England’s battle to keep away from a Ladies’s Ashes whitewash started in disappointing vogue as they had been rolled for 170 on day one of many pink-ball Check in opposition to Australia in Melbourne.
Nat Sciver-Brunt made 51 off 129 balls however no different participant handed 25 as England slumped in opposition to spin once more, simply as that they had completed throughout their ODI and T20 woes, with Alana King claiming 4-45 as she bowled 23 overs on the trot in entrance of the Shane Warne Stand.
Australia closed on 56-1 from 22 overs in reply to path by 114 with Check debutant Georgia Voll (12) caught behind off Lauren Bell beneath the lights, leaving Phoebe Litchfield (20no) and Annabel Sutherland (24no) to take the hosts by way of to stumps on the MCG.
England are 12-0 down on factors after six straight white-ball defeats – they had been skittled for simply 90 within the closing T20 – with Australia seeking to grow to be the primary facet to safe a 16-0 sweep because the Ladies’s Ashes adopted the multi-format programme in 2013.
Questions have been raised concerning the vacationers’ athleticism and skill to carry out beneath strain and in addition the futures of captain Heather Knight and head coach Jon Lewis.
Sciver-Brunt spoke about “blocking out the noise” and bounced again from a quiet T20 leg of the tour, when her greatest knock was 22, as she grew to become the primary lady to attain at the least one fifty in six consecutive Exams – however she obtained little help.
Tailender Ryana MacDonald-Homosexual dug in after being dropped on 4 and completed 15 not out from 66 balls as soon as No 11 Bell (7) was run out, ending a dogged Tenth-wicket stand of 13 from 49 deliveries.
England falter with the bat once more
England discovered themselves 47-3 after being inserted with Maia Bouchier (2) edging former Eire seamer Kim Garth behind to wicketkeeper Beth Mooney within the first over.
Garth additionally took England’s third wicket, pinning Knight (25) lbw, after Tammy Beaumont – again within the crew after sitting out the T20 collection – was trapped leg earlier than for eight by Darcie Brown within the fourth over.
Sciver-Brunt and Sophia Dunkley (21 off 71) united at 47-3 and proceeded so as to add 50 off 123 balls earlier than Dunkley chipped again to King for a routine caught and bowled.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge (22) was neatly caught by Litchfield at foolish level off King, earlier than a befuddled Amy Jones (3) was bowled by off-spinner Ash Gardner taking part in again to a straight supply and Sophie Ecclestone (1) hacked King to cowl second ball.
Sciver-Brunt had a scare on 44 when she edged King to Alyssa Healy at slip, just for the third umpire to rule that the fit-again Australia captain had not received her fingers beneath the ball, however she was cleaned up by the identical bowler early within the closing session.
Lauren Filer (8) gloved a brief ball from Brown behind on nought however Australia didn’t go for the overview, in all probability feeling the supply had solely struck the England participant’s forearm.
It was a blunder that solely price the Southern Stars eight runs with Filer top-edging Brown behind to be ninth out.
Dean neglected as England choose additional batter
England named seamer MacDonald-Homosexual of their XI with Kate Cross nonetheless not over the again spasm she sustained on the all-format tour of South Africa previous to Christmas.
MacDonald-Homosexual – who claimed two wickets on Check debut in December – is joined within the tempo assault by Filer, Bell and Sciver-Brunt, with Ecclestone offering the spin.
Dunkley was most well-liked to off-spinning all-rounder Charlie Dean as England opted for the additional batter.
Australia’s Darcie Brown (left) and Alyssa Healy (proper) in the course of the Ladies’s Ashes Check
Australia welcomed again skipper Healy after she missed the T20s as a result of a calf problem.
The 34-year-old is taking part in as a specialist batter at No 4 with Mooney sliding down from her opening berth to No 6 after taking the gloves within the first Ladies’s Check to be held on the MCG since 1949.
‘England needed one other 50 runs’
England’s Danni Wyatt-Hodge, talking to TNT Sports activities:
“It was really tough, one of those pitches where you really had to grind for your runs. Kingy [Alana King] was ragging it on day one and it is what has happened in this whole Ashes series.
“We might have appreciated one other 50 runs however we now must carry the vitality, bowl prime of the stumps, and get a number of early wickets.”
‘England missing perception with the bat’
Former England all-rounder Georgia Elwiss, talking on TNT Sports activities concerning the facet’s batting struggles:
“I think a lot of it is a lack of confidence and belief in their own ability.
“We’ve got seen England rating runs earlier than, we all know they’re facet. However they aren’t in any kind of kind for the time being and in opposition to a world-class Australia bowling line-up there isn’t a let up.
“Sciver-Brunt looked calm, didn’t look to overhit the ball and rotated the strike. I think the other batters can learn a lot from her demeanour and how she plays.
“England have to be smarter in key moments.”
England captain Heather Knight was out for 25 on day one in Melbourne
‘England want magical spell after King’s brilliance’
Former England quick bowler Steven Finn, talking on TNT Sports activities:
“England have struggled against high-quality wrist spin across all formats in this series and King tweaked her way to four wickets.
“She bowled brilliantly, managed the scoring price and was playful with how she used drift and flight.
“Ecclestone is probably going to be England’s most dangerous bowler but with a [low] score on the board you have to have fielders out to make sure the scoreboard doesn’t move too quickly.
“It’s going to take tactical nous from Knight and a magical spell from somebody to pull England again into the sport.”
Ladies’s Ashes – outcomes and fixtures 🏏📅
All dates and occasions UK and Eire
