Anya Shrubsole praised England’s perseverance after a fluctuating first day in the women’s Test at Canterbury. Australia made 268 for eight, with the debutant Jess Jonassen unbeaten on 95. Her performance allowed the tourists to recover from a devastating spell of bowling by the Englishwoman.
Shrubsole and Katherine Brunt shone with the new ball, getting in- and away-swing respectively. Shrubsole broke a dangerous 66-run opening partnership between Elyse Villani and Nicole Bolton, before dismissing the in-form captain Meg Lanning. She also took the wicket of Ellyse Perry as Australia were reduced to 99 for five. “I was a little bit more patient in that second spell,” Shrubsole said. “I had tried to do too much with the ball. When I came back I think I settled into a better line and length and let the pitch and the ball do the talking.
“It’s very easy when you play a lot of limited-overs cricket to become impatient and try to force the wickets. This was a case of settling in, putting the balls in the right place and waiting for the rewards.”
England were frustrated by an unbeaten 62-run ninth-wicket stand between Jonassen and Kristen Beams, both of whom tucked into the second new ball. Shrubsole, however, remains confident that England would bat well. “It’s frustrating and we would have liked to have been batting today,” she said. “It should give us encouragement that it is a good track. Hopefully we can pack on the runs tomorrow.”
