At the close of play on Sunday, England reached 116-5, still requiring 152 runs to achieve their target of 268 on the final day. Gardner, who had already taken four wickets in the first innings, added three more to her tally, dismantling England’s top order.
Among her victims were several key players, including Tammy Beaumont, who had scored a double-century in the first innings. Gardner’s impressive figures of 3-33 in nine overs put Australia in a commanding position. She also dismissed all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt and England captain Heather Knight before stumps.
As the final day approaches, England will heavily rely on Danni Wyatt, who remained unbeaten on 20, and nightwatch Kate Cross, who is yet to score.
Earlier in the match, England’s left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone demonstrated her prowess by taking her second five-wicket haul of the Test. With match figures of 10-192 from 77.1 overs, Ecclestone reaffirmed her position as the top-ranked bowler in the world.
Australia now require just five more wickets to secure victory in the Women’s Ashes Test. The pressure will be on England’s remaining batsmen to mount a successful chase, while Australia’s bowlers will aim to maintain their dominance and claim the decisive wickets. The final day promises an enthralling conclusion to this closely contested Test match.
Brief scores: England 463 & 116-5 (Emma Lamb 28; Ash Gardner 3/33) trail Australia 473 & 257 (Beth Mooney 85, Alyssa Healy 50, Phoebe Litchfield 46; Sophie Ecclestone 5/63, Lauren Filer 2/49) by 151 runs.
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
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