Women’s Test: Annabel Sutherland posts ton as Australia wears down South Africa

Annabel Sutherland became the youngest Australian player to reach a Test career milestone as South Africa was buried in Perth.

Annabel Sutherland became the youngest Australian woman to score two Test hundreds as an effortless innings put South Africa in an unwinnable position in Perth on Friday.

Sutherland reached her century off 149 balls including 13 fours and a six as she continued to bat on with destructive all-rounder Ash Gardner, who played a relatively subdued supporting role as Australia went to lunch on the second day at 5-366 with a mammoth lead of 290 runs.

It was the 22-year-old Sutherland’s second Test ton after topscoring with an unbeaten 137 in Australia’s Ashes win over England in Nottingham last winter, making her the third-youngest player to achieve the feat behind former Indian captain Sandhya Agarwal and New Zealander Emily Drumm.

Sutherland said she and Gardner were eager to up the scoring rate and “cash in” after the lunch break as Australia pushed towards an unassailable lead at the WACA.

Annabel Sutherland raises her bat to the WACA crowd after walking off for the lunch break unbeaten on 113 – her second Test century. Picture: Paul Kane / Getty Images

She said the chance to bat for a long period after being confined to a finishing role in Australia’s limited overs sides this summer had been a welcome change.

“I love batting! It’s pretty hard to get up the order at the moment in the white-ball stuff, so it’s nice to just get a chance to have a hit out there, and it’s a very nice place to have a bat when you’re in and set,” Sutherland told Fox Cricket.

“I was wary the first 20 to 30 balls were probably the most challenging … it felt like I left the ball well outside off stump to get me going, and it was pretty nice watching Midge (Alyssa Healy) go about her business.”

Sutherland said signs from the WACA pitch were still promising for Australia’s bowlers despite the home side being 1-299 since Beth Mooney departed for 78 on the first day.

“I thought they bowled quite well, Klaas has been challenging all day and de Klerk has been nibbling it around – positive signs for our bowlers that the ball has still been doing a bit, there’s been a few plays and misses and you have to stay really sharp,” Sutherland said.

Australia selected two frontline spinners in Alana King and returning former T20 World Cup winner Sophie Molineux, but neither was required to bowl in the first innings as South Africa’s batters disintegrated in just 31.2 overs to be all out for 76.

Originally published as Women’s Test: Annabel Sutherland posts ton as Australia wears down South Africa