Live Coverage: Day One of England vs. Australia Women's Ashes Test Match - The Guardian

Here’s the wicket of Phoebe Litchfield

11th over: Australia 46-1 (Mooney 19, Perry 2) A five-day Test is perfect for Elysse Perry, who is probably the best in the world at batting time. She gets off the mark by forcing Cross for a single.

10th over: Australia 43-1 (Mooney 18, Perry 0) Oh my. It turns out Cross’s delivery to Litchfield would have missed off stump. Litchfield walked straight off, almost ignoring Mooney’s attempts to discuss a review. She probably felt a little embarrassed because she’d offered no stroke.

Mooney crashes Bell for successive boundaries, the first over the covers and the second through mid-off.

“It’s quite nice to not have endless chants and repetitive songs in this match!” writes Penelope. “Don’t miss the Barmy Army at all.”

I can see both sides!

9th over: Australia 35-1 (Mooney 10, Perry 0) The great Elysse Perry, Test average 75, comes in at No3.

A moment of fortune for Mooney. She tries to flick Cross extravagantly over square leg and gets a big leading edge that flies over the slips for two runs. Cross has tightened her line to the left-handers, though she still has all the catchers behind the wicket rather than in front.

Well, apart from herself: she has just dropped Mooney off her own bowling! Mooney checked a drive to the right of Cross, who couldn’t hold on to a difficult chance in her follow through.

While Mooney has been a little scratchy, the debutant Litchfield looks in glorious touch. She moves into the twenties with a beautifully timed through extra cover. But now she’s gone!

Litchfield offered no stroke to the next ball, which came back to hit the pad in front of off stump, and Anna Harris raised the finger. It looked a tight decision, probably hitting the outside of off stump, and Litchfield is on her way for a promising 23.

8th over: Australia 28-0 (Mooney 7, Litchfield 19) Bell gets a bit of extra bounce to Litchfield, who has plenty of time to drop the ball well short of second slip. A good over from Bell ends with a yorker that is dug out by Litchfield.

It’s early, I know, but this doesn’t look like a great pitch.

A little disappointing to see that there isn’t much carry for the bowlers. Looks like plenty of runs are on offer #WomensAshes

7th over: Australia 27-0 (Mooney 6, Litchfield 19) Litchfield is so good square on the off side. She cracks another widish delivery from Cross to the point boundary. “Just stay away from that line on this pitch,” says Mark Butcher. “Got to attack the stumps.”

“For the men’s Test you posted the TMS YouTube link for those of us not in the country,” writes Joe Kearney. “I’m desperate to get the commentary for the women’s but can’t find it! Do you have today’s link, if they’re streaming it abroad again?”

I’ve had a quick look but can’t find it. Can anyone help?

6th over: Australia 23-0 (Mooney 6, Litchfield 15) Too straight from Bell, and Mooney works a couple of runs on the leg side. She played well in the warm-up against England A, scoring 107 and 35*, and she has looked solid so far.

Bell has a strangled shout for LBW when Mooney inside edges onto the pad. After a slightly nervous start, England are getting into their work.

5th over: Australia 21-0 (Mooney 4, Litchfield 15) That’s good from Cross, a length delivery that beats Litchfield on the angle. This looks a really slow pitch though; as Mark Butcher points out on Sky, the England wicketkeeper Amy Jones is taking a number of deliveries at ankle height. England have may to go into subcontinent mode, with catchers in front rather than behind the wicket.

Litchfield tries to leave Cross at the last minute and ends up guiding the ball on the bounce to slip. That’s a really good over from Cross, England’s best so far.

“Morning Rob, morning everyone,” says Guy Hornsby. “What a day this is, an Ashes Test we all love to see, over five glorious days.

“Brilliant on TMS hearing Ali Mitchell regale Ebony Rainford-Brent on the creation of the actual ‘ashes’ for the women in 1998 that involved a wok, some matches and a mini bat. It’s a sobering reminder that while things have moved on in all the right ways, they have historically had such a raw deal, however great the cricket has been. Australia are surely sure favourites this week but I can’t wait to see how this pans out. Wish I was there, along with all the Final Nerds at Trent Bridge today.”

It’s a good story isn’t it. For the uninitiated, here’s a primer.

A brief history of the Women's Ashes 🔥@AlisonMitchell with a little journey through Lord's as we get ready for the series 🙌#Ashes 

4th over: Australia 19-0 (Mooney 4, Litchfield 13) A widish outswinger from Bell is driven past backward point for four by Litchfield. It was a risky shot, away from her body, but she played it very well.

England are bowling an attacking, full length, trying to maximise any swing. The movement has been subtle rather than lavish, and for now the Australian openers look comfortable.

