The Ashes – Second Day
What an extraordinary day’s play! At the flick of a switch we could watch two games at our leisure. In both of them the hosts topped 500 runs, scored at the rate of a 100-metre sprinter.
The weather remained stuck, the jet stream streaming unremitting heat over proceedings. Would the tracks hold up without the usual precipitation from heavy clouds?
The answer was yes, only the occasional ball misbehaving.
As proof,witness England scoring a mountain of runs against the recurrent world champions, openers, middle order and tail-enders enjoying themselves equally.
Leicester
Let’s follow the fortunes of Australia’s elite team first. By the end of the day they had conceded an unbelievable 562-7 against England’s second choice side.
The strip at Grace Road still had a tinge of green at the start, but bounce had proved irregular on the first day, and Alyssa Healy could hope for reaping rewards. She hoped in vain.
England A had done well to dismiss the Aussies for 284, but suffered early setbacks when Eve Jones and Maia Bouchier both fell. Grace Scrivens (58), who had come in to the third ball of the innings, then put on 142 with her skipper, Lauren Winfield-Hill.
After the openers’ misfortunes the lowest score from batters 3-10 was 32* from Sarah Glenn, who showed there are few rabbits to be found in the England hutch. LM-H reminded the selectiors of her prime qualities (106), then Bess Heath (88) and Paige Scholfield (102) both proved the selectors’ decision-making right with a sixth-wicket partnership of 166. Danni Wyatt and two slightly less regular figures in England colours, Alice Davidson-Richards and Charlie Dean, all scored 30s to keep a tiring attack at bay.
All this, remember, against what was supposed to be the strongest bowling line-up on the planet.
Close of Play: Australia 284; England A 562-7
Derby
Run-getting was more predictable here as the pick of England’s batters did battle with the Aussies’ second-string.
We learned by the way, that Shelley Nitschke, the head coach, had deliberately asked Jess Jonassen to move to Derby to mother-hen the young squad – the equivalent of LW-H caring for her England ducklings at Leicester.
The contrast in their performances speaks volumes: LW-H 106; Jonassen, once the most feared and respected slow left-armer in world cricket: an analysis of 18-2-101-1.
Emma Lamb failed to make the most of her opportunities, going for 10, caught off Maitlan Brown. From thereon the bat was in charge.
Tammy Beaumont removed any lingering doubts about her form with a stunning 201, whereupon she retired to allow others time at the crease. She was fidgety to start with, perhaps revealing her inner concerns. Once the runs started flowing, she ruled the roost.
She and Heather Knight put on 170. When Knight fell for 72, Nat Sciver-Brunt (76) and Sophia Dunkley (84) continued the carnage. Alice Capsey fell disappointingly for 9 to the persevering Lauren Cheatle, but in came Amy Jones (88) to add 105 with Dunkley. Then Danni Gibson and Sophie Ecclestone completed the demolition with 35* and 23* repsectively. Ecclestone signed off with one of her signature sixes.
There was a golden moment when both games came to a lengthy halt as reconaissance groups were sent out to unearth balls that had been hit into far yonder.
Close of Play: Australia A 221; England 611-7
One day to play
