The first battle of the Womens Ashes tour was won
at 10am, when Charlotte Edwards won the toss and batted, seeing as
according to Michael Vaughn only one Ashes test in the last year has
not gone with the toss – the toss winner has not lost and the loser
has not won an Ashes test match.
Arran Brindle showed all of the experience of
someone who has 448 test runs to her name, coming to the middle with
the wicket of the skipper Charlotte Edwards, at the end a spell when
three English wickets fell for four runs leaving the visitors
reeling at 32 for three. Passing 50 with a boundary also brought
Arran her 500th test run and with support from first Lydia Greenway
22, and then Natalie Sciver - scoring 49 on debut, the three left
the score with more respectability at 189 for 7. Natalie Sciver
batted with great composure and maturity, seemingly unaffected by
the pressure of the situation, which may have had some in the crowd
disbelieving that this was her test debut. The tail tried to wag,
but failed at a game that they rarely see, as many normally only get
to bat when they are following instructions to set or chase a score.
Dani Hazell did best, reaching 15 from 69 balls and England to a
total of 201, before it seemed the skipper sent out a message to
play their more normal game, and the next ball brought the flashing
blade and a catch to bring the innings to a close and returning test
player Rene Farrell her fourth wicket, an unexpected haul given that
she had failed to break through in the opening session, wickets
falling to all the other quicks.
Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole bowled with
aggression brought by the situation, in the 6 overs left in the day,
especially Anya in only her second test, bringing a few wild
deliveries but also two wickets, including that of the dangerous
opener Meg Lanning, leaving the home side 9 for 2 wickets after 5.5
overs.
Some in the crowd of probably less that 500 might
say the second wicket tips the scales Englands way, but the match is
evenly poised, apart from the weather that is causing horse racing
meetings to be cancelled with 44c forecast over the weekend, meaning
an exceedingly hot hard day in the field for the tourists tomorrow.
England may regret going in to this match with 3 front line seamers,
plus 3 second line seamers and only one spinner, unless the skipper
bowls herself, with her opposing number able to call on 25 overs of
spin out of the total of 91.1.
Further Test
Report : Day 2 :
Day 3
: Day
4
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