Tammy Beaumont makes first ever Test century to give England hope in first Ashes Test after Sophie Ecclestone took five wickets at Trent Bridge
- Annabel Sutherland achieved a classy century to put Australia in control of the Test
- However, Beaumont responded and continued her fine form to reach her own century
- Sophie Ecclestone of England finished with 5-129 as her career best test score
Tammy Beaumont ensured England don’t wilt in the face of a formidable Australian total here on Friday by making a brilliant first Test century that kept them in the Ashes hunt.
Beaumont finished the second day of this country’s first-ever five-day women’s test unbeaten on 100 and with England within sight of Australia on 218 for two.
England had allowed the old foe to reach a position of preeminence by adding 145 to their overnight score to make it to 473, earning Annabel Sutherland a century.
But Beaumont responded by continuing the excellent form that saw her make a double hundred in the pre-Test warm-up match against Australia A.
Captain Heather Knight had vowed to emulate the English men’s positive approach ahead of a test that will go a long way in deciding the multi-format women’s Ashes.
Tammy Beaumont scored her first ever Test century at Trent Bridge in the Ashes on Friday
Annabel Sutherland had achieved her own stylish century by handing over control of the Test to Australia
Sophie Ecclestone (centre) of England finished with 5-129 as her career best test score
But once Australia had achieved such an impressive scoreline, England realized their best chance was to make sure they got as close to parity in the first innings as possible, and maybe even past Australia, however long it took.
They lost Emma Lamb to a loose drive at 21-year-old Sutherland, but Beaumont joined forces with her captain to add 105 for the second wicket.
Knight was dropped by Australia’s substitute captain, Alyssa Healy, on Ash Gardner’s spin on 42, but fell to the same combination after making her fourth Test half century to add her two hundred.
By this time, Beaumont had received her fair share of luck as she advanced to Alana King’s leg spin on 61 and hit the ball through her short leg boot to Phoebe Litchfield.
Umpire Anna Harris dismissed the Australian appeal, thinking the ball had gone into the ground, but Australia inexplicably did not reverse the decision and Beaumont marched on.
Finding the perfect partner in Nat Sciver-Brunt, the pair picked up the pace to add an unbroken 67 for the third England wicket and Beaumont reached one hundred 10 years after her Test debut which gave her centuries in all three formats.
England perhaps missed their chance to limit Australia to a more manageable total as they got off to a poor start to day two and failed to put pressure on Sutherland and tail.
Sutherland had not yet scored fifty in international cricket before her smash hit on Friday
Instead of turning to her two most successful bowlers from day one in Sophie Ecclestone and Lauren Filer, Knight returned to her opening pair in Lauren Bell and Kate Cross.
As a result, the game drifted, at least until Sophie Ecclestone’s left arm spin was introduced too late by Knight 40 minutes and nine overs into the day.
The difference was huge as Ecclestone took two of the last three wickets to fall to finish with her first five wicket haul in Test cricket from 46.2 overs of flight and cheating.
But Australia got to score 235 runs from their last four wickets, while Sutherland made an unbeaten 137 from number 8.