Keep calm and carry on. England managed to do just that yesterday as mature innings from Charlotte Edwards and Sarah Taylor saw them sail past Australia’s inadequate total in the 18th over of the first of three T20 internationals.
The Monk’s Tale. That will be the one that England will be reading here in Canterbury as they contemplate a heavy loss in the women’s Test that leaves them needing to win all three Twenty20 matches to win the Ashes.
Continue reading The Independent: Women’s Ashes – England skittled to leave grip on Ashes weakened
Moving day. In golf, the penultimate day of a four-day tournament is termed as such because it is when competitors try to set themselves up for the final push in the last round. On the third day of the four-day women’s Ashes Test match here at Canterbury it was Australia who, 106 runs ahead overnight, entered the field of play hoping to move far enough out of reach of England to orchestrate a first Test win on English soil since 2001.
It was a day for the cricketing purists. In an England innings which featured 436 dot balls and saw them bowled out for just 168 to trail the visitors on first innings by 106 runs, the Australian contingent of the healthy Canterbury crowd spent much of it mulling over unwanted reminders of the last time these two teams met in a Test on English soil.
In a devastating spell either side of lunch, Anya Shrubsole tipped the balance England’s way on day one of the women’s Ashes Test here in Canterbury. However, an unbeaten 95 down the order by Australia’s debutant Jess Jonassen frustrated the home side later in the day to leave the match evenly poised with the visitors on 268 for 8.
England will have to come from behind if they are to retain the Women’s Ashes after Australia won the last of the three-match Royal London one-day internationals in Worcester by 89 runs.
England’s vice-captain, Heather Knight, last night rued the missed opportunities that propelled England towards a 63-run defeat to Australia in the second oneday international of the women’s Ashes which leaves the series level at 1-1.
Natalie Sciver and Lydia Greenway combined in devastating fashion to give England Women a winning start to their Ashes campaign here as they led their side to an ultimately comfortable victory over Australia.
Well before the Australian slip cordon took their mark shortly after lunch on day two, a good two paces further back than their Kent counterparts, it was clear this was to be a Canterbury tale of two very different teams. The imposing total of 507, set by Australia, had set the tone. Here was arguably the best Test team in the world against an eager yet inexperienced Kent side at the bottom of the County Championship Second Division.
Continue reading The Independent: The Ashes – Marsh and Johnson on top in selection duels
