace the impressive Beams (opening spell of 5-1-22-2). Objectively, it’s a bit trashy, but it does a job. A bit like really bad booze – Lambrini or Buckfast. One bad ball, very wide, is sliced over point for four by Sciver.
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21st over: England 84-3 (Beaumont 22, Sciver 19) Enjoyable battle between Ellyse Perry and Tammy Beaumont. Tammy’s trying to walk into a drive and find four on the off side, but Perry’s keen to test out Tammy’s mettle against the short stuff. Lanning plays her part, dropping fielders out between deliveries. Eventually, Tammy cuts her losses and drops one down to third man.
20th over: England 81-3 (Beaumont 21, Sciver 17)
Glorious from Sciver: drawn forward by Beams, she clouts one through mid on for four. Power and finesse. Ballesteros-esque.
19th over: England 74-3 (Beaumont 21, Sciver 10) Another sharp one from Perry. Winfield and Beaumont have an unwritten rule where one of them needs to be there out in the middle at 30-overs. Tammy isn’t quite seizing up, but she does seem to be playing within herself.
18th over: England 72-3 (Beaumont 20, Sciver 9) Three singles takes us to drinks. Honours even? Ah, probably more towards Australia at this juncture.
17th over: England 69-3 (Beaumont 18, Sciver 6) Ellyse Perry returns to the attack, her first over about half-an-hour ago going for eight. Not as many or as much this time around as she’s wicket-to-wicket. Returns with a maiden, largely thanks to some sharp work by the fielder at square leg, who dives to her left to save four.
16th over: England 69-3 (Beaumont 18, Sciver 6) The first boundary in 41 deliveries come as Sciver rocks back and punishes a short ball from Beams between midwicket and mid on. Short again to Tammy and she pulls harder and squarer for her boundary. Strong over.
By the way, what a feat this is:
Sciver is the first woman to bring up 1,000 ODI runs from fewer than 1,000 deliveries. Her 943 BF beats Lanning's record of 1,011. #WWC17
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) July 9, 2017
15th over: England 60-3 (Beaumont 14, Sciver 3) 46, 106, 82, 22* – rotten way for Knight to throw away some good form. Sciver and Beaumont exchange the strike.
The scene from yer second innings man Collins
Knight livid. Yuk. #WWC17 pic.twitter.com/QAQoQJqhox
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) July 9, 2017
14th over: England 57-3 (Beaumont 13, Sciver 1) Be interesting to see how Nat Sciver plays this. Time to bat, no real need to force the issue. If she bats long, she’ll bat big. No two ways about it. Gets off the mark with a forceful club down the ground that nearly takes Beams’ hand off.
WICKET! Knight c Lanning b Beams 2 (England 56-3)
Knight goes! Trying to hit Beams over the top, she finds her opposing captain lurking deliberately at straight mid off. Can’t blame Knight for trying, just poor execution of the shot. Beams’ second wicket in 10 balls...
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13th over: England 54-2 (Beaumont 12, Knight 1) Knight off the mark with a dab around the corner off Garnder. Squeeze well and truly on. England just need to keep their cool and not blink first.
There’s no real evidence for this graphic by the way, but it is scientific fact
England captain #HeatherKnight is at the crease & she was the most popular pick for highest #ENGvAUS scorer on the ICC FanScore app! #WWC17 pic.twitter.com/T82X8hxiiR
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 9, 2017
12th over: England 52-2 (Beaumont 11, Knight 0) Kristen Beams. Actually, she pitches leggie and does it pretty darn well. Taylor drawn forward and, essentially, done through the gate. England captain Heather Knight in at four, joined by a slip. Good, Australian skippership. Wicket maiden to start.
WICKET! Taylor b Beams 35 (England 52-2)
BIGGIE! Beams starts well, drawing Taylor forward and, via the inside edge, lights up the stumps. Huge, huge wicket. Taylor was looking in godly form.
11th over: England 52-1 (Beaumont 11, Taylor 35) Off tweak of Ashleigh Gardner gets a go and the team fifty is brought up with a nudge to the leg side. Beaumont then drops and runs after dropping one at her feet, somehow. Sharp work from both these two, who shared that 275-run stand against South Africa.
