Spin to win: Aussies eye turning path to Test victory

Ashleigh Gardner is confident there will be a result in the Ashes Test at Trent Bridge, tipping Australia’s spinners to have a significant impact when they enter the unfamiliar territory of a fifth day.

Australia will head into day four holding a 92-run lead with 10 wickets in hand in their second innings, having eked out a 10-run advantage when Tahlia McGrath rolled through England’s tail as the hosts were bowled out for 463 on Saturday.

With the luxury of a fifth day in this Test match – a first for women’s Tests in England – Gardner said Australia did not yet have a target in mind should they find themselves in a position to make a declaration.

But the allrounder, who claimed four crucial wickets for Australia on Saturday, was confident the match would produce the first result in a women’s Test since 2015.

And while thus far there have been few demons in the wicket at Trent Bridge, the spinner expects that to change in the coming two days, having already noted some variable bounce.

“We’ve never played a five-day Test match, so knowing that that wicket will deteriorate at some point, spin is going to play a huge role for the rest of the game,” Gardner said after play on Saturday.

“There hasn’t been a lot of bounce (but in) that last little period you saw balls that were bouncing and some that were staying quite low.

“There’s some cracks appearing which could play into our hands.

“For us it’s about being really relentless on our length. Something we speak about a lot as a group is being really diligent with that and always attacking the stumps to bring all modes of dismissal in, and I think that’s super important when you’re going into day five of the Test match, which we don’t normally do.

“There’s still so much time in the game – there’s still 180 overs to go – and we’re not used to that, but it’s an exciting prospect.”

Openers Phoebe Litchfield and Beth Mooney will look to pile on the runs on day four when they resume on 41 and 33 respectively, with Australia 0-82.

Also factoring into calculations will be the weather – there is currently a 30 per cent chance of rain throughout the afternoon on day four.

“I would certainly say that there’s going to be a result and that’s what we’re going to be pushing for,” Gardner said.

“We just need to build partnerships, really, I think that’s what Test match cricket is all about.

“We’ve got a pretty good lead at the moment, the girls will come out tomorrow morning and look to build on what they’ve just done.”

The last eight women’s Tests, all played over four days, have failed to produce a result thanks to a combination of time lost to wet weather and benign pitches.

At the last Ashes Test in Canberra in January 2022, which was impacted by rain, Australia declared to set England a target of 257 runs off 48 overs on the fourth day.

It set up a thrilling finish, as an aggressive England looked on track to pull off a remarkable win before collapsing, finishing 9-245 as the game ended in a draw.

Australia meanwhile copped criticism from some quarters after they did not declare in the 2019 Test in Taunton.

Rain washed out two sessions on the second day of the match in Somerset, and Australia, already holding a 6-0 advantage in the series and knowing a drawn Test would hand them the two points required to retain the Ashes, opted to bat through the final day rather than declare and dangle the carrot for England.

“I think we’ll have to wait and see what the Australians do,” England opener Tammy Beaumont said on Saturday after hitting an England record 208.

“I think at the moment it is probably too early to tell.

“You’d hope that they’d want to be pushing for a result and trying to set something up for them to try and bowl us out.

“But it’s so early on in the Ashes … we’re going quite a few rounds at the minute and I think both teams are holding their own.

“We’re going to have to come out early tomorrow with plenty of energy and try and take some wickets.

“I think it’s still quite in the balance. There’s still a lot of runs on that wicket and whoever seizes the moment in the morning and the middle session probably is going to be the one in charge of the game.”

CommBank Ashes Tour of the UK 2023

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

England Test squad: Heather Knight (c), Natalie Sciver-Brunt (vc), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Kate Cross, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Amy Jones, Emma Lamb, Issy Wong, Danielle Wyatt

Test: June 22-26 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 11am local (8pm AEST)

First T20I: July 1 at Edgbaston, Birmingham, 6.35pm (3.35am July 2 AEST)

Second T20I: July 5 at The Oval, London, 6.35pm (3.35am July 6 AEST)

Third T20I: July 8 at Lord’s, London, 6.35pm (3.35am July 9 AEST)

First ODI: July 12 at The County Ground, Bristol, 1pm (10pm AEST)

Second ODI: July 16 at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, 11am (7pm AEST)

Third ODI: July 18 at The County Ground, Taunton, 1pm (10pm AEST)