Australia Women v England Women: Details from the inaugural day-night Ashes Test
England dug deep to force a Test draw against Australia and keep alive their hopes of securing the Women's Ashes.
Inaugural day-night Ashes Test (North Sydney Oval)
England Women 2nd inns: 206-2 (Knight 69*, Elwiss 41*)
Australia Women 1st inns: 448-9 declared (Perry 213*; Ecclestone 3-107, Marsh 3-109)
England Women 1st inns: 280 (Beaumont 70, Knight 62; Jonassen 2-52, Perry 2-48, 2-35 McGrath)
Day four report
England dug deep to force a Test draw against Australia and keep alive their hopes of securing the Women's Ashes.
The tourists headed into the final day of the day-night contest 128 runs in arrears - on 40 without loss - at the North Sydney Oval, and needing to avoid defeat to retain any hope of reclaiming the urn in the multi-format series.
Openers Lauren Winfield (34) and Tammy Beaumont (37) were the only wickets to fall on Sunday, with England captain Heather Knight (79 not out) and Georgia Elwiss (41no) frustrating the hosts before Knight and opposite number Rachel Haynes agreed to call it a day.
The result meant the sides took two points apiece, with Australia leading 6-4 going into Friday's first of three Twenty20 matches.
Australia all-rounder Ellyse Perry had previously stolen the show with a masterful unbeaten 213 to propel her side to 448 for nine declared.
Winfield and Beaumont survived a testing spell under lights on Saturday night, but both departed in Sunday's opening session.
Beaumont was bowled by Amanda-Jade Wellington, and, when Winfield was trapped in front by Tahlia McGrath the visitors were shaking on 89 for two - still 79 behind.
But the home team, pushing for the victory which would have ensured they retained the urn, could make no further inroads.
Knight hit 79 off 220 balls - her second half-century in this Test - and Elwiss hung around for 190 deliveries for her 41 runs.
The teams shook hands with England on a second-innings score of 206 for two, and needing to win all three T20 games to reclaim the Ashes.
Day three report
Ellyse Perry registered the highest Test score by an Australian to leave England battling to save the one-off day-night Test and keep their Women's Ashes hopes alive.
All-rounder Perry had never previously reached three figures in any form of international cricket but a masterful innings of 213 not out propelled Australia to 448 for nine declared at the North Sydney Oval.
The tourists need to avoid defeat to keep the multi-format series alive and openers Lauren Winfield and Tammy Beaumont at least survived a testing spell under lights to usher their side to 40 without loss at the close - still 128 runs in arrears.
If England do succumb to defeat on the final day, it will be in large part due to Perry, who took three for 59 before engineering Australia's recovery from 168 for five over the course of the previous two days.
There were century stands, too, with Alyssa Healy, who contributed 45, and Tahlia McGrath, dropped on nought before going on to make 47, but England found Perry immovable in a 374-ball stay that included 26 fours and one six.
Hers was the key wicket when she resumed on 70 and, despite England's persistence, there were precious few chances of note, with Perry bringing up her maiden hundred for Australia by tickling Laura Marsh's legside delivery fine for her 17th four.
With the Southern Stars closing in on England's first-innings 280 all out, Marsh finally made the first breakthrough of the day as Healy clubbed to Anya Shrubsole at mid-on.
Test debutant McGrath was shelled at extra cover in the next over by England captain Heather Knight, and it proved a costly drop with the batters establishing a healthy lead for Australia.
Perry breezed past her 150 and looked utterly unflustered as England started to tire in the field although McGrath was denied a fifty on debut after miscuing a Georgia Elwiss full toss straight to Nat Sciver at mid-on.
There was a cameo 24 from Jess Jonassen but when she and then Amanda Wellington departed in quick succession, there were fears Perry would be left stranded as she closed in on a double ton.
On 194, she celebrated reaching the landmark after lofting Marsh to deep midwicket only for replays to show the ball had landed a couple of feet inside the boundary rope.
