Michelle Goszko
Ex-Australia batter on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

I think this outfield has quickened up over the past few days.

Tammy Beaumont swivels to pull a short ball from Darcie Brown over square leg for four.

Earlier in the over, Heather Knight turned the ball onto the boot of the short leg fielder.

It was off the face of the bat and hit the ground at the same moment the boot was struck so not really a chance. A half-chance at best.

Michelle Goszko
Ex-Australia batter on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

It's fair to say that at the moment, this has been the best day of the Ashes tour so far for England.

Just a pair of leg-byes from Annabel Sutherland's over, that goes down as a maiden for the Aussie all-rounder.

At the other end, Darcie Brown is preparing to bowl the sixth over of her spell with less than 10 minutes until the tea break.

Michelle Goszko
Ex-Australia batter on BBC Sounds

This pitch has flattened out, a little bit quicker than what we saw yesterday. It's hot here in Melbourne so it'll be dry. Hopefully there'll be a bit of spin for Alana King.

Short and to the point, Mark!

Dare I say it, since the wicket of Maia Bouchier, England have looked pretty comfortable out there.

Just a single from Darcie Brown's over but no real causes for concern for the tourists.

Of course, we've not seen any spin in this innings yet...

Michelle Goszko
Ex-Australia batter on BBC Sounds

That ball went three-quarters of the way to the boundary and they still only went for one, it's just not good enough. All these little things add up into something big.

Australia go up as one for an lbw shout against Tammy Beaumont but Annabel Sutherland indicates she thinks it was going down leg - and there might have been bat involved, too.

Otherwise a good shout.

England get a bonus run to end the over as a direct hit from the deep sees the ball ricochet into a gap, turning one into two for Heather Knight.

Michelle Goszko
Ex-Australia batter on BBC Sounds

Just watching the difference here, Australia would've turned that two into a three. That's just one of the differences that we've seen between these two teams.

Image source, Getty Images

Tammy Beaumont does well to not only dig out a very full ball from Darcie Brown but get it through mid-off for two.

Brown then overcooks a bouncer and is called for a wide to end the over.

We're going to have a bowling change now, Annabel Sutherland - fresh from a ton with the bat - will replace Kim Garth.

Henry Moeran
Test Match Special commentator

Kim Garth not quite on the money this morning.

Just that Heather Knight boundary from Kim Garth's over.

England are in no rush so far. It's about batting time more than the runs at this stage.

Get through the rest of this session and the next with wickets in hand and perhaps they can see where they're at and assess the situation. For now, just bat.

Michelle Goszko
Ex-Australia batter on BBC Sounds

Image source, EPA

That's Heather Knight at her best there, just driving it through the covers.

Gorgeous shot.

Swing again for Kim Garth but this one is too full, a half-volley, and Heather Knight drives it sumptuously through the covers for four.

Not a bad way to get off the mark.

Darcie Brown produces a near-identical delivery to the one that bowled Maia Bouchier but Tammy Beaumont does enough to keep this one out.

The opener ends the over by punching an over-pitched delivery through mid-on for two.

With the sun beating down, conditions look ideal for batting in Melbourne, England just have to stay out there for as long as possible.

Sarah Elliott
Ex-Australia batter on BBC Sounds

I'm sure the England batting group will go away and have a conversation about what has happened. Confidence is such an important part of it, cricket is such a mental game.

Srinivas Vijaykumar
Cricviz analyst

England lose their opening wicket again early in the innings. Across this Women's Ashes in the eight innings, England's opening partnership have scored only 80 runs at an average of 10. They've had single-digit scores for the opening wicket on six occasions.

Kim Garth keeps plugging away with her out-swingers to the England right-handers.

It is only a matter of time before she sends down a straight one, zeroing in at the stumps to try and catch the batters out.

However, Heather Knight is ready for it when it eventually comes last ball of the over. Solid forward defence from the England captain.

Maia Bouchier was beaten by the pace as much as the movement off the seam there.

With England a wicket down early again, Heather Knight is at the crease and keeps out the last ball of the Darcie Brown over.