Mitchell Starc never got enough credit for winning the Australian Masters.#EngvAus pic.twitter.com/BCiZjOYwBT
— Richard Hinds (@rdhinds) July 9, 2017
10th over: England 48-1 (Beaumont 9, Taylor 33) Beaumont finally – finally! – gets off eight, having got there in the fourth over. We’ve had 40 dots in the opening 60.
9th over: England 46-1 (Beaumont 8, Taylor 32) Jonassen back into the attack from the same end she opened from and immediately draws a snick for four. Was it a chance? Hmmm not really. Healy was going down leg to start, before it turned big and sharp. A fine first slip would have been in play. Off side reinforced for Taylor, with a catching extra cover nestling between mid off and orthodox cover. Taylor gets one to square leg.
I know Im kiss of death but dereliction of duty if I don't say switch over to Eng v Aus women where Sarah Taylor is producing a masterclass.
— mike selvey (@selvecricket) July 9, 2017
8th over: England 39-1 (Beaumont 8, Taylor 25) Sharp thinking from Taylor. Spots the quicker ball from Schutt and, with fine leg square – or square leg fine? – ramps for four inside the fielder.
Meanwhile, at HQ...
Hope this gets a bit of an airing this morning #EngvSA #WestleyForEngland #EagleNoises pic.twitter.com/YHq7z4VmDH
— Hannah (@hannah_itfc) July 9, 2017
7th over: England 33-1 (Beaumont 8, Taylor 20) Ellyse Perry replaces Jess Jonassen away in front of the flats. Beaumont manages to scramble a leg bye, allowing Taylor to face and use the pace to place a square drive away for four. Perry then drops her length accidentally and Taylor pangs it through midwicket. 10 off Perry’s first over.
Just over six years ago, she did this:
6th over: England 23-1 (Beaumont 8, Taylor 11) Solid from Schutt. Just two run s conceded as Beaumont struggles to knock her off her length. Such a clever seamer. And sharp captaincy too: just one fielder outside the ring as they look to choke both bats.
Glorious day in Bristol, so hopefully this gets a bit of a crowd, too.
The #WWC17 trophy is in place at the Bristol Fan Park in Millennium Square, where #ENGvAUS is also being shown on a big screen! pic.twitter.com/yuUVyZ43xy
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 9, 2017
Still some seats going here at the ground, but filling in quite nicely.
5th over: England 12-0 (Beaumont 8, Winfield 10) First runs in front of square and it was very much worth the wait. Jonassen is full and Taylor is forward to thread through a four-strong off side field. Twice, now! The two fielders out for Jonassen are midwicket and backward square leg - the latter comes into play as Taylor nicks the strike off the last ball.
Since the 2013 WC England have the best ODI W/L record batting 1st (W13, L3) & Australia have the best record in chases (W18, L2). #WWC17
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) July 9, 2017
4th over: England 11-1 (Beaumont 8, Taylor 1) Tame from Winfield, who didn’t really need to force the issue in the way that she did. Looked pretty solid getting right behind the ball. Whatever the seamer’s equivalent of getting one above the eyes, Schutt did it. Sarah Taylor, gun at three like the rest of the world, gets off the mark with a ping into square leg. Beaumont serves up the first boundary with with a nick though vacant one-point-five slip.
WICKET! Winfield c Bolton b Schutt 1 (England 6-1)
Ugly shot from Lauren Winfield – a lot of bottom hand sends one straight into the hands of midwicket. Schutter with the breakthrough.
3rd over: England 6-0 (Winfield 1, Beaumont 4) Good work from Tammy Beaumont. Jonassen looks to settle into a groove, but the Kent bat gets on one knee and laps over her front shoulder for a couple of runs. And again, albeit more a sweep than a lap (we should really draw up a list of these words to describe plinks behind square leg (*adds plink). Winfield follows her partner, with a guide of her own. Nothing in front of the wicket just yet.
"So what's the plan today?"
