Key occasions
fifteenth over: Australia 79-2 (Perry 25, Mooney 7) Nice little bit of fielding from Capsey at cowl level, snaring a Mooney sq. drive, in distinction to the fielding there when Litchfield was batting. But Mooney picks off a straight one instantly afterwards, and the outfield has been quick right this moment though it’s a bit humid and cloudy on the market. Drinks.
14th over: Australia 74-2 (Perry 24, Mooney 3) Ecclestone bowling, and so they take 4 singles from her, one off the pad. If they might replicate that throughout the innings, the Australians can be fairly blissful.
thirteenth over: Australia 70-2 (Perry 23, Mooney 1) Left-hander replaces left-hander, Mooney to the center and defending her first three balls earlier than dropping a run to sq. leg.
WICKET! Litchfield c Ecclestone b Sciver-Brunt 34, Australia 69-2
It’s a speccy! Ecclestone strikes, however not in the best way she would have envisaged. She’s at mid off as Litchfield tries a lofted shot in opposition to medium tempo. Looking to go over additional, she halves the stroke and it miscues straighter. Still almost has sufficient contact to clear the fielder, however Ecclestone periscopes up one arm and takes a one-hander!
twelfth over: Australia 69-1 (Litchfield 34, Perry 23) Here’s Ecclestone, that is the competition. The one which may very well be decisive. And it almost is! Perry lifts it simply huge of mid on for 4! Inches away from a catch.
eleventh over: Australia 64-1 (Litchfield 33, Perry 19) Sciver-Brunt tidies up just a little, two singles from the over.
tenth over: Australia 62-1 (Litchfield 32, Perry 18) Lauren Bell continues, and that’s one over too many. Litchfield with surgical precision takes it aside. Starts off with a canopy drive for 4. They have a canopy level and backward level, so she threads the ball proper between them with a sq. drive. Repeats the trick between cowl and mid off, a tiny hole that she finds unerringly. Under stress, Bell bowls brief and Litchfield goes again to belt over the leg facet! Four balls, 4 boundaries. Litchfield has doubled her rating in an over. Wonder if that’s the best rating any individual has been on earlier than doubling it…
ninth over: Australia 46-1 (Litchfield 16, Perry 18) First bowling change, Nat Sciver-Brunt on to bowl her mediums. Litchfield will get off strike. Then woof. Perry smashes one! Not tremendous brief, however she will get proper again and swings the bat up and below that ball, lifting it over deep backward sq.. Wants to hit that for six. In the tip it bounces simply brief, and superb leg working round places in a despairing dive hoping for a catch, however can’t get shut sufficient.
eighth over: Australia 41-1 (Litchfield 15, Perry 14) Good over from Bell, begins with a large however retains these inswingers coming and will get her size proper. Only one run from the bat.
seventh over: Australia 39-1 (Litchfield 14, Perry 14) Cross bowling in on the legs of Litchfield, who stabs a single. Two slips for Perry, however they’re no use if you bowl leg stump and let her swing it away behind sq.. Luckily for England there’s safety again and that center shot solely prices one run. Just the one slip for the left-hander, in contrast. Ring subject, 4 up on the off facet, so she drop-kicks it over the leg facet for one more boundary. More peak than distance nevertheless it simply beats the pursuing fielder. Litchfield steers a single behind level. Cross didn’t get her line proper in any respect in that over.
sixth over: Australia 32-1 (Litchfield 8, Perry 13) Tall and ponytailed, Bell is making the ball swing, beginning huge to Perry and getting inward motion. You solely want one mistake to be punished although, and when Bell bowls too brief Perry pulls it for 4. Another huge follows.
“Good start for England here, Crossy in particular making things happen. You wonder if that drop will cost us but you’d hope this team will fear mistakes far less given their performances in the Ashes so far. But there’s a big step between 20 and 50-over Australia. Victory today will be a real switch of pressure to a side that’s not that used to it. A good day to be at Bristol, and I particularly like the blue kit today. Isn’t cricket the best?”
It is, Guy Hornsby.
fifth over: Australia 27-1 (Litchfield 8, Perry 9) Walking at Cross to alter the size, Perry flicks Cross to leg for a run. Litchfield is honing her entrance foot defence, then extends that ahead motion right into a lofted flick for 4. Lovely shot, over midwicket, assured to clear the sector. Then returns to that defence.
