Summary

Live Reporting

by Matthew Henry & Timothy Abraham

  1. How's stat?!

    Ben Jones
    CricViz analyst

    Heather KnightGetty Images

    Frustrating and rare lack of game awareness from England's middle order guns. Both Knight and Sciver-Brunt were out slog-sweeping Gardner - the last time both were out playing the same shot, to the same bowler, was when they both got out sweeping Afy Fletcher in 2019.

  2. Eng 106-4

    GardnerGetty Images

    A couple of wickets in her back pocket and Ash Gardner has her tail up now, applying more revs to the ball.

    Turn and bounce from her final delivery of the over is rather unconvincingly fended off by Amy Jones.

  3. Australia turning the screw and we're less than halfway into the first innings.

    WinvizCricviz

  4. Eng 104-4

    Amy Jones survives again survives by the skin of her teeth.

    This time she somehow manages to slice a delivery from Ash Gardner between wicketkeeper and first slip. The ball races away for four.

    Beth Mooney gets a fingertip on it, and requires a bit of treatment from the physio. Harsh to call that a drop, so we won't.

  5. Charlotte Anneveld
    Former New South Wales bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    Amazing effort from Ellyse Perry. She got a hand to it but just couldn't keep hold of the ball.

    England are just ticking away in these partnerships, but Australia are showing how good their fielding skills are.

  6. dropped catch

    Jones dropped on one

    Ellyse Perry is human.

    Amy Jones whips the final ball of Darcie Brown's over into the deep and Perry produces an athletic diving effort but is unable to quite cling on.

    A spectacular effort.

  7. Eng 98-4

    Heather Knight perished slog-sweeping one which was too wide, while Nat Sciver-Brunt attempt to play the same shot to one which was far too full.

    A couple of unforced dismissals, to borrow some tennis terminology.

  8. Charlotte Anneveld
    Former New South Wales bowler on BBC Sounds

    Nat Sciver-Brunt played too far outside the off stump and just got a bit of a top edge.

    This is a huge wicket - she is arguably England's best player and has played a lot of cricket in Australia across various franchises. Australia are definitely on top here at the moment.

  9. wicket

    WICKET

    Sciver-Brunt c Perry b Gardner 19 (Eng 95-4)

    Another England batter duped into slog-sweeping Ash Gardner and caught in the deep.

    This is the wicket that she, and Australia, will really have wanted.

    Like Heather Knight, Sciver-Brunt cannot get the elevation on the shot and is caught by Ellyse Perry at deep mid-wicket.

  10. Alex Hartley
    Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    England were slowing down and it was an easy catch at mid-wicket.

    Heather Knight tried to sweep the ball into the leg-side and it just floated down for an easy catch. Australia have opened the door here.

  11. Ffion Wynne
    BBC Sport cricket writer in Sydney

    How does Ellyse Perry keep getting better and better? This is her 11th Ashes series, and yet she continues to set the highest standard in all aspects of her game.

    Incredible.

  12. Eng 94-3

    A decent catch by Ellyse Perry, but one you would expect her to take.

    Danni Wyatt-Hodge is the new batter for England.

  13. Henry Moeran
    Test Match Special commentator

    If there is one player you don't want to see running underneath your hit, it's Ellyse Perry. Unfortunately that was the case for Heather Knight.

  14. Alex Hartley
    Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    KnightGetty Images

    England were just getting a bit stodgy but they have reached the 90s now. When Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight are at the crease, you can't help but feel that England are in control.

    Australia will know how important this wicket is.

  15. wicket

    WICKET

    Knight c Perry b Gardner 39 (Eng 92-3)

    It just felt like something was about to give.

    Heather Knight attempts to slog sweep Ash Gardner but is unable to get the meat of the bat behind on it and top edges it skywards towards deep mid-wicket.

    It hangs in the air and Ellyse Perry scuttles in from the boundary and takes a tumbling catch.

  16. Ffion Wynne
    BBC Sport cricket writer in Sydney

    BrownGetty Images

    Darcie Brown is generally given the same role as Lauren Filer in England's side, to bowl quickly and take wickets, even if that concedes a few boundaries along the way.

    So far, Brown has been assisted by very economical bowling around her and Gardner will twirl away at the other end for her.

    It's going to be interesting to see if England's other bowlers can provide the same discipline for Filer later on.

  17. Eng 92-2

    Nat Sciver-Brunt tickles one her hip from Darcie Brown down the leg side of four. A welcome boundary. These feel like tense middle overs - the calm before the storm?

  18. Alex Hartley
    Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    England have the best powerplay figures in the world in ODI cricket. Today they were below average but that's because Australia's bowling was so good, from Kim Garth especially.

    I'm excited to see Darcie Brown bowling rockets now, but wides have been an issue for her.

  19. Eng 86-2

    Ash Gardner's offies seem relatively unthreatening so far but England have tempered any ambitions to be overly aggressive. We're into the 18th over but they it feels like they are still feeling their way into the match, and the series, to some extent.

  20. Sciver-Brunt survives

    The ball looked like it was doing too much, and the technology marks it down as umpire's call.

    Worth asking the question from Alyssa Healy's perspective.