Women’s Ashes: Nailbiting finish at Manuka Oval crushes England’s Ashes Test dreams

Australia has mounted a gutsy fightback at Manuka Oval to ensure no English team will taste victory in an Ashes Test this summer.

Australia’s fightback was as gutsy as it comes. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

England has braved a tenacious Aussie fightback in the Women’s Ashes Test, hanging on for a draw that confirmed no English team would taste victory in an Ashes Test this summer.

The twisting and turning final session on day four at Manuka Oval featured clutch wickets, failed reviews and dropped chances and ended with No. 11 Kate Cross surviving a final ball full toss from debutant Australian leg-spinner Alana King (2-39).

England finished 9/245 after being set 257 to win by Australian captain Meg Lanning and was in the box seat with less than eight overs remaining in the Test.

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Vice captain Nat Sciver (58 from 62) and 23-year-old Sophia Dunkley pummelled 45 from 32 but Australia fought back with a vengeance, taking 6/26 to save the Test.

England looked destined to break Australia’s record for the highest successful fourth innings run chase but that was before Annabel Sutherland took it upon herself to turn the tide.

The young quick took outstanding figures of 3-69 to turn the match on its head.

With 13 required to win and 14 balls remaining, England had no intention of playing for the win. Instead, with only one wicket in hand, they braved the Aussie onslaught and clung on for a draw that kept their hopes of a series victory alive heading into the three One-Day Internationals, which start on Thursday.

The end result left pundits reeling.

“(It was) one of the greatest Test matches ever seen”, former England seamer Isa Guha proclaimed on Fox Cricket. “Wonderful advertisement for the women’s game.”

“A brilliant Test match from both teams, I don’t think it deserves a draw,” said Player of the Match and England captain Heather Knight, who amassed 216 runs in the Test, including an unbeaten 168 in the first innings.

England’s hopes dashed

The loss of vice-captain Sciver was key but Dunkley’s wicket proved even more pivotal, with the score on 233 and the result hanging in the balance.

Requiring 24 for victory from just 28 balls, the English were thwarted by a brave catch in the deep by Beth Mooney - who had three plates holding her jaw together - that dismissed Dunkley, whose innings included five fours.

Mooney had earlier contributed a vital 63 to provide the platform from which Australia could push the game forward, declaring at 7/216.

“This woman has had jaw surgery just days ago, titanium plates in her face, and absolutely no fear to take a diving catch to dismiss the dangerous Sophia Dunkley,” said former Australian captain Alex Blackwell on Fox Cricket.

Lanning declared and it was game on. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

No ball call cruels England’s hopes

A back foot no-ball review for the ninth wicket of Charlie Dean, claimed by King, raised plenty of question marks and officially ended England’s bid for victory.

After a video review to see if King’s back foot landed correctly, the delivery was deemed legal.

“The ruling is that some part of the foot has to land before it touches the crease line and on vision to me it looked like there was contact,” said former Australian player Mel Jones. “Looked even moreso from behind.”

“Same to me,” Guha agreed.

Perry nice

Ellyse Perry passed England great Charlotte Edwards as the all-time leading run-scorer in Women’s Ashes history early on Sunday.

Edwards’ mark of 1,534 runs across all three formats was bettered halfway through an extended opening session, making up time for two sessions lost to rain on day three.

After scoring 18 in the first innings, Perry accumulated 41 on day four, taking her to 1,552 Ashes runs from 39 matches across the T20, One-Day and Test formats.

The 31-year-old all-rounder also leads the way with the ball in Women’s Ashes series. Her first innings 3-57 took her to 67 wickets in all three formats against England, just one ahead of England seamer Katherine Brunt at present.

After missing Australia’s opening T20 win of this Ashes, Perry returned to the Test arena at Manuka Oval, averaging better than 80 in that format, underscored by a record 213 not out at North Sydney Oval in 2017, which stands as the highest Women’s Ashes score.

“Magnificent effort,” former Australian wicketkeeper Julia Price said on Fox Cricket “and that average as well is unbelievable.”

Perry is a gamechanger. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Originally published as Women’s Ashes: Nailbiting finish at Manuka Oval crushes England’s Ashes Test dreams