3rd over: Australia 14-0 (Mooney 4, Litchfield 8) Cross continues over the wicket, a much better angle for the inswing to the left-hander that she is getting. A low full toss is driven crisply for three by Litchfield, who has made a very assured start. She has 8 from 12 balls, Mooney 4 from 8.

Meanwhile, on the subject of Mitchell Starc, here’s Mike Jakeman. “Nothing gets past Bharat!”

Mitchell Starc is here of course, waiting in an already crowded queue to get into Trent Bridge for the opening day of the #WAshes Test with Alyssa Healy captaining for the first time

2nd over: Australia 10-0 (Mooney 3, Litchfield 5) Lauren Bell, 22 and playing her second Test, will share the new ball. She starts around the wicket to Mooney, with some sharp bounce outside off stump. Mooney ignores those deliveries and then pats a full toss to mid-on for a single.

She has an unusual run-up, coming from out to in rather than from behind the umpire, and because of that her follow through is taking her close to the business end of the pitch. That’s a pretty good first over, though, with bounce and movement.

1st over: Australia 9-0 (Mooney 2, Litchfield 5) Kate Cross’s first ball of the series is pushed square on the off side for a single by Beth Mooney. It’s a mixed over from Cross – some encouraging movement but also two no-balls and a wider delivery that Litchfield square-drives for her first boundary in Test cricket. Lovely shot.

“Really looking forward to this,” says Pete Salmon. “To quote the Aussie Legends Roy Slaven and HG Nelson, too mucj cricket is barely enough.

“Do we know where the men’s team is at the moment, particularly Mitch Starc. Is he there to see his other half captain the team? Or are they all in a Holiday Inn somewhere on their PlayStations? (Except their captain, who is rumoured to read books.) Be great to see Starc’s big long face smiling from the stands.”

Good question. They have a bit of time before Lord’s so I’d be surprised if he isn’t at Trent Bridge for at one least one of the days.

It’s a glorious morning in Nottingham, and it’s about to get even better: let’s play!

Before the anthems, the players line up for a minute’s silence in memory of Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates, who were shockingly stabbed to death in Nottingham last week.

Given the diet of sport we consume, and the increasing dehumanisation of sportspeople, it’s so easy to lose sight of how utterly exhilarating it must be to captain your bloody country for the first time. Alyssa Healy has done it in a handful of T20s - but never in the Ashes, and never in a Test match, until today.

Alyssa Healy: your 20th Australian women’s Test skipper.#Ashes

It won’t be long before we see the exciting debutant Lauren Filer, who is likely to come on first change for England. She looks a serious prospect.

It’s also a big day for Kate Cross, who will lead England’s attack after the retirement of Anya Shrubsole and Katherine Sciver-Brunt. She’s had an awful time this year with a parasitic illness, including seven or eight relapses, so this is a special moment for a very likeable cricketer.

Both teams have two Test debutants: Danni Wyatt and Lauren Filer for England, Phoebe Litchfield and Kim Garth for Australia.

Australia have preferred Jess Jonassen, who scored a huge hundred for the A team in their warm-up game against England, to Georgia Wareham.

England Beaumont, Lamb, Knight (c), Sciver-Brunt, Dunkley, Wyatt, Jones (wk), Ecclestone, Cross, Filer, Bell.

Australia Mooney, Litchfield, Perry, McGrath, Jonassen, Healy (c/wk), Gardner, Sutherland, King, Wareham, Garth, Brown.

The England captain Heather Knight says she would have bowled, so she’s happy as well.

“Sun’s out, you like to bat, right?” says Australia’s stand-in captain Alyssa Healy. “The wicket looks pretty good. There’ll be a bit for the bowlers at the start but we feel like if we can dig in and put a good score on the board, we’ll put ourselves in a good spot.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous. But at the same time it’s really exciting – it’s a huge honour for me, and my family are here as well. I’m just looking forward to getting stuck into it. The wicket looks dry so it might play a few tricks at the back end.”

'Sun's out, you like to bat right?' ☀️Alyssa Healy knows 😎 

I’m going to take a quick break before the toss, so here’s another plug for Raf Nicholson’s preview.

Phoebe Litchfield and Kim Garth have also been presented with their Test caps. Litchfield, who turned 20 in April, has a fledgling ODI average of 154.

Phoebe Litchfield and Kim Garth with their brand new Baggy Greens 🥰 #Ashes

At 24, Sophie Ecclestone is now one of England’s senior players. She spoke to Tanya Aldred.

‘It’s quite weird,’ she says. ‘I’ve always seen myself as a youngster, but now I’ve taken on a more responsible role. It’s really exciting for me, keeps me on the straight and narrow.’

Danni Wyatt, who is finally making her Test debut at the age of 32, and after 245 appearances for England, has just been presented her cap by Isa Guha. It’s a sweet and emotional scene, with her family and teammates all present.

