Australia v South Africa: one-off women’s Test, day one – live reaction | Australia women’s cricket team

Australia are in command of the game but will be feeling decidedly flat after the late dismissal of Healy one shy of what would have been a memorable and hard fought maiden ton. Once the dust settles the Australian skipper’s innings will be appreciated for the showcase of poise and power that it was, though. Australia were reeling on 12-3 before Beth Mooney and Healy set about the South Africa attack to put the home side back on top. Mooney fell for a typically compact 78 but Annabel Sutherland will be there tomorrow for her side, unbeaten on a blisteringly assured 54.

Australia lead by 175 runs, the batters backing up the solid work done in the morning by a five-wicket haul-ing Darcie Brown. At just 20 years old, Brown led the charge with the ball as South Africa were bundled out for a lowly 76 and she led her teammates from the field with 5-21 in less than ten overs of zippy seam bowling.

STUMPS: Australia 251-5 (lead by 175 runs)

WICKET! Alyssa Healy c & b Tucker 99 (Australia 249-5)

Noooooooooo! Alyssa Healy is out on 99!

54th over: Australia 247-4 (Healy 97, Sutherland 54) Sutherland goes to an excellent fifty with a glance for two and follows up with a four through cover. End of the over. All eyes on Alyssa Healy.

53rd over: Australia 241-4 (Healy 97, Sutherland 48) Healy picks up a lucky four with a punch to the offside that is mis-fielded and gifts a boundary. She’s onto 96. Make that 97, a single is taken down the ground. Sutherland skips down and lofts Tucker over her head for SIX. Easy game eh?

52nd over: Australia 229-4 (Healy 92, Sutherland 41) Mlaba replaces Tryon and Sutherland soaks up the over whilst Healy gathers herself at the non strikers end. Tension rising. Can Healy get there before the close? There are about ten minutes left in the day!

51st over: Australia 227-4 (Healy 92, Sutherland 39) Tucker slides one into Healy’s pads and they pick up a couple but there was not bat involved so the runs don’t help the captain’s quest through the nineties…

50th over: Australia 224-4 (Healy 92, Sutherland 38) Sutherland pokes Tucker down the ground for a single and the atmosphere builds as Healy is content to block out the rest of the over. She needs eight more runs for a maiden Test ton.

49th over: Australia 223-4 (Healy 92, Sutherland 37) Healy moves into the nineties with a powerful cut for four – no sign of nerves or weariness in that stroke.

The camera cuts to a nervous looking Ian Healy, his niece is on the *unlucky* number of 87 with a maiden Test century in her sights. Reminds me of speaking to Jess Jonassen (and Mike Atherton and Alex Tudor) for this piece a few years back.

48th over: Australia 217-4 (Healy 87, Sutherland 36) Healy looks to be really flagging out there now, she’s been out in the middle all day but for the few overs at the start of the Australian innings. She won’t want to give the chance to chalk up a maiden Test century away. Sutherland keeps the strike and time for the final drinks break of the day. I’m holding off for a post play flat white, you could plant potatoes in my eye bags.

I know, I know… “And they say nurses have it tough”.

47th over: Australia 213-4 (Healy 86, Sutherland 33) Delmi Tucker comes on for her first bowl in Test cricket and immediately finds some turn and bounce off the wicket. Wolvaardt gets a short leg and a slip in after that one ball. Two singles off a tidy first over for Tucker.

46th over: Australia 211-4 (Healy 85, Sutherland 32) Tryon manages to stitch together a maiden.

45th over: Australia 211-4 (Healy 85, Sutherland 32) Hlubi replaces a weary looking Klaas but Annabel Sutherland is showing some serious form out in the middle. An on drive for four has Justin Langer purring like a tabby having his tuumy tickled in the TV comms box. ‘JL’ is then in danger of needing to go for a lie down as Sutherland hangs back to spear a short ball away through point for four more. Scintillating strokeplay from Sutherland. Prrrrrr.

44th over: Australia 198-4 (Healy 85, Sutherland 19) Healy heads into the eighties with a silky late cut that teases slip and runs away for four.

43rd over: Australia 192-4 (Healy 79, Sutherland 19)cAnnabel Sutherland comes to life and showcases her skills by peeling off three boundaries in the over! A pull over midwicket, a majestic on drive and a punishing cut shot. Three of the best you examples of each stroke you could ever wish to see.

42nd over: Australia 177-4 (Healy 79, Sutherland 5) Sutherland uses her crease to rock back and take Tryon for a single.

41st over: Australia 178-4 (Healy 79, Sutherland 6) South Africa tightening things up with stumps in sight, just a single off a tight over from Klaas. The Aussie lead is now over three figures, mind.

40th over: Australia 177-4 (Healy 79, Sutherland 5) Tryon drops short but gets away with it as Healy finds the boundary sweeper at deep point.

Over in Rajkot – Rohit Sharma has notched his 11th Test ton and India are doing a bit of bone grinding on the Bazballers. A perennially perky Adam Collins is on the tools for that one:

39th over: Australia 176-4 (Healy 78, Sutherland 5) Klaas is back into the attack after another quick stop for drinks. The shadows are lengthening over the WACA outfield but it is still brutally hot out there. A maiden from Klaas as she keeps Sutherland honest.

38th over: Australia 176-4 (Healy 78, Sutherland 5) Chloe Tryon continues but is still sending down too many balls that are covered in a little bow with a speech bubble emanating that says “HIT ME”. Australia have obliged. A drag down is rifled to the fence to get Sutherland off the mark.

37th over: Australia 170-4 (Healy 78, Sutherland 0) de Klerk has got her dander up here, she’s probing away on a good line and getting the ball to nip back towards the pads and stumps.

Just spotted this. Areas.

36th over: Australia 168-4 (Healy 76, Sutherland 0) Tryon is given another over and it is an improvement on her last – just a Healy single off it as Sutherland sees out five dots whilst getting a read on the conditions. It’s still 37 degrees in Perth. South Africa need a strong finish in this final hour if they are to stay in some sort of contention.

35th over: Australia 167-4 (Healy 75, Sutherland 0) Annabel Sutherland is the new batter, she confidently drives her first ball back to the bowler and defends the final two deliveries of the partnership-breaking over. Mooney looked rueful as she dragged herself from the middle, she’s left plenty out there.

WICKET! Beth Mooney c Luus b de Klerk 78 (Australia 167-4)

34th over: Australia 166-3 (Mooney 78, Healy 74) Ropey from Chloe Tryon. A full toss is swatted to the fence on the sweep by Healy and an easy single sees the 150 partnership up for this pair. Gah! Another full toss from Tryon is sent to the fence with ease. Nine off the over.

33rd over: Australia 157-3 (Mooney 74, Healy 69) Mooney punches de Klerk for a couple and then lands the knockout with a booming drive to length ball outside off. Four runs. de Klerk responds by beating the outside edge for what seem like the first time in about eight years.

32nd over: Australia 151-3 (Mooney 68, Healy 69) Tryon serves up a juicy full toss and is easily swatted away for four more by Healy. Weary stuff from the visitors, they are in real danger her with Mooney and Healy happy to capitalise on anything loose.

31st over: Australia 147-3 (Mooney 68, Healy 65) de Klerk drops short and is thudded away for another four, