Australia picks up some early scalps before lunch after declaring at 9-337 early on the second day of the Women’s Ashes Test in Canberra.
Follow the action in our live blog.
Live updates
Pinned
By Dean Bilton
THAT’S LUNCH! England 2-38 (Knight 14*, Sciver 11*) trails by 299
Honours even in that session, which started with Katherine Brunt picking up a couple of tail-end scalps and ended with Australia ticking off both English openers.
But there were some good signs for Heather Knight and Nat Sciver there who will be tasked with emulating the Lanning-Haynes partnership from yesterday. A good stand after lunch will be critical for England, but there has been enough to like from Australia’s bowlers (especially that Alana King over) to suggest that won’t be at all easy. Lots to look forward to.
By Dean Bilton
19th over – Alana King is tossed the ball just before lunch
Exciting moment! The debutante will get a quick chance here before the break, bowling her first over in Test cricket. A new leg spinner for Australia to enjoy.
Lovely start too, perfectly landed leg break. That will settle the nerves.
Make that two. Not a lot of spin yet. Fielders all around the bat.
Really good start from King, but Sciver gets the fourth ball away with a swipe down the ground. Good fielding on the boundary keeps it to three.
BEATEN! That is an absolute pearler to take us to lunch. That’s just a taste of what Alana King will be delivering all Test, perfect leg spin bowling.
But England survive!
By Dean Bilton
18th over – Can McGrath get her radar right?
Not yet, that’s well wide of the off stump.
Better, but Sciver lets it pass her off stump.
Down the leg side again and Sciver clips it to fine leg for one more.
Carbon copy now for Knight. Same ball, same shot, same result. McGrath short of her best so far this morning.
Better finish with the inswinging yorker, but Sciver takes it away for one more. Three from the over… unless there was a no ball? Nope, we’re done.
By Dean Bilton
17th over – Sutherland continues
Knight on strike, solid in her forward defence.
Some inswing from Sutherland, but Knight is getting a big stride in to cover it.
Good over that. Well bowled, solidly played. Good cricket all round.
By Dean Bilton
16th over – Tahlia McGrath back into the attack
Perry gets a spell, and McGrath switches ends… and starts with two rank balls down the leg side. Gets away with both of them.
Again down the leg side, and this time Knight is able to tickle it to fine leg for a single.
Better finish to the over from McGrath, but not a great start. Some room to improve there.
It’s happened again! Why does McGrath only bowl no balls from the last ball of her over?
Sciver drives and takes two on a misfield from King. Sloppy from McGrath.
By Dean Bilton
15th over – Sutherland charging in at Sciver
That short leg remains in place.
Sutherland is smashing away at the top off. Sciver is getting behind them all for now.
SHOT! Oof, that’s a hell of a shot from Nat Sciver. A little fuller, so she punches it back down the ground through mid on for four.
Just that boundary from Sutherland’s over.
By Dean Bilton
14th over – Perry will continue
The seventh over of her spell.
BEATEN! Knight had a real nibble at that, and the only thing she could have done to it was nick it. A bit lucky there.
BIG SHOUT! Was there some glove down the leg side to Healy there? Nope. And no review. Nice try, Midge.
Perry has been finishing each over by coming wide of the crease. Didn’t make Knight play that time though. Another maiden.
By Dean Bilton
13th over – Annabel Sutherland is tossed the ball
Short leg in place, maybe some short stuff coming from the tall Sutherland.
Some wobble for Sutherland rather than swing. She’s still trying to get her radar locked in.
PLAYED AND MISSED! Loose from Knight. Leave those alone.
Good running from Knight for a single to end the over. Not a bad start from Sutherland.
By Dean Bilton
By Dean Bilton
12th over still – Five to come for Perry
Nat Sciver is the new batter.
A bit of swing away, a bit of seam in. A bit for Sciver to think about.
Perry makes sure Healy is awake behind the stumps, spraying one down the leg side. Healy puts in the work and tracks it down.
So Perry perhaps starting to fatigue a little after six overs, but she has her breakthrough. A wicket maiden there.
By Dean Bilton
OUT! BEAUMONT GONE LBW TO PERRY!
Three red lights, that one was absolutely plumb. Perry has battled a bit this morning, but jagged that one in sharply to Tammy Beaumont and found a way past the inside edge. It smacked into Beaumont’s back pad and would have hit the top of middle. Big wicket for Australia.
By Dean Bilton
12th over – Perry to Beaumont now
BIG SHOUT! AND GIVEN! BEAUMONT GIVEN OUT LBW! But we have a review! Height will be the question, but Beaumont is not a tall woman.
Gee, this looks pretty out.
By Dean Bilton
11th over – McGrath will continue
BEATEN! Well bowled. Wide of the crease and angling in at Knight, the movement away nearly did her in.
Too straight that time though, so Knight clips it away for two.
Things are finding the middle of Knight’s bat at the moment. Next step for her is finding some gaps. Two off the over.
Wait, it’s happened again! A no ball of the final ball of the over so we all have to reset. Now we’re done.
By Dean Bilton
10th over – Perry continues
A misfield at point allows Knight to take a single. Perry not best pleased.
Better areas in this over, making Beaumont play at least. Swing has certainly subsided already.
And a short ball too, first of those we’ve seen today.
Just the one off the over, and the players will go and have a drink.
By Dean Bilton
9th over – Tahlia McGrath into the attack
Her form carried on with the bat, let’s see what she can produce with the ball now.
Full and straight from McGrath, but Knight squeezes it to midwicket for a couple more.
Now a quick single into the covers. Good batting from Heather Knight.
McGrath looks to be targetting the stumps moreso than the other two bowlers have so far. She’d be wise to keep that up.
Three from the over.
Make that four, the last ball was a no ball.
By Dean Bilton
8th over – Perry to Knight
Critical little head-to-head battle. Perry needs to ask more questions than she has so far.
BEATEN! Just like that, that’s the perfect spot. A bit fuller and a fourth stump line. Knight nibbles and misses.
One more for Knight, tucked off the hip to the on side.
Just the one off the over, Beaumont happy to leave the rest alone. not really happening for Perry just yet.
By Dean Bilton
7th over – Brown to Beaumont now
BEATEN! Was it a leave? Or a play and miss? Either way, it was frightfully close to the outside edge?
She’s just been too wide so far, Darcie Brown. Too easy to leave three or four balls an over.
SWING AND A MISS! Well maybe it’s a tactic. That was short and wide, and Beaumont tried to wallop it. No such luck.
Five balls in that over were a long way outside the off stump. Still, it’s a maiden.
By Dean Bilton
6th over – Perry to bowl to Knight
Wide of the off stump and left alone.
SHOT! Full, wide and smacked off the front foot through point by Knight. She’s off the mark with lovely boundary.
EDGED! Short of Haynes at third slip. Length was pulled back slightly, that was better.
Perry comes wide of the crease to finish up, but Knight can’t be tempted. Four from the over.
By Dean Bilton
Posted , updated