Summary

  • Australia fall three runs short

  • Eng 259-8: Beaumont 49, Brunt 45*, Villani 3-42

Live Reporting

Kal Sajad and Phil Dawkes

  1. Mel Jones
    Former Australia batter on BBC Test Match Special

    This is a big partnership for England to keep together. It is the one Australia will want to break as quickly as possible.

  2. Eng 46-1

    Oooh, Jonassen finds spin and turn and in doing so also finds the the outside edge of Taylor's bat. A slip and the England batter would have been gone, instead it races through for another boundary. Encouraging signs for Australia, though.

    Six from the over.

  3. Eng 39-1

    Australia quick Mitchell Starc is spotted in the crowd, here to support his other half Alyssa Healy. And there is not much the Aussie 'keeper Healy can do about that one as Taylor paddles it and it goes fine for four.

    There is none of this 'play yourself in' stuff from Taylor, she is finding the boundary with ease.

  4. Ebony Rainford-Brent
    Ex-England batter on BBC Test Match Special

    The Australian bowlers have just been a little off. They have set good fields, with good plans but they haven't quite found the lines they need to.

    Brilliant first shot from Taylor for four. She smothered it and worked it into the gap. That is her at her best.

  5. Eng 33-1

    A change in the bowling as the dangerous Ellyse Perry is brought into the attack. What a tournament she is having, with bat and ball.

    But Sarah Taylor is not overwhelmed, she shows her repertoire of shots with two glorious boundaries. The first is punched through backward point and the second pulled leg side. Superb batting.

  6. Eng 23-1

    Beaumont 8, Taylor 11

    Couldn't agree more with Paul there. Mind you, there's a decent crowd here in Bristol and already they've been treated to some divine shots from Sarah Taylor and decent swing bowling from Megan Schutt.

    Schutt with another decent over, good length delivery and restricting the singles, although she did start off with a wide. Australia need to be careful with the extras, have already conceded a few wides.

  7. From the press box

  8. Eng 21-1

    Understatement of the year coming up, Sarah Taylor can really bat. In just her second ball, she plants her feet and drives through the covers for four. How does she follow that? By piercing the field once again with a glorious drive for another boundary.

    Jonassen tries a different line but goes for a wide down leg, before Beaumont tucks one down to fine-leg for another single. 10 from the over, England's best of the day so far.

  9. Ebony Rainford-Brent
    Ex-England batter on BBC Test Match Special

    Schutt just probes away. She has bowled one ball with width but apart from that she probes around middle, middle and off. She gets such late movement.

  10. Eng 11-1

    Beaumont 8, Taylor 1

    Sarah Taylor the new woman in and she gets off the mark straight away with a single. Less convincing from Beaumont as the opener slashes at a wide one and the edge races through to the boundary.

  11. Ebony Rainford-Brent
    Ex-England batter on BBC Test Match Special

    They knew that plan was there. Winfield likes to get her hands through but when you do it you have to go with conviction. She didn't quite get through it and fell in to the trap.

  12. wicket

    WICKET

    Winfield c Bolton b Schutt 1 (Eng 6-1)

    Winfield gone, Australia strike early. Schutt continued where she left off in the first over, getting the ball to swing and she bamboozles Lauren Winfield who tries to whip it off the legs and finds the fielder at mid-wicket.

  13. Eng 6-0

    Winfield 0, Beaumont 4

    Jess Jonassen continues. Beaumont opts for the paddle shot early on, guiding it down towards third man for a couple.

    Four from the over, better from England.

  14. Ebony Rainford-Brent
    Ex-England batter on BBC Test Match Special

    Megan Schutt gets the ball to nibble and wobble. It just tails in. Australia are being a bit silly not having the keeper up and it will allow the batters to find a solution.

  15. Eng 2-0

    Smart bowling from Megan Schutt as the seamer finds some movement early on. Beaumont tries to negate the late swing by having a stroll down the wicket and working it off the hips for a single.

    Tight over, angling into the batter. England's coach Mark Robinson, arms folded, watches on from the balcony. He knows the importance of today's game.

  16. Eng 1-0

    Winfield 0, Beaumont 0

    Jess Jonassen with her slow-left-arm to begin for Australia. A nice tidy start before she strays down the leg to gift England their first run of the day.

    Jonassen finds a bit of bounce as Winfield looks to cut and is fortunate not to edge it behind to Alyssa Healy. Good start for Australia.

  17. Ebony Rainford-Brent
    Ex-England batter on BBC Test Match Special

    I think this is the biggest fanfare we have seen before a game in this tournament. Everyone recognises how big this game is. The hairs on the back of your neck start raising.

  18. There's some high tech stuff going on as Australia's Beth Mooney has a GPS tracker put on the inside of her collar. She's not on tag, it's to record heart rate, movement and so on. Impressive.

    Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Winfield make their way to the middle. Here we go ....

  19. Current standings

    A win today will secure Australia's place in the semi-finals. Perhaps I was a bit hasty in suggesting this could be a dress rehearsal for the final, given England's current position.

    WOmen's World CupBBC Sport

  20. Some wise young England fans plaster on the sun cream as the two teams make their way out for the anthems. Led by match referee and West Indies legend Richie Richardson. I once played against him in a club match in Kent, he hit me for about 20 odd in an over. A memory I'd rather forget, but instead have chosen to share with all of you.