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) July 9, 2017
"Have breakfast & then go into the balcony & watch England play Australia."#WWC17 #bristol pic.twitter.com/hmH3bzs01D
2nd over: England 2-0 (Winfield 0, Beaumont 1) Never mind Perry, the returning Megan Schutt kicks things off from the Pavilion End. She spoke well yesterday about how, because she’s not the quickest, she has had to develop an array of variations. Naturally an inswing bowler, a change-ups are more on pace than length or shape. First run off the bat as Beaumont advances to tuck one off her pads and into vacant square leg. Winfield defends solidly to see out the over.
@Vitu_E Do The White Stripes get a couple of pence royalties every time that song is played? Does Michael van Gerwen?
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) July 9, 2017
Ravi Bopara no doubt in the mix for his cut, too.
1st over: England 1-0 (Winfield 0, Beaumont 0) Spin to start – left arm – as Jess Jonassen takes the new ball from the Ashley Down Road End. She’s opened a fair bit this tournament with Ellyse Perry. Hell of a golfer, Jonassen, though she’ll have to take a mulligan for that third delivery that scoots down the leg side. England off the mark with a wide.
“From the Queen of England to the hounds of hell”
Shame. Australia take to the field, closely followed by Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Winfield. Every single one, with a story to tell. Over the next few hours, I’ll be bringing you those stories.
This match is on Sky, by the by, and in your ears, too:
Two matches, two TMS commentaries:
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) July 9, 2017
Eng vs SA: https://t.co/s2CkAcWTXh #LordsTest
Eng Women vs Aus Women: https://t.co/ACkM35oxMp #WWC17 pic.twitter.com/pFO7OYSk8M
Anthems imminent. Last time I was here, they didn’t play Seven Nation Army. Fingers crossed they keep to that...
Seriously, this choir. What’s wrong with a good DJ? The ICC have centralised quite a few things this World Cup – hotels, travel arrangments, Pepsi Max – why not a good turntablist? Prerably Kiwis, who definitely know what’s up.
ENGLAND WIN THE TOSS AND BAT FIRST
Having scored 373 up first against South Africa, Heather Knight has decided to see if her side can go big once more against the defending champions. England are a very sketchy chasing side, so nothing about this is a surprise. Despite being on a fresh wicket, Meg Lanning says she would have fielded first.
Fran Wilson has picked up an ankle injury and will be replaced by Jenny Gunn. The two changes for Australia are the return of Meg Lanning and Megan Schutt, for drop-in skipper Rachel Haynes and Sarah Aley.
England: L Winfield, T Beaumont, S Taylor, H Knight, N Sciver, D Wyatt, K Brunt, J Gunn, A Shrubsole, D Hazell, A Hartley
Australia: B Mooney, N Bolton, M Lanning, E Perry, E Villani, A Blackwell, A Healy, J Jonassen, A Gardner, M Schutt, K Beams
"Last I heard, it was still attached"
Perhaps the phrase of the tournament so far, so lubricated in sarcasm that it basically fell out of the mouth of Australia bowling coach Joe Dawes and seeped into our dictaphones. We laughed in the way that you laugh when a football manager makes a 4/10 joke in a press conference. But just to confirm, Dawesy, Meg Lanning’s shoulder hasn’t fallen off? “Last I heard...” yeah OK.
It feels a bit odd to be dwelling over one player, especially when we’ve got two of the most exciting sides in the comp squaring off. But the fact that she happens to be the best batter the game has seen, it kind of makes sense. For the last couple of years, Lanning has basically been throwing underarm to cope with a chronic shoulder problem that, some here reckon, will see her miss one more group game – perhaps Australia’s final one against against South Africa, if qualification and, importantly, position is in the bag. She’ll play today. “Last I heard”.
As for England, Heather Knight mentioned they needed to have a few discussions over selection. That might mean an extra spinner. Perhaps even a return for Jenny Gunn. We shall see. Meanwhile, there’s a choir here “butchering” Take That songs. I’ve had a bacon sandwich though, so swings and roundabouts.
Remember, you can drop me a line on vithushan.ehantharajah.casual@theguardian.com or chuck some darts over at @Vitu_E on Twitter.
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Vithushan will be here soon.
