The women’s side of Australia and England are playing a one-off test event at Trent Bridge. Hosts could not help but hand over the decision to visitors of batting first. The test match of the Women’s Ashes series between the sides is underway, effective June 22, 2023, and it will conclude on June 26, 2023. Expectations are that the women’s team will repeat what the men’s team did and grab a victorious moment from the hosts no matter how hard the circumstances fall over them.
Day 1 has ended, and Aussies are happy with the way they have played. Openers could not capitalize on their momentum of a total of 56 runs. Kate Cross struck the chord with Phoebe Litchfield first in the 9th over, sending her back to the pavilion when she was batting at 23 runs with a strike rate of 71.88. Beth Mooney held on to her ground, played 57 balls, and then left the field after posting 33 runs to her name on the board.
Ellyse Perry, the athlete, has 752 runs to her name in 17 innings that she has played as a right-handed batter. Simply put, there could not have been a better option to keep up with the established pace. Aussies were in a tough spot after the fall of an opener at 35 runs. The five-day red-ball format demands players to stick around for as long as possible. Losing a batter so early transfers the pressure on the remaining line-up.
The former footballer absorbed the pressure and took her time on the flat greener pitch. She made sure that there was someone to put up a brave total on the board. Bringing 99 runs marks a commendable effort despite missing the ton by just a single run.
Lauren Bell has taken only one wicket in the first innings so far. It is right to assume that she has picked up a crucial batter, considering her highest score stands at 213 against the same team in Sydney.
A different venue, for sure, but that does not change the fact that the right-handed batter is capable of pulling some big shots.
In fact, her current stand comes with 15-4s at a decent strike rate of 64.71. No in-the-air shot was hit throughout the 153 balls she played. Credit also to Tahila McGrath for keeping the wicket active for the next 25 overs. She was bowled out by Sophie Ecclestone in the 47th over. Nevertheless, her 61-run contribution at the strike rate of 73.49 helped Perry stay calm and true to her game plan.
What happened next was a series of two wickets falling right in front of her. The middle order early collapsed for a dull event, handing over a comeback to England. Most of it was due to the line and length delivered by Sophie Ecclestone. The left-arm orthodox bowler sent three batters back to the pavilion. This includes the Australian skipper as well, who departed on the second ball for zero runs.
Perry’s game came to an end, but he was able to lift Australia from a potential collapse. The side was down two wickets at 83 runs. It was purely the third-wicket partnership that took the game from 83/2 to 202/3.
Alyssa Healy is not in the mood to declare the innings on a batter’s pitch. Three wickets are yet to play their time against the hosts. A correct idea could be to let the remaining batters spend some time since odds on betting sites for cricket are displaying chances of landing a tie.
Win will naturally follow as the one-off test between them proceeds to the concluding moments in Trent Bridge.
