England will look back on a difficult day
Katherine Brunt has produced my favourite shot of the day. Jess Jonassen floated it right up in the slot and Brunt just charged down and absolutely thudded it through mid-wicket for four. It was beautiful and it certainly cheered the crowd up. More a shot borne of frustration, than anything else.
It’s just been an odd day of Test cricket. Australia have bowled well, and the way Meg Lanning has kept her bowlers limited to four or five over spells as a time, has been inspired. England haven’t been able to get a read on the bowling or the pitch. But for all they’ve bowled well, I wonder how much tactical inexperience has cost England. There have been 33 maidens today. That wasn’t 33 overs of unplayable bowling - there’s been a lot of England getting bogged down and just not knowing how to score. Sad, really, because there are some beautiful stroke makers in this team. Natalie Sciver, Heather Knight, Lydia Greenway - all of them should have got more runs than they have.
England are crumbling
Wickets are like buses etc. This is now a proper collapse as Laura Marsh tamely fends a Megan Schutt delivery through to the keeper without scoring.
Australia have bowled well but I wonder how much of this is down to tactical naivety. England just haven’t known how to score. The partnership between Jess Jonassen and Kristen Beams yesterday felt the same at the start but Jonassen found the boundary and she could rotate the strike. England just haven’t. They’ve let Australia bowl at them. 129-8 now and that could be the game.
Natalie Sciver is out
Oh, Natalie Sciver. Megan Schutt returns to the attack and Sciver shapes to sweep her first ball. She gets hit on the pad and is lucky; the over before drinks, she tried the same shot to Sarah Coyte and narrowly avoided inside edging onto her stumps. She’s hit on the pad, shaping for the same shot, by Schutt’s third ball, and she’s given lbw.
That’s another ropey decision - reckon that was sliding down leg - but that ends Sciver’s vigil of 35 from 124 balls. Laura Marsh is in now. She made the slowest half-century in Test history in this fixture two years ago, and that was on a pitch that was slower than this one.
England have avoided the follow on
Some good news for England, who have avoided the follow on, thanks to an inside edge off Natalie Sciver that was perilously close to her off stump.
Sciver is an interesting character. Born in Tokyo, she’s one of those annoying people who is good at any sport she turns her hand to. She’s played tennis, golf and football, and only chose cricket because a pushy tennis coach put her off the sport. She’s looked really good here. She played a decent knock in her Test debut in Perth, again coming in when England were in trouble. She’s been patient here - out of all the England players, she and Georgia Elwiss look to have learnt the most from Jess Jonassen’s knock.
Other than the odd flick off the pads, it’s all very slow. It’s getting darker, but we’re playing on until 7.30, by all accounts.
Updated
England trail Australia by 157 runs with five wickets remaining
Good contest under the lights as England do their best to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Georgia Elwiss is a natural run scorer and she has looked good so far. Some poor, leg-side deliveries from Holly Ferling have been worked away as England try to avoid getting bogged down again.
Ellyse Perry has just dragged her line back and not for the better. Although she does get that extra pace it was always going to be difficult to get the ball to spit and bounce the older it got. Meg Lanning has captained really, really well. She’s changed her bowlers up quickly and constantly, never letting England settle. She’s turned to Jess Jonassen again as another change in pace. It would have been great to see Kristen Beams bowling but she hasn’t been on the field all day except for the ten minutes this morning where Australia batted.
England are 93-5
Two overs after tea and Lydia Greenway has fallen to an awful piece of umpiring. It was a good ball from Ellyse Perry, pitching and moving back in, but given it pitched way outside the line, that is dreadful. There’s no DRS in the women’s series - I assume down to the cost - so the umpiring has to be top quality. That, sadly, was distinctively average.
Australia were 99-5 in their first innings. England are currently 93-5. Debutant Jess Jonassen was at the crease for Australia; debutant Georgia Elwiss is currently keeping Natalie Sciver company. There’s a pleasing symmetry to all this but under cloudy skies, this is a tough ask for England.
It’s teatime in Canterbury
A very attritional afternoon session for England there. Natalie Sciver and Lydia Greenway got absolutely nothing to hit. Holly Ferling, Megan Schutt, Sarah Coyte - they bowled that off-stump line and England just left and left. Sciver eventually got a thick outside edge as she threw a drive at Coyte and it ran away to third man. It was the first runs for round about 50 minutes.
