Perry shines, Australia fades and England grabs the upper hand…
THERE’S something about low-scoring games. And there was plenty of interest and spice in the Ashes Test at the WACA that ended on Monday.
After dismissing England for 201 – Arran Brindle scored 68 and Natalie Sciver 49 on debut – on the first day with Renae Farrell taking 4/43 and Ellyse Perry 3/41, Australia’s top order failed horribly when everything was in their favour. England had to bowl on a 43 degree day and do without Katherine Brunt, who was removed from the attack after two beam balls.
Patient batting from Perry 71 with support from captain Jodie Fields 43 and Erin Osborne 40 enabled Australia to sneak to a lead of just six and when Farrell and Perry broke through late on day two things looked good for the home team. However good batting from Brindle 35, Sciver 23 and then what turned out to be match-winning partnership between Jennifer Gunn 44 and injured captain Charlotte Edwards 56 helped England post a competitive 190.
Perry was bafflingly kept out of the attack for most of Gunn-Edwards rescue mission and removed Edwards almost as soon as she was handed the ball again – the gun all-rounder finished with 5/38 while Farrell took 3/34.
Australia’s second innings began well with Elyse Villani pulling the first two balls for four. She raced to 21 but her batting lacked care and she handed Brunt a wicket. Then came another collapse with Kathryn Cross bowling brilliantly. A superb stumping by Sarah Taylor off the bowling of Gunn to dismiss Fields capped the day for England.
Perry 31 batted with enterprise at the start of day four but it was all over when she was dismissed. England’s best bowler on the last day was the strong Anya Shrubsole, who finished with 3/48 and troubled all the Australians. Cross took 3/35. Number three Sarah Elliot was the last dismissed but while her nearly three-hour stay was admirable she played out maiden upon maiden to help England pile on the pressure.
Apart from the handling of player-of-the-match Perry on day three, the Australians might also be wondering why they didn’t pick in-form local Nicole Bolton – they will soon.
Australia can win back the Ashes by dominating the limited over series of three 50-over and three Twenty20 games (the Test was worth six points, the remaining games are worth two points each).
England 201 and 190 defeated Australia 207 and 123.
•Photo: The scoreboard tells the story as Gunn and Edwards build their partnership. Photo by Les Everett.
About Les Everett
A Footy Almanac veteran, Les Everett is the author of Gravel Rash: 100 Years of Goldfields Football and Fremantle Dockers: An Illustrated History. He is the footyalmanac.com WAFL correspondent and uses the money he makes from that role to pay for his expensive websites australianrules.com.au and talkingfrankie.com and fund the extravagant Vin Maskell at scoreboardpressure.com
Thanks for the summary Les. Followed this Test match closely on Twitter, seemed a good contest deserving of TV coverage and a 3 match series. Was it a typically bouncy WACA wicket and did that contribute to the low scores?
What a player Ellyse Perry is.
Thanks for this report, Les.
I was forwarded an article published in the Guardian last Friday, in the lead up to this Test match.
The focus of the article was Betty Wilson, the Australian cricket great and my dad’s aunty.
Though not really adding much to the public record of her exploits, the article was terrific for it captured so much about our society and the changes that have taken place since the 1950s. Not just in relation to the place of women, the professionalization of sport but also the notion of personal character. Betty’s determination and courage, her Dad’s innovativeness and support …
The stands were packed for women’s cricket in the 1940s & 1950s. Male cricketers rated their play.
It seems a bygone day when girls and young women would be noted for their actions & behaviours rather than for their appearances.
The article is here: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/jan/10/betty-wilson-womens-ashes-australia-cricket
Thanks Les Perrys absence from the bowling crease during that match winning partnership was as baffling as Cooks captaincy all summer and unfortunately Elliotts
Huge number of dot balls played a massive part in Englands win
I wonder how far Perry could go competing against men ?
Thanks Les
Excellent report Mr Everett. I did wonder what happened in Australia’s second innings (following it like others through second and third level media). In the back of my mind I thought we’d win because we have Perry.
On a side note, interesting point E.regnans, about women’s cricket in the 40s & 50s. I have just seen the Billie Jean King doco about her tennis match against Bobbie Riggs. The doco is about much more than that match. It’s really about women’s tennis turning professional in the late 60s and their fight to get equal prize money and standing to men. (This was finally achieved in the 2000s).