The Ashes 2023: Australia's Ellyse Perry hits 99 but England's Sophie Ecclestone hits back
- Published
England v Australia day one highlights
Women's Ashes Test, Trent Bridge (day one of five): |
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Australia 328-7 (85 overs): Perry 99, McGrath 61; Ecclestone 3-71 |
England: Yet to bat |
England spinner Sophie Ecclestone's three wickets left the one-off Test against Australia evenly poised after the first day at Trent Bridge.
After winning the toss, Australia were in control at 226-3 before losing three wickets for 12 runs in the space of 24 balls, including all-rounder Ellyse Perry for 99, as England pulled it back on the opening day of the multi-format Women's Ashes series.
Ecclestone took two wickets in three balls, bowling captain Alyssa Healy for a duck, before debutant Lauren Filer dismissed Perry with a sharp 76mph delivery.
A seventh-wicket partnership of 77 between Ash Gardner (40) and Annabel Sutherland (39 not out) then steadied Australia's progress as they finished on 328-7, after Gardner fell to Lauren Bell late in the day.
England seamer Kate Cross took the first wicket of the series as Phoebe Litchfield fell for 23 on Test debut, before Filer had opener Beth Mooney caught at slip for 33 for her first international wicket.
Perry, who was dropped on 10, and Tahlia McGrath added 119 for the third wicket as England's seamers toiled on a flat pitch in the afternoon session.
Ecclestone (3-71) was the only bowler to offer captain Heather Knight control, bowling a mammoth 31 overs at an economy rate of 2.29 runs per over, while the four seamers combined went at 4.34.
The five-day Test is worth four points in the multi-format series, and is followed by three Twenty20 internationals and three one-day internationals.
Ecclestone proves her class again
Ecclestone gets wickets of Jonassen and Healy in the same over
Perry and McGrath's partnership had an ominous air about it, the pair looking immovable and scoring effortlessly all around the ground as the ball and a flat pitch offered England's seamers very little.
But when England are in a crisis, Knight turns to Ecclestone, and so often she delivers.
From nowhere, McGrath was bowled by a beautiful flighted delivery that drifted through her defence to break the shackles, and breathe life back into a flagging England side.
A short rain delay then revived England, and Ecclestone struck again in the 56th over.
Jess Jonassen was caught off the glove at short leg after a smart review by Knight, before a perfectly executed quicker ball bowled wicketkeeper Healy - standing in as captain for the absent Meg Lanning - for her third consecutive duck in Ashes Test matches.
Ecclestone executed her role perfectly for Knight, twirling away at one end while the captain rotated her tired seamers at the other, but despite the Lancashire slow left-armer's brilliance, England must be cautious.
In the Test against India at Bristol in 2021, Ecclestone bowled 64 overs and subsequently struggled with her shoulder for the rest of the summer.
England need her fit and firing if they are compete with world champions Australia for another six Ashes matches after this Test.
Filer's pace shows early promise
Perry out for 99 after being caught Sciver-Brunt off the bowling of Filer
England head coach Jon Lewis described Filer as a "point of difference bowler" in his pre-match news conference, and it took her only one ball to prove it.
Perry was initially given out lbw, and while it was overturned on review after replays showed a big inside edge, Filer's pace and her unknown factor was immediately clear.
Australia's star all-rounder now averages an incredible 71.09 against England in Tests, and was granted another life after Tammy Beaumont spilled a chance at short leg.
Somerset quick Filer did not have to wait much longer to strike though, her pace and bounce drawing an edge from Mooney, before Perry's patience combined with run-scoring elegance blunted England's attack.
Filer bravely tested Australia out with the short ball, and her quickest delivery accounted for Perry, whose one loose shot of the day was well taken by Nat Sciver-Brunt at backward point as the ball flew off the bat at head height.
The debutant was relatively expensive - conceding 65 runs in 14 overs - but after the international retirement of pace spearhead Katherine Sciver-Brunt earlier this year, the early signs will excite England and Lewis for the future.
Filer gets Mooney for first international wicket
'An even day' - what they said
England bowler Lauren Filer on BBC Test Match Special: "It was a definitely a surreal experience, but I loved it.
"I didn't really feel many nerves during the morning but as soon as I got on the pitch, in the first five overs I felt very shaky. I just wanted to field the ball and after that I felt all right.
"It was quite tough, the ball wasn't moving a lot and the pitch probably didn't have as much pace as we thought it was going to have. We'll try and bowl straight and full tomorrow and take the last three wickets."
Australia all-rounder Ellyse Perry on TMS: "We'll split the chocolate today, it was just a really competitive game, some to-ing and fro-ing certainly in momentum and a really good tussle.
"I thought probably to finish the way we did in those last couple of sessions tonight has given us some really good momentum tomorrow but it certainly makes the first session in the morning really important.
"It would be nice to push up close to 400 runs."
Former England spinner Alex Hartley on TMS: "Both teams will reflect on that and be happy with it. Australia have taken it on and while England have not bowled well they have got seven wickets. All in all, an even day."
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