(Beautiful pictures)
England are in a precarious position on the final day of the Women’s Ashes one-off test match after Australian cricketer Ashleigh Gardner’s superb performance left them chasing 152 more runs. with five sticks in hand.
Needing 268 to win the fourth inning, Tammy Beaumont and Emma Lamb gave the hosts a solid start, scoring 55 for the first game. Gardner joined the attack and took out Beaumont before trapping captain Heather Knight lbw for 9 and eliminating the dangerous Nat Sciver-Brunt for a duck.
Sophia Dunkley (16) and Danni Wyatt (20*) managed to fight back slightly but Dunkley knocked Kim Garth by a point late in the day to send England reeling with a 116-5 scoreline.
Prior to that, the tireless Sophie Ecclestone won the 10-stroke match by a staggering 77.1-16-192-10 this week, keeping Australia limited to 257th. Both teams can win this match on the last day but England need to win in the morning session to have any chance of claiming a surprise victory.
Follow all the actions from Women’s Ashes, below:
England 162-7 (42), Wyatt 47, Ecclestone 2, McGrath 1-25 (11) – 268 target
Just one run from above. Britain keeps chipping away. Danni Wyatt is nearing the end of a half-century, Sophie Ecclestone looks tough enough in the folds.
Mike JonesJune 26, 2023 11:58
England 162-7 (41.3), Wyatt 47, Ecclestone 2, McGrath 1-25 (10.3)- target 268
Tahlia McGrath was brought back into Australia’s attack when Kim Garth was rested. McGrath’s first ball is tipped against the pad and Danni Wyatt knocks her away.
The swing hint McGrath got would be a danger to Ecclestone. She manages to dig out a yorker before swinging a wide swing and hitting the puncher midway through.
Mike JonesJune 26, 2023 11:56
England 161-7 (41), Wyatt 46, Ecclestone 2, Gardner 5-53 (16) – 268 target
Sophie Ecclestone played well. Gardner floated a fruit outside the tree but the British No. 9 blocked very firmly. It was a tempter, but Ecclestone did not fall.
Mike JonesJune 26, 2023 11:53
England 160-7 (40.3), Wyatt 45, Ecclestone 2, Gardner 5-52 (15.3) – 268 goal
Ash Gardner flashed a big smile as she trapped Danni Wyatt on the pad but the ball appeared to be going through the stump. The referee doesn’t care.
Alyssa Healy was also not the one to decide against the review.
Mike JonesJune 26, 2023 11:52
England 160-7 (40), Wyatt 45, Ecclestone 2, Garth 1-32 (10) – 268 target
This is currently Danni Wyatt’s highest score in a test cricket match. She beat her first-round total of 44. Three singles came in at half-time and England now need 108 runs to win with three points left.
Mike JonesJune 26, 2023 11:50
England 158-7 (39.3), Wyatt 44, Ecclestone 1, Garth 1-30 (9.3) – 268 target
Beautiful from Danni Wyatt. Opportunity and pressure don’t come to her as she pulls Garth into the blankets to run once more.
Mike JonesJune 26, 2023 11:48
England 157-7 (39), Wyatt 43, Ecclestone 1, Gardner 5-52 (15) – 268 target
The only thing England can do here is collect the runs on offer and hopefully keep the racquets in hand. The closer to Australia’s total, the more nervous the visitors are.
Wyatt recorded another single from Gardner.
Mike JonesJune 26, 2023 11:47
England 156-7 (38.3), Wyatt 42, Ecclestone 1, Gardner 5-51 (14.3) – 268 goal
Ecclestone handy with stick. So much so that Wyatt took an order on Gardner’s first delivery.
Ecclestone then put the ball at his feet but the Aussies player got excited when the ball went low. They will be happy to see this variable bounce.
A thick edge gives England’s left-hander a single shot to put her ahead.
Mike JonesJune 26, 2023 11:46
England 154-7 (38), Wyatt 41, Ecclestone 0, Garth 1-29 (9) – 268 target
Sophie Ecclestone has two deliveries left from Kim Garth’s ninth delivery, which she made without too much difficulty. Three top-down runs, England need to stay far ahead of this total.
Mike JonesJune 26, 2023 11:43
England 153-7 (37.3), Wyatt 40, Ecclestone 0, Garth 1-28 (8.3) – 268 target
Sophie Ecclestone is Britain’s new smasher. She needs to hang around for a while but tends to get a little excited if she starts to score when she runs fast.
Kim Garth goes on and takes one person beyond Danni Wyatt’s boundary. Wyatt is the important racquet now. She needs to score most of the remaining runs for England.
Wyatt pushed one to his leg and got two.
Mike JonesJune 26, 2023 11:41