4th over: Australia 22-1 (Litchfield 4, Perry 8) Very quiet over from Bell to Perry principally, a large and an eventual single. Perry coming in so early will in all probability take her time.
third over: Australia 20-1 (Litchfield 4, Perry 7) A few leaves from Perry, as Cross bowls huge of off stump, then 4 runs by superb leg because the bowler goes too straight. Then is wided exterior off stump once more. Gets the road proper finally, and Perry is dropped! Straightforward edge to slide, however keeper Amy Jones dives in entrance of Ecclestone at first slip. Doesn’t get a contact on the ball however she in all probability distracts Ecclestone, who will get her fingers onto the bottom attempting to catch the sharply dipping ball however lets it spill free.
2nd over: Australia 14-1 (Litchfield 4, Perry 2) Lauren Bell to Litchfield, straying too huge third ball and the left-hander drives her by cowl for 4.
1st over: Australia 10-1 (Litchfield 0, Perry 2) Runs for Perry first ball, clipped for 2 by sq. leg. This is her format: common of slightly below 50, makes a half century or higher each third innings throughout her lengthy profession.
WICKET! Healy lbw Cross 8, Australia 8-1
Action packed first over! Kate Cross begins proceedings right here at Bristol conceding 4, first ball of the match. Timed by additional cowl, properly struck. Aanother two balls later, this time a low full toss and Healy is ready to clobber it by midwicket. Fourth ball of the over although, Cross will get one angling throughout in direction of leg stump to swing again in. The motion beats the bat and hits Healy low on the pad. Umpire Harris says not out, maybe considering she nicked it, however the replay exhibits that to not be the case! Good evaluation.
About to start out…
Those are some fascinating picks. No Filer or Wong for England, the 2 speedsters. Instead they’ve gone with the swing and slower balls of Bell and the consistency of Cross, with two spinners. Australia leaving out Alana King on condition that Wareham as the opposite leg-spinner presents extra with the bat. But loads of spin choices in Jonassen and Gardner. Both groups maybe anticipating this pitch to help taking the tempo off.
Teams
England
Tammy Beaumont
Sophia Dunkley
Heather Knight *
Nat Sciver-Brunt
Alice Capsey
Danni Wyatt
Amy Jones +
Sophie Ecclestone
Sarah Glenn
Kate Cross
Lauren Bell
Australia
Alyssa Healy * +
Phoebe Litchfield
Ellyse Perry
Beth Mooney
Tahlia McGrath
Ash Gardner
Annabel Sutherland
Jess Jonassen
Georgia Wareham
Megan Schutt
Darcie Brown
Australia win the toss and bat
Alyssa Healy’s facet will set a goal right this moment. Lets them management the sport, they may hope.
One factor the Women’s Ashes does supply, at the very least in the interim, is a extra reasonably priced take a look at Ashes cricket for these coming by the gates. Especially if needing to deliver alongside just a few youngsters and maybe one other grownup to assist marshal them, any live sport is a vastly costly train. Jonathan Liew has been occupied with that basic scene.
In some methods, there’s a sturdy argument for separating the Women’s Ashes sequence from the boys’s, on condition that the video games have been jumbled on prime of each other this yr. The concept that spectators or reporters would possibly worth them equally and need to attend each has not been thought-about.
On the opposite hand, there’s Emma John’s terrific piece in regards to the distinctive thrill of the overlap.
Preamble
Geoff Lemon
Hello world. It’s time for one more one. Another what? Another must-win match for the England, one other likelihood for Australia to lock away the Women’s Ashes trophy.
This has been the case ever since Australia received the Test match and the first T20 on this multiformat sequence. From that time, England wanted to win the following two T20s and the three 50-over matches to observe. They have delivered on the first two components of that equation, which nonetheless leaves three to go.
The issue, after all, goes up in opposition to an Australian workforce that’s the present World Cup holder in each codecs, the present Ashes holder, the reigning Commonwealth Games gold medallists, and possibly the resort ping-pong champions if we glance deep sufficient. Beating them 5 occasions in a row appears not possible. But then, per week in the past, so did beating them twice in a row.
The shift to the 50-over format will make issues fascinating. Generally, the shorter the sport, the higher the possibility for an upset. England received these most up-to-date two T20s on a shock batting assault led by Danni Wyatt, propelling them to their highest rating in opposition to Australia, after which a rain-reduced run chase the place Alice Capsey took cost.
Winning in one-day cricket would require holding the ascendancy for longer durations of time. Left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone might be key, having proved her capability to remain constant in longer kinds after a surprising efficiency within the Test match that deserved to complete on the profitable facet. But she is going to want loads of help.
Should be fairly a day at Bristol. Come alongside.
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