The women’s Ashes Test has ended in dramatic scenes, with England’s No. 11. batter blocking out the final over to secure a thrilling draw.
You couldn’t have scripted a better advertisement for women’s Test cricket than this.
The Ashes Test at Manuka Oval has ended in dramatic scenes, with all four results possible heading into the final couple of overs of day four in Canberra.
England came agonisingly close to pulling off mission impossible, scoring the largest fourth-innings team total in the history of women’s Test cricket.
But it ultimately wasn’t enough, with the thrilling contest ending as a draw.
With the possible exception of day five of the New Year’s Test in Sydney, this was the most captivating day’s cricket of the 2021/22 summer.
Just as Steve Smith couldn’t get the job done for the Aussies at the SCG earlier the month, Australian debutant Alan King was tasked with unearthing a miracle 10th wicket in the last over, but it wasn’t to be.
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Skipper Meg Lanning declared Australia’s second innings in the afternoon session of day four, leaving England with 48 overs to chase the 257 runs required for victory.
The highest successful run chase in the history of women’s cricket was 198, achieved by Australia over a decade ago – England’s all-time best was 173.
The Australian camp understood that a draw would have strategically worked in their favour, with the scoring system in the multi-format series meaning the hosts only needed one victory in the three ODIs to retain the trophy in such a scenario.
And at the change of innings, it seemed as though a draw was an inevitability – Australia’s bowlers needed 10 wickets for victory, but the pitch had flattened out beautifully over the course of three-and-a-half days of action.
However, England opener Tammy Beaumont made it abundantly clear that the visitors had no intention of playing for a draw. She smacked a quick-fire 36 before Tahlia McGrath removed the right-hander with her first delivery of the day.
At the other end, Lauren Winfield-Hill compiled a patient 33 off 65 balls, prompting a journalist from the media centre to chuck his head out of the window and bellow, “Have a go, Lauren!”
But momentum quickly shifted back in England’s favour when skipper Heather Knight came to the crease, fresh off her record-breaking 168 not out in the first innings.
Knight and England all-rounder Nat Sciver combined for a game-changing 72-run partnership, scoring at quicker than a run per ball.
Lanning put six fielders on the boundary rope, hoping to stem the flow of runs – but easy singles became quick twos as England’s required run rate dropped below six per over.
The Manuka Oval deck was offering zero seam movement for Australia’s pace bowlers, with the exception of a couple of deliveries from young all-rounder Annabel Sutherland that crept below the bat.
Suddenly, the target didn’t seem unfeasible – England required under 100 runs for victory with eight wickets in hand heading into the final hour.
Teenage quick Darcie Brown got the long-awaited breakthrough with less than an hour left in the day, trapping Knight on the pads to halt England’s stampede.
But England’s Sophia Dunkley switched into T20 mode as soon as she waltzed into the middle, smacking 37 from her first 21 balls at the crease.
With 10 overs remaining in the day, England required just 45 runs for victory with seven wickets in hand. They were favourites.
According to the almighty CricViz, England’s chances of securing a win had risen from two per cent to 87 per cent in less than two hours.
However, in yet another stunning twist, only two runs were scored from the following two overs, making the equation 43 needed from eight overs.
Sciver then slapped a short ball from Sutherland directly towards Lanning at square leg, ending her swashbuckling knock on 58 from 62 balls – no women‘s player has scored more runs in a Test innings at a faster strike rate.
With England requiring 38 runs for victory, Australian wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy missed a tough stumping chance off King’s bowling, gifting Amy Jones an extra life on zero.
A handful of sloppy misfields from the Australians leaked crucial runs, but Sutherland struck again a couple of overs later, with Jones cracking a delivery towards Beth Mooney at the mid-wicket boundary, who claimed a regulation chance. All four results were still possible.
In another game-changing moment, Mooney snared a remarkable diving catch low to her right at long-on to remove the dangerous Dunkley for 45. It was a late contender for catch of the summer.
“This woman has had jaw surgery just days ago, titanium plates in her face, and absolutely no fear to take a diving catch to dismiss the dangerous Sophia Dunkley,” former Australian captain Alex Blackwell said on Fox Cricket.
The Aussies at this stage required four wickets from 28 balls for an unlikely victory, while England still needed 24 runs.
Sutherland snared her third breakthrough the following over, dismissing the powerful Katherine Brunt for 4 with a short ball that was edged through to Healy with the gloves.
Three overs remaining – Australia needed three wickets, England required 17 runs.
King’s next over featured a cataclysmic run out, with Anya Shrubsole attempting a suicidal quick single only to find herself half a metre short of making her ground.
And the very next delivery, Charlie Dean attempted to sweep King towards fine leg, but the top edge was caught by Healy for Australia’s ninth wicket of the innings. England had lost 6/26 in a dramatic collapse.
As Dean made her way back to the pavilion, the third umpire checked for the dreaded back-foot no-ball, but replays showed that King was safe by a matter of millimetres.
Two overs remaining – Australia needed one wicket, England required 13 runs.
Several deliveries went past the outside edge in Sutherland’s relatively uneventful penultimate over, in which just the one run was scored.
Ultimately, it came down to the last over. Just as James Anderson did four weeks ago, England No. 11 Kate Cross successfully blocked out the final six balls to avoid a dramatic defeat, and the Test was drawn.
Largest fourth-innings scores in women’s Test history
245/9 – England vs AUS, Jan 2022
229/5 – England vs IND, Jun 1986
225/8 – England vs NZ, Jul 1996
223/8 – India vs ENG, Jul 1999
214 – New Zealand vs ENG, Mar 1969
Former England bowler and Fox Cricket commentator Isa Guha called it “one of the greatest Test matches in Ashes history.”
“Heather Knight and the rest of that team are going to be absolutely devastated,” she said.
“They pulled off an unbelievable heist. To get themselves into a position to win the Test match — they were only one wicket away.
“I just can’t believe what we have witnessed.”
Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne tweeted: “What a finish that was. Absolutely great for Test cricket.”
Cricket broadcaster Adam Collins tweeted: “Well played Meg Lanning, Heather Knight and both teams. In just 10 sessions, they‘ve engineered an excellent, compelling Test. More of it, across five days. And also, crucially, time for multi-day domestic women’s cricket. Let this be a springboard.”
Australia takes a 6-4 lead in the multi-format series ahead of the one-day internationals, which get underway on Thursday.