She showed her resolve, however, by quickly refocusing and a lovely drive down the ground off Sophie Ecclestone in the next over saw her to a double hundred, this time to more muted celebrations.
She then hammered a four then a six off Ecclestone to overhaul Karen Rolton's previous Australian Test-best 209 not out and go third on the all-time list, behind Pakistan's Kiran Baluch and India's Mithali Raj.
Australia promptly declared with a 168-run first-innings lead in an effort to make inroads into England's batting.
There were a couple of nervy moments for England but Winfield and Beaumont made it to the close.
Day two report
Eighteen-year-old Sophie Ecclestone marked her Test debut with two wickets, but a patient half-century from Ellyse Perry helped Australia women close in on England's first-innings total on day two at the North Sydney Oval.
Left-arm spinner Ecclestone removed Beth Mooney and Alex Blackwell to reduce the hosts to 61 for three in the inaugural day-night Ashes Test, but a 73-run stand between Perry, who made an unbeaten 70, and captain Rachel Haynes (33), helped them reach the close on 177 for five.
That left them 103 runs behind England, who were earlier dismissed for 280 after resuming on 235 for seven.
Australia lead the multi-format points-based series 4-2 and will retain the Ashes if they win in Sydney.
A strong start from the home side was ended by Laura Marsh, who had Nicole Bolton caught by Anya Shrubsole for 24.
Ecclestone then took centre stage, claiming her first victim with plenty of good fortune when Mooney (27) went after a short ball but succeeded only in thumping it straight to Nat Sciver at midwicket.
Her second arrived seven runs later and was all her own work, deceiving Blackwell (six) with a drifting delivery to trap her lbw.
A brilliant catch from Sarah Taylor removed Elyse Villani, the wicketkeeper showing remarkable reactions to hold an edge standing up to a Shrubsole delivery.
But Perry and Haynes then combined to take the match to England, pushing the pace under the lights as they took the score from 95 for four to 168 for five.
A fired-up Katherine Brunt brought the partnership to an end when, the very next ball after having Haynes escape when she edged between first and second slip, she trapped the Australian captain lbw.
The impressive Perry was still there at the end, though, ending the day on 70 from 173 balls, including 10 fours, to give the tourists plenty of food for thought heading into day three.
At the start of the day England's bid to reach 300 fell short as they added 45 to their overnight total, Shrubsole the biggest contributor of the morning with 20.
Day one report
Tammy Beaumont hit a maiden half-century and captain Heather Knight made 62 to help England Women reach 235 for seven as Australia produced a late recovery in the inaugural day-night Ashes Test at the North Sydney Oval.
England, who won the toss and decided to bat, went into the final session at 157 for three, with Beaumont having produced a recovery alongside Knight to score 70 in a partnership of 104 after fellow opener Lauren Winfield was earlier out for just four.
However, once Knight was trapped leg before by Jess Jonassen, Australia produced a late rally in what is a first Test match either team has played since 2015.
All-rounder Natalie Sciver could only add 18 before left-arm spinner Jonassen claimed another lbw dismissal, with Georgia Elwiss then out for 27 shortly after England had passed the 200 mark.
The hosts - who lead the multi-format points-based series 4-2 and will retain the Ashes if they win in Sydney - continued to keep late pressure on under the lights with the pink ball.
England wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor was caught and bowled by Ellyse Perry for 29 - albeit only following a fortunate ricochet off the Australian's left arm and chest, much to her amusement.
Katherine Brunt then lasted just four deliveries, out for one to debutant Tahlia McGrath, despite claiming it was a bump ball, before Fran Wilson, unbeaten on 11 in her first England appearance, and Anya Shrubsole, yet to score, saw out the closing overs.
All-rounder Perry, Jonassen and McGrath each finished with two wickets, giving Australia hope of finishing off the England tail before the tourists can edge their first-innings total up towards 300.
Australia are 2/1 favourites with Sky Bet to claim victory and England can be backed at 11/4.
The draw is on offer at 11/10.