Australia absolutely dominated the ODI's taking a 3-0 lead. Elysse Perry with a spectacular 7/22 in the third ODI.Onto the test match where Australia can retain the ashes with a win (and a draw would mean I think only one win from the T20s is needed)

It has been difficult to keep up with female cricket  with the men’s World Cup, Copa America in football and Wimbledon all on simultaneously. 

This is really disappointing:
https://www.news.com.au/sport/cricket/womens-ashes-pitch-farce-exposed-as-disgraceful-blight/news-story/2af50b78757201e5fa93b0015ffa5d44

Congrats to the debutants 
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/toss-teams-australia-england-womens-ashes-test-debut-tayla-vlaeminck-ash-gardner-sophie-molineux/2019-07-18?fbclid=IwAR2H8TARSiJSQJodIWGjBMnp75-QNi56FxoQGl6jRpLEAgml_aZnQV92Hys

Great start to the Test by the Southern Stars. Already in a dominant position as the Poms have to win this to stay alive for the Ashes crown. The incomparable Ellyse Perry is again showing the way for the girls alongside the consistent Rachael Haynes.

Is this game being telecast? If not.. bloody well shud be.

What a class act Ellyse Perry is. The fickle English weather spoilt the day so looks like the Stars have declared at 5-341.

At the moment Perry raised her bat to salute her century she had scored 313 runs from 620 balls without being dismissed in Test cricket. Not even many of our greatest male batsmen can say they did that.

https://live.cricket.com.au/match/2294/44642/england-women-vs-australia-women-womens-ashes-test/scorecard
blob:https://www.cricket.com.au/da6f9900-b560-4763-9d9c-29175e21a9d7

Pretty amazing feat!

Has Perry been dropped at all in those 620 balls faced?

I could not tell you that DC as I never watched every ball.

As for you missing the cricket last nite.. rain threatened from the start of play and finally came just after lunch. I too planned to sit up and watch it all as Nine never shows replays unlike Fox.

GEM at no 192 on pay TV, Baggers. 

Thanks DC.. worked that out last nite. Was not  well publicised tho.

No it wasn’t, mate. 

After coming home late last night I tried to catch up with this Test, but it must have been rained out.

Jonassen caught in gully off Brunt for 8. 

I can’t believe Aus is batting so slowly at 6-356? 

If one did not know the score, one would think Aus were 6 for less than 100. 

Marsh, the right arm Pom finger spinner, is bowling a lot of balls slightly on the leg side. 

Brunt seems to be generating inswing to the left handed batter, which would manifest as an outswinger to a right handed batter. 

Both Molineux and Mooney are lefties playing some good offside shots. 

English spinner, Marsh, generates as much turn as some male Test finger spinners. 

I wanna know why we are still batting. Is Ca thinking we only need to draw this and stop England winning to take home the Ashes.

I have a problem with Molineux's technique. Feet are stuck in cement.. off stump often exposed. Suppose you have to expect this as the women rarely play red ball cricket. This has to be remedied surely by adding a red ball component to the women state tournament.

Lanning waves the girls in finally at 8dec- 420.

She has hit the ball well in some other attacking shots, Baggers. 

Healy and Lisa S were lauding her head being well over the ball in a cut for 4.

Yes she cut well. But at no time did she have her head over the ball nor her stumps protected when playing or defending the strait fuller ball. Watch how there is little foot movement.. plays away from her body.

One perfect outswinger from Perry in the first over of the English innings! 

It seems 110-112 kph is a reasonable speed for female pace bowlers. 

Schutt seems to gain looping inswing at 105-106 kph. 

Beaumont bowled Perry! 

With Perry’s high leap in her delivery stride, has she had back injury issues? 

What a beautiful smooth bowling action Perry has! 

I’m quite impressed by the standard in women’s Test cricket. 

I might have to attend the Tas women’s team’s games at Bellerive this next season.  

Mate isnt it ridiculous that our women dont play red ball cricket at state level. Yet they have been playing Ashes Tests since the 50s.

Given the fact they only play a Test every two years I am impressed by the techniques of our two superstars, Perry and Lanning. Haynes and Mooney looked good too. 

I didn’t realise they don’t play red ball cricket! 

This current scenario seems absurd. 

It is ludicrous.

Notice we dont hear the BCCI insisting Indian women play Test matches.

The ICC needs to get out of the dark ages and introduce an Ashes like format for all the other nations.

In some of the cricket playing countries they don’t take women’s sport as seriously as they do in others. 

Perry has played for the Matildas, the Australian football (soccer) team too. She was a fringe player. 

As a cricketer her all round skills in bowling and batting are extraordinary! 

She was more than a fringe player think you will find. Reason she had to choose between soccer and cricket. Thank goodness she chose cricket. If only our men had a complete cricketer like Ellyse.

