England’s Tammy Beaumont hits record
208 but Australia build lead in one-off Test

AUSTRALIA took control on day three of the one-off Ashes Test with a lead of 92, despite Tammy Beaumont’s record-breaking 208 for England.
The hosts were bowled out for 463 in their first innings at Trent Bridge, trailing Australia by just 10, but openers Beth Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield steered the visitors to 82-0 at the close.
Beaumont’s innings, the first double-century in England women’s cricket, put England into a decent position but some loose bowling at the start of the innings eased all pressure on Australia.
She beat an 88-year-old record set by Betty Snowball, who scored 189 against New Zealand at Christchurch in 1935, in making England women’s highest score.
England started the day 255 runs behind Australia’s first-innings 473 and dominated the morning session as Beaumont and all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt added a third-wicket partnership of 137.

Sciver-Brunt overturned an lbw decision from the first ball of the day and went on to score 78, before Test debutant Danni Wyatt struck an aggressive 44 from 49 balls to edge England closer to parity.
But Beaumont eventually ran out of batting partners as England lost their last four wickets for 15 runs, with spinner Ash Gardner finishing with 4-99 and Tahlia McGrath taking 3-24.
England then produced a sloppy spell of bowling with the new ball, the seamers going at 5.15 runs an over as Litchfield and Mooney finished unbeaten on 41 and 33 respectively.

Beaumont’s brilliance defies Australia
Beaumont’s journey in an England shirt has not always been smooth, with the batter struggling to nail down a place in the side and batting as low as number eight until 2016.
More recently, she has found herself out of England’s T20 set-up, but in front of an appreciative crowd at Trent Bridge she provided a Test batting masterclass and a reminder of her value to England at the top of the order.
Beaumont’s intent had the usually unflappable Australia a little rattled.

Edges burst through the slip cordon, rare fumbles crept in from the fielders and loose wide balls were accepted gratefully by Beaumont to thrash through the covers.
It was an innings of remarkable concentration and endurance as well as brutal strokeplay, her 200 coming from 317 balls – the second-fastest of all time after Australia legend Karen Rolton’s 306-ball effort in 2001.
She was given a reprieve on 152, overturning an lbw as the review showed the ball to be marginally pitching outside the line of leg stump, but it was an otherwise chanceless innings against the best bowling attack in the world.

Sciver-Brunt and Wyatt’s aggression took the pressure off Beaumont, allowing her to bat in her own style against their counter-attack.
Australia may be in the ascendancy, but Beaumont has etched her name into cricket history with a performance that will live long in the memory of those lucky enough to witness it.
England compete but Australia’s class prevails
Despite Beaumont’s heroics, England were served a harsh reminder of the class of their opposition as Australia’s openers cashed in on a flat pitch.
With just 10 runs separating the sides after one innings, the game was almost perfectly balanced, and a couple of early wickets – or at least a conservative run-rate – could have seen England going into day four with the opportunity to set up victory.

England have committed to playing their attacking brand of cricket so far, but with the new ball the seamers gifted Mooney and Test debutant Litchfield plenty of width to capitalise on and it felt like the game had slipped from their grasp.
Against such formidable opposition England cannot afford to keep gifting so many scoring opportunities.

Once again Heather Knight was forced to turn to her trump card Sophie Ecclestone early, after her 46-over spell in Australia’s first innings, to offer any element of control.
Australia’s bowlers struggled during the day, but faced with England’s tail they pounced – whereas their own lower order added a remarkable 158 from their final four wickets.
And Australia’s batting prowess was exemplified by all-rounder Annabel Sutherland scoring a flawless century from number eight on day two, so England’s task – which was at one point on a relatively flat trajectory – is now firmly uphill. (BBC Sport)1