Heather Knight’s chanceless century frustrates Australians on day two of Ashes Test

After becoming the youngest Australian to take a Test wicket in nine years, Darcie Brown stunned the Canberra crowd with a “ripping” catch.

Spectators at Manuka Oval caught a glimpse of the future of Australian cricket on Friday, with three young bowlers claiming their maiden Test wicket against England.

On a day that was dominated by Australia’s bowlers, England captain Heather Knight played a lone hand by compiling a chanceless century, the second of her Test career, to help the visitors avoid the dreaded follow-on in Canberra.

It was the largest Test score by an England skipper in 46 years, featuring 13 boundaries and a six.

No other top-order batter passed 15 as England went to stumps at 8/235, still trailing Australia by 102 runs.

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England veteran Katherine Brunt got day two underway by removing Annabel Sutherland and Jess Jonassen in quick succession to claim her first Test five-wicket haul in nearly 13 years. Australian captain Meg Lanning promptly declared the innings at 9/337.

“It‘s been 10 years since we’ve played on a (Test) wicket where everybody is having fun and there’s lots of action,” Brunt told Channel 7 during the innings break.

“There’s swing, seam, bit of bounce, carry – which is unheard of. It makes for a brilliant game of cricket.”

“It was a breath of fresh air,” she said at stumps. “No one wants to play on a pitch where you don’t get a result.”

Canberra’s heavy cloud cover assisted the Australian seamers in the morning session, with the venue’s floodlights switched on at 11am.

Teenage prodigy Darcie Brown struck early, tempting Lauren Winfield-Hill into a false stroke to become Australia‘s youngest Test wicket-taker since 2013.

Beth Mooney, who can only eat through a straw after sustaining a fractured jaw last week, claimed a classy catch low to her right at second slip.

Ellyse Perry celebrates with Tahlia McGrath of Australia after taking the wicket of Sophia Dunkley. Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Ellyse Perry also found plenty of movement through the air in her opening spell, but fell into the trap of pitching the Kookaburra a touch short.

But the experienced all-rounder adjusted her length and struck in her sixth over of the day, removing the dangerous Tammy Beaumont for five – a DRS review couldn’t save the England opener.

Soon after it was Sutherland’s turn to claim her maiden Test scalp, dismissing England vice-captain Nat Sciver with a length delivery that caught the right-hander’s inside edge.

Brown and Sutherland weren’t able to make an impact in September’s pink-ball Test against India on the Gold Coast, but the young guns proved their worth on Friday.

The two combined to remove England wicketkeeper Amy Jones just before the tea break, with a Sutherland short ball chipped towards mid-on where Brown pouched a diving catch over her left shoulder.

Less than 45 minutes later, Brown was proclaimed the recipient of the 2022 Betty Wilson Young Cricketer of the Year Award, which is decided by her peers.

“Darcie’s just got raw pace and talent and a really great attitude to match it,” Perry said at stumps.

“That catch she took was exceptional as well, and you can see how much fun she’s having on the field.”

Darcie Brown dives to take the catch to dismiss Amy Jones. Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

What a ripping catch!! #AUSvENG

— Nat Yoannidis (@NatYoannidis) January 28, 2022

Wowee Darcie Brown. The fact she is only a teenager is just mindblowing. Such a star already #Ashes2021

— Sarah Keoghan (@sarah_keoghan) January 28, 2022

And on what was ultimately the final delivery before the tea interval, Australian debutant Alana King joined the party, trapping Brunt plumb LBW for one.

It was just reward for the West Australian leg-spinner following an impressive spell with the ball – she finished the day with economical figures of 1/43 from 23 overs.

The last time three Australians took their debut Test wicket on the same day was when Erin Osbourne, Megan Schutt and Holly Ferling achieved the rare feat in 2013.

Perry’s bowling has been below its best since her heartbreaking hamstring injury in March 2020, and the 31-year-old was dropped from the national T20 side earlier this series – but a champion cricketer always knows how to bounce back. She was the pick of the bowlers on day two, finishing with figures of 2/35 from 15 overs.

But as wickets tumbled at Manuka Oval, Knight weathered the storm at the other end, becoming the third England captain to score a Test century on Australian soil.

Heather Knight celebrates her century. Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

The skipper of England…standing up and finding her way to her 2 x Test 💯 Outstanding resilience #Ashes

— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) January 28, 2022

Heather Knight.

Grit.
Determination.
Patience.

That’s a very very good knock. Proud English fan right here #ashes#WAshes

— Alexandra Hartley (@AlexHartley93) January 28, 2022

Highest Test score by an England women’s captain on Australian soil

127* – Heather Knight, Jan 2022

124* – Molly Hide, Feb 1949

114* – Charlotte Edwards, Jan 2011

“She is as resilient as ever,” Brunt said of Knight’s knock. “She’s got a lot of fighting spirit, she’s 100 per cent a leader.

“If you want to lead by example, that’s how you do it.”

Knight combined with England No. 10 Sophie Ecclestone for an unbeaten 66-run partnership for the ninth wicket in the evening session to frustrate the Australians.

The England skipper will resume on Saturday morning on 127, with Ecclestone at the other end on 27 – her highest score at Test level.

But with heavy rain forecast in Canberra over the next couple of days, England could be staring down the barrel of yet another drawn Ashes Test.

Originally published as Heather Knight’s chanceless century frustrates Australians on day two of Ashes Test