Continuing her form in Perth earlier this week, Anya Shrubsole took two quick wickets to reduce Australia to 9 for 2 before the close of play to put England ahead at the WACA.
Dismissing England women for 201, the opening day of the women’s Ashes had up until that point looked decidedly the Southern Stars’.
And had it not been for Arran Brindle’s 68 and debutant Nat Sciver’s 49—her highest international score—England’s total might have been even more vulnerable after having won the toss and chosen to bat.
England were never let out of the Southern Stars’ grasp thanks to some disciplined and inquisitive bowling by the hosts’ pace attack.
Having looked confident and untroubled for the opening eleven overs, Holly Ferling tempted in-form Heather Knight to edge to Jess Cameron at second slip for 14.
With Sarah Taylor trapped lbw by Perry for 1 in the next over, what had looked like a nerve-settling start had quickly become 29 for 2.
Ferling was exacting swing and bounce and Sarah Coyte immediately troubled Charlotte Edwards’ pads after replacing Perry so that England were firmly on the defensive at the end of the first hour.
Having said yesterday that she thought the game would “move quite quickly” but would “definitely go four days,” England captain Edwards had flicked the first ball of the series for 4 through midwicket. But she was next to go, lbw to Coyte for 17, and England were 32 for 3.
Familiar for England cricket this winter, pause and consolidation were needed, the wickets having fallen for 4 runs in 5 overs. It was Brindle who provided it, initially caressing Farrell for twin cover boundaries, helping bring the England 50 up after an hour and a half.
With England 69 for 3 at lunch the morning had unquestionably been the Southern Stars’.
“The WACA is going to aid the bowlers early so it’s really important we use that new ball wisely,” Jodie Fields, their skipper had hoped the day before and got what she wanted.
Brindle and Lydia Greenway set about their reconstruction task with a partnership of 64 before Perry bowled the left-hander, chopping-on twenty-five minutes after lunch, bringing all-rounder Sciver to the wicket at 96 for 4 with much to do.
The experienced Brindle led the partnership and when she bought up her third Test fifty in the 47th over, immediately before drinks, there was a sense that England’s women had stood up to the testing of Perry and Coyte after lunch and that momentum had swung back in their favour.
But Ferling, who like Brett Lee looks like she is running in over corrugated turf, dipping after lining up, almost had Brindle caught, the ball being sliced over second slip when on 62 in the 50th over, and then passed her flashing bat in the 52nd. England were never allowed to feel secure.
And after their 50 partnership came up in 75 minutes and 126 balls in the 59th over, Brindle was bowled by Farrell for 68 on the stroke of Tea. England, at 154 for 5, had again been denied a nose ahead.
The 168 minutes and 126 balls of Brindle’s innings demonstrated the attritional nature of the afternoon, which saw England score 85 for 2. Only 20 of her runs did not come in boundaries.
Jenny Gunn looked anything but set after the break and in slicing to, in her case, Osborne at gully for nought for Farrell’s second wicket, set in train the character of England’s tail’s innings.
England’s trouble—154 for 6—was compounded by Sciver’s falling to Coyte in the final over before the new ball.
Brunt was caught low and brilliantly by Blackwell in the gully off Farrell for 6, Shrubsole was lbw to a Perry yorker for nought, and Hazell was last out, hitting straight to midwicket for 15, giving Farrell her fourth wicket.
England’s last 6 wickets had fallen for 47 runs but Shrubsole’s two wickets have inflated the worth of England’s score.
“It was a nice change from the low and slow English wickets, it comes onto the bat nicely,” Nat Sciver said following stumps.
“To begin with we were disappointed that we could not push on a bit further [than 201, but] I would say it is balanced.”
