Annabel Sutherland joins Australia’s elite with Test double century
Annabel Sutherland has written herself into Australian cricket’s history books, becoming the fifth Aussie woman to record a Test double hundred at just 22 years of age.
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Annabel Sutherland fell just short of surpassing her role model Ellyse Perry’s Australian record but the young gun’s double-century powered the Aussies to the highest score in women’s Test history and left them on the verge of a thumping innings victory against South Africa.
The one-off Test was proving to be a mismatch of the highest order as the Aussies closed to within seven wickets of a win by stumps on day two at the WACA Ground.
A lofted drive down the ground off Nadine de Klerk from the final ball of the middle session ensured all-rounder Sutherland became just the fifth Australian woman to make a Test double-ton. She eventually departed just after tea after top edging Chloe Tryon on 210, three runs shy of Perry’s Australian Test-best 213 not out set in late 2017.
But an unbeaten 49 from Kim Garth at No.9 tipped the Aussies past the previous Test best of 6-569 declared scored by Australia against England in 1998.
Skipper Alyssa Healy called time on the innings after Alana King fell for eight, with Australia having posted 9-575 at better than 4.5 runs an over.
With a first innings deficit of 499, the Proteas were in danger of succumbing inside two days when Darcie Brown and Kim Garth left the tourists at 3-13 inside eight overs, even despite a sloppy Australian performance in the slip cordon.
Tazmin Brits and Delmi Tucker provided grit late in the day to take their side to 3-67 at stumps, but with two days to play South Africa was still staring down the barrel of one of the heaviest defeats in women’s Test history.
While the temperature was not as oppressive as day one, this was still a punishing day for the tourists. As competitive as they had been during the white-ball legs of the tour, winning both a Twenty20 and one-day international against the Aussies, the longest format of the game laid bare what remains a sizeable difference between the sides.
Such was Australia’s command of the match, captain Healy - one run short of a maiden Test ton on day one - was comfortable enough to spend the day two lunch break joining in with juniors having a hit on the Perth outfield.
Having fallen to 3-12 midway through day one, the Aussies had already recovered sufficiently to start Friday at 5-251. If South Africa was going to be any chance of winning the match and in turn levelling the multi-format series they were going to need quick breakthroughs, but they had no such luck as Sutherland and Ash Gardner batted uninterrupted through the first session.
Sutherland was barely troubled, with her driving, in particular, a highlight as she glided towards a third international century at just 22.
The Victorian had made a ton in the women’s Ashes Test at Trent Bridge in June from No. 8 and the way her batting is trending it appears unlikely she will ever bat that low again.
That's how much Annabel Sutherland idolises Ellyse Perry, she throws her wicket away on 210 to avoid beating Perry's Aus Test record.
— Daniel Cherny (@DanielCherny) February 16, 2024
Gardner was not quite as fluent but still became the fourth Australian to reach her half-century for the innings. The desperate Proteas unsuccessfully reviewed turned-down appeals to remove Gardner before captain Laura Wolvaardt continued a poor tour by spilling a chance at cover off de Klerk with Gardner on 54.
Thankfully for the tourists, it didn’t prove too costly, with Gardner trapped by de Klerk on 65, only for the returning Sophie Molineux to add 33 at No. 8 before being bowled leaving Tryon.
Sutherland accelerated at the other end, charging towards a double-century with her father James - the former Cricket Australia chief - in attendance.
It was a red letter day for the Sutherland family, with Annabel’s older brother Will taking five wickets for Victoria in a Sheffield Shield clash at the SCG.
The record innings defeat in women’s Tests is an innings and 337 runs set by England in Christchurch in 1935, and that mark was in danger as the Aussie procession continued almost unabated by late on Friday.
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