Congratulations, Danni Wyatt ❤️A long time coming 👏 

No Lanning, no crisis

Australia will miss Meg Lanning, because she’s a genius, but her absence is not the scary prospect it would have been a few years ago.

Ten years is a very long time in cricket

This is a really good read from Raf Nicholson on how far the game has come since a disastrous TV advert in 2013.

Women’s Ashes – video explainer

“I’d just about steadied myself after Tuesday’s dramatics, and now this!” writes Outski. “It looks like a very strong England side, and there’s Farrant, Bouchier and Davies waiting in the wings, plus there seems to be a growing Jones/Winfield-Hill debate to mirror the Foakes/YJB stuff on the men’s side (Jones & Foakes for me).

“If Tammy can stay on her feet and not fall over to off and lbw, she could build a good platform, but I haven’t seen enough of Emma Lamb to have an opinion. We’ll miss Anya and Kat, no doubt, and I’m surprised to see Issy, Alice Capsey and ADR all missing.

“Still, fingers crossed, and let’s see if we get some Hezball :o)”

Emojis and textspeak usually bring me out in a murderous rage cold sweat, but as it’s the first day of the Ashes, I just feel and warm fuzzy rofl.

The future looks so bright for both teams, doesn’t it.

It’s worth stressing, particularly for casual fans, of Australia’s omnipotence in recent times. And there’s no better way to do that than with cold, hard stats.

Australia won the ODI World Cup last year and have won the last three World T20s. Since the start of the decade they have won a frightening 89 per cent of their completed white-ball matches. But they don’t play much Test cricket – just four games since 2015, all drawn – so maybe this is England’s chance.

On deck at Trent Bridge! #Ashes pic.twitter.com/mYt7fLlNbT

Raf Nicholson’s series preview

‘Myself and Jon [Lewis, the coach] are on the same page about how we want the team to play,’ Heather Knight said. ‘When I started out playing Test cricket I felt I had to go super-defensive, it was all about survival. I want all the girls to have in their minds how they’re going to take the game forward with the ball or with the bat.’

There are two important differences from recent women’s Tests. The match is being played at Trent Bridge, with a record crowd expected; it’s the first women’s Ashes Test in England to be played at a recognised Test ground since 2001. And, just as importantly, it will be played over five days, rather than four, for the first time since 1992.

The last three Ashes Tests have been draws – two boring, one utterly thrilling. Weather permitting, and the forecast is okay, this game will have a positive result. You have my word.

The teams

There are likely to be four Test debutants: Lauren Filer and Danni Wyatt for England, Phoebe Litchfield and Kim Garth for Australia. Garth played 114 times for Ireland before moving to Australia in 2020.

England Beaumont, Lamb, Knight (c), Sciver-Brunt, Dunkley, Wyatt, Jones (wk), Ecclestone, Cross, Filer, Bell.

Australia (possible) Litchfield, Mooney, Perry, McGrath, Healy (c/wk), Gardner, Sutherland, King, Wareham, Garth, Brown.

Some of you will already know this but it’s worth a refresher. The women’s Ashes is a multi-format competition: one Test match, three T20s and three ODIs.

There are four points on offer in the Test (two each if it’s a draw) and two for all the white-ball games. Australia won the last two series 12-4, which shows the extent of England’s task.

Test match Trent Bridge, 22-26 June

1st T20 Edgbaston, 1 July

2nd T20 The Oval, 5 July

3rd T20 Lord’s, 8 July

1st ODI Bristol, 12 July

2nd ODI Rose Bowl, 16 July

3rd ODI Taunton, 18 July

Ambassador, with all this Ashes cricket you really are spoiling us. Less than forty hours after the end of a classic men’s Test at Edgbaston, the Women’s Ashes begins at Trent Bridge. The format is different but the sales pitch is the same: a newly aggressive England team are trying to take down the world No1. For the women, the task is even stiffer: Australia aren’t just the best team in the world, they’re probably the best of all time.

Australia have held the Ashes since 2015, and won the last two series at a canter. Even without their captain Meg Lanning, who is absent for medical reasons, they look formidable. She will be replaced as captain by Alyssa Healy and as a batter by the precocious Phoebe Litchfield.

England have an exciting debutant of their own in the pace bowler Lauren Filer. This summer there will be no Lanning, no Rachael Haynes, no Anya Shrubsole, no Katherine Sciver-Brunt. The Ashes baton is being passed to a new generation. England will hope the Ashes trophy changes hands too. But to beat this Australia, they will have to play the best cricket of their lives.

The match starts at 11am BST/8pm AEST, with the toss at 10.30am/7.30pm.

A brief history of the Women's Ashes 🔥@AlisonMitchell with a little journey through Lord's as we get ready for the series 🙌