Fringe at national team level in football, but as a cricketer she must be one of the world’s best. 

Perry still has that outswinger going. 

Missed the collapse! 

So did I.. had to sleep.

Our best chance is to knock em off before they reach the follow on point.  That three hour rain delay will come back to haunt us now. 

Gardner and Molineux are imparting a bit of spin on the ball at times. 

DC why arent the quicks on?

More threatening clouds. Poor old Poms.. dont get much sun even in midsummer.

Finally the quick Tayla is on. She will hurry 'em.

Our bowlers cant maintain pressure. 

You still around DC?

England avoid the follow on.  Knight has declared.. Stars 145 in front. Only choice is to add another 100. and get them back in..  Still time for a result . Australians dont play  for draws.

I wasn’t then. Watching a TV program with my better half for a while! 

I used to live close to Taunton.

It rains a lot in that part of the world.

Marsh with flight and spin has dismissed Healy and Haynes to make Aus 2-15. Dismissals were bowled and LBW. 

Aus have have a lead of 160 with 8 wickets remaining. 

This Taunton wicket is turning. Spin from both ends from Marsh and Ecclestone with plenty of shine on the ball early in the innings. 

After a lot of ODI cricket in the WC, I’m loving seeing attacking fielders in close catching positions around the bat, particularly with the spinners bowling from both ends. 

I thought Marsh was straying with her line in the first innings, but she has been devastating in this innings, just inducing another outside edge from Lanning. 

I’ve never seen this before, but second slip is kneeling on the grass instead of crouching down waiting for a catch. 

The English spinners are getting prodigious turn as well as some nice loop. 
It would be good for Grazor to evaluate their bowling, but I doubt he can get GEM in Canada. 

Shot - nice straight drive for 4! 

Lovely use of the feet and resultant on drive for 4 from Perry! 

Shame there is no DRS in women’s cricket. 

Unplayable ball sent down by Marsh that nearly resulted in a stumping off Lanning. 

DRS would have shown the close LBW call would have been out! 

Our two superstars Lanning and Perry steadying the ship. 

You blokes are on now when I am off the bed.

Sleep well, Baggers! 

Who just played that superb cut for 4 in the last over, Baggers?

Aus now 2-63.

Gordon has taken the pressure off.

I spoke too soon - she has induced a catch at cover to dismiss Lanning off a shocking loose delivery!

3-67.

The lead is 212 with seven wickets left. 

Do we have enough of a lead? 

Australia has a lead of 8-2 in current points with this draw.

I can't get over how much I enjoyed this game.

It was so good seeing close to the wicket catchers again. The English fielder who took that superb reflex catch to dismiss Molineux, was a superb fielder!

Being such a skill based game, from what I know about cricket ( not much), some of  the Aussie female batters look comparable,  or even better, than some of the  Aussie male Test players in their respective milieus.

What do you think Baggers, QF, Grazor, Mike, JJ? 

I think Taunton was a turning wicket but the female bowlers, extracted prodigious turn in this game. There was also good flight and drift. Probably more loose balls on offer than men's cricket though.

Baggers, what do you think of Perry's technique?

She looks to be a very elegant and classy batter IMO?

What a cricketer!

I did allude to that in earlier post DC.. Perry and Lanning both have cast iron techniques. Watch how they play the pace under their noses.. in attack and defending. Watch how they smother the turn by angling the bat well forward with eye over the ball. 

Our Southern Stars retain the Ashes!!! Brilliant girls. Now it is up to our men.

The all Aussie affair starts  tomorrow nite. Will they telecast it?

I hope so, but doubt it.

They look good, but I can't articulate how, technically, like you can.

It is always good to read technical analysis from those capable of doing it.

Thanks.

I am nothing special DC. Have watched an awful lot of cricket over the decades...is all.

I tell you something seeing the way Lanning and Perry play in this and other tests you wud never know  the two play so little red ball cricket. A couple of our men cud use their techniques against the Pommies in a fortnite.  

You have been a cricket coach. 

You know a lot more than the likes of me, Baggers! 

Lanning and Perry playing so little red ball cricket is astonishing! 

Gday all
Did watch some of this match & agree with the comments re Perry & Lanning.
With all the comments on men's cricket re all rounders, these 2 show what can
be done.
If our men's cricket had a male equivalent how good would that be.
That aside, well done to the Southern Stars.

Good day, JJ.

Not content to have retained the Ashes, Australia captain Meg Lanning ground England into the dirt with a record-breaking knock before her bowlers ensured their opponents stayed down, consigning them to their worst-ever T20 International defeat. Her 133 equalled England's total score. Astounding. Southern stars now on track to do what The Invincibles did in 1948.. tho nowhere near the same scale.

Wow!

One more game to win for the clean sweep. Healys undefeated comment not looking bold anymore