Jess Jonassen’s introduction broke the deadlock for England. Greenway managed to sweep her away for her first runs in 35 balls, while Sciver slammed her back down the ground for a glorious boundary. Meg Lanning has decided to give herself a bowl. Two years ago, when she came on to bowl, I asked the media manager how to describe Lanning’s bowling. “Medium surprise,” was the answer. She has a Malinga like action, except more side on, with a round arm. It’s so much fun to watch.
So that’s tea, with England 81-4. We’ve still got 48 overs left in the day. Gonna be a late one.
England are stuck
Megan Schutt’s spell has ended; during that little four over blast, she bowled three maidens, conceded four runs and got the crucial wicket of Charlotte Edwards. She’s different to Ellyse Perry in that she takes the pace off the ball. The off-cutter to dismiss Edwards was beautiful; pitched and then hit the top of off to dislodge the bail. She has a slightly shorter, more pumping run-up than Perry but she hits a consistent line.
Meg Lanning has brought Holly Ferling back on to new batsman Natalie Sciver, which is a good move. Ferling looks to be in a better rhythm and she’s getting a bit of extra bounce from the pitch. She’s a real contrast. All big blonde hair, tied up with ribbons, then she can bowl a real nasty delivery that the batsman can’t do much about.
England are stuck. Australia aren’t given them anything to hit and as such they’re struggling to rotate the strike. This is, in a roundabout sort of way, a good opportunity for Sciver and Lydia Greenway. If they could replicate the partnership that Australia had between Kristen Beams (who is currently off the field with a calf strain) and Jess Jonassen then they might be in with a shout.
England are in big trouble
Huge wicket for Australia, as Megan Schutt bowls a leg cutter that hits the stumps. Schutt was appealing for caught behind - no-one but Alyssa Healy noticed it had hit the stumps. She’s gone for 30 and England are 61-4 and in a whole heap of trouble
England find some momentum
I like a good bit of positivity. Lydia Greenway, currently on 2, beautifully pushed a full Perry delivery through the covers. One lone voice chirps up: “Oh, she’s gone past her lowest Test score. That’s a good start.”
Perry has changed ends and she’s really getting some pace on the ball. She also has that natural bounce which just troubles the batsmen. Charlotte Edwards looks settled, with a beautiful straight drive off Perry making a gorgeous thudding noise. She has four Test centuries, one of which came off over 300 balls. England would love her to channel that patience and get a big score.
England are now 34-3
And just as I press send, Heather Knight has a drive at Coyte and edges to Meg Lanning who took a stunner at first slip. 34-3. Dear oh dear.
England trail Australia by 240 runs with eight wickets remaining
Double change at Canterbury, with Sarah Coyte and Holly Ferling replacing Megan Schutt and Ellyse Perry.
I have a lot of time for Ferling. During the last two Ashes series she was the bowler who had that extra pace and bounce. She hurried the batsman - in fact, she’s given Charlotte Edwards a really difficult time in the last two Tests - but then her injury delayed things. She’s had her run-up remodelled to avoid further injury but it also looks as though her action has changed. Because she was only 18 when she first broke through, she bowled naturally; now it’s been tinkered with, it looks a bit mechanical and she’s not getting through her action properly. She had a fairly torrid time in the one-day series.
A long way to go for England but Heather Knight and Charlotte Edwards are going along well. Edwards is a beautiful driver of the ball. She doesn’t do quick singles - bit difficult when your knees are essentially held together by sticky tape - but her timing, her backlift, the power in her shots more than makes it up for it. Knight is more cautious but she’s a good counterpart for Edwards.
Some useful information
Here are the revised session times after the late start today. #WomensAshes pic.twitter.com/2EbSACwFfp
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 12, 2015
England are struggling
A bit of time to reflect on those quick wickets as Charlotte Edwards and Heather Knight settle in.
Ellyse Perry’s run-up is a thing of great beauty. Little steps that turn into a gallop; that smooth action, targeting the off-stump line, ponytail bobbing behind her. Her first ball of the match was a stunner, just nipping away as Knight probed forward. The one to dismiss Lauren Winfield was even better. It pitched and just kept rising. Winfield did nothing wrong – she went forward to defend but as it rose it just kissed the surface of the bat and went through to Healy.
And then the next ball, to Sarah Taylor, was just perfect. Taylor does often play across the line in Test cricket. The ball was quick and full, Taylor fell across her stumps and couldn’t do anything as she was trapped in front of leg stump. Beautiful bowling. England are currently 10-2, with Edwards and Knight both watchful.
England are 7-2 after two overs
I’ve calmed down after my carvery. Shame things aren’t going so well on the pitch.
We’ve had two overs and England are 7-2. Lauren Winfield was the first two go. Ellyse Perry got an absolute snorter of a delivery to bounce up on Winfield, who defended high up on the bat and edged through to Alyssa Healy. And then Sarah Taylor fell first ball, pinned lbw by Perry.
The Australian was on a hat trick and the third delivery wasn’t that far away, swinging in to Charlotte Edwards who is a very good candidate for lbw first up. She managed to defend it away, however, but what a start for Australia. Perry is, for me, a better red ball bowler than white. She too gets that swing but she has a tad more pace than Anya Shrubsole. She has a beautiful action as well; all rhythm and bounce as she runs in. Lovely stuff to watch but oh dear, England.
It’s lunchtime
We started play at 12.30. Australia declared at 12.46, after adding six runs. We had a 10-minute break, England began batting at 12.56 for the grand total of one over, and then trooped off for a 40-minute lunch break. Cricket.
That confirmed that Meg Lanning was waiting for Jess Jonassen to get to her century before declaring. There was no real urgency in Australia’s batting, England got nothing out of the pitch and sending Ferling out for the grand total of one ball just wasted even more time. Very odd.
So Ellyse Perry bowls the one over, and the first ball is an absolute beauty that beats Heather Knight all ends up. She’s bowling from the same end that Anya Shrubsole had success at. It just nipped away at the last moment, forcing Knight to play and it so narrowly avoided the outside edge. She’ll feel better though with a glorious cover drive that sails to the boundary. That’s 4-0, and that’s lunch.
It’s on! And Australia have declared on 274-9
Flags have been waved, jumpers have been donned and Jerusalem has been tunelessly sung. We have cricket!
And oh, Jess Jonassen is out on 99! That is such a disappointing ends to an absolutely lovely innings. There was no urgency from Australia this morning, or from Jonassen to get to her century. They just knocked the balls into the gaps, ran the singles. And then Jonassen just played across the line to a straight ball from Katherine Brunt that trapped her bang in front of the stumps.
She’s had to drag herself off the pitch. A lovely round of applause from the crowd - there’s a big group of friends and family who give her a huge standing ovation - but that won’t make her feel better. And on that, Australia have declared on 274-9.
We should have some cricket by 12.30pm
Another inspection at 12.15, with a view to starting at 12.30 – we can play on until 7pm tonight, provided there’s no further weather this evening.
It’s very soggy. I’ve amused myself by watching Test Match Special’s Charles Dagnell soak his suede shoes as he walked onto the very wet outfield. It’s been one of those mornings.
All the news you need in a weather report
Rain watch: it’s stopped raining. It is still however grey and horrible. Anyway, we’re set for another inspection at 11.45.
On my slippy walk to the ground this morning I passed Anya Shrubsole, who was strolling from the team hotel to the ground. She said yesterday she felt “ a bit stiff” after bowling, and she went off with calf cramp. It may have been something minor but it did seem to affect her follow through when she returned with the new ball.
She bowled a magnificent spell yesterday though. She has always had a natural in swing when bowling, but yesterday she bowled a really tight line and got the ball to move in and then away from the batsmen. Her new ball partnership with Katherine Brunt was a genuine joy to watch. It’s such a shame they don’t play more Test, or at the very least more red ball, cricket. The movement the two England seamers got was genuinely impressive.
Amy Lofthouse sets up the day
My bright red, sunburnt shoulder is currently the brightest thing in Canterbury. It is hosing it down; really fine, irritating rain that is absolutely drenching the ground. We will definitely be in for a delayed start and sadly I reckon we won’t see any play until after lunch. The forecast looks to be picking up this afternoon, but you never know.
Before the rain came, the Australian batsmen were having a net this morning. Jess Jonassen, who needs five runs to become the thirteenth female Australian cricketer to make a century on debut, had a quick net, alongside Ellyse Perry and Nicole Beams. Australia were itching to declare yesterday afternoon, with all the players gathered on the balcony about an hour before the end of play. The thought of Jonassen’s debut century must have proved too much, as Meg Lanning opted not to call her players in.
This 268 is already a good total - with the overhead conditions, should we get any play, Australia have bowlers capable of making the ball swing. It could be a tough morning for England with the bat.
Morning all,
Amy Lofthouse will be continuing her live coverage of the Women’s Ashes from Canterbury today. Here’s her report from last night, as Australia finished on 268-8:
Enjoy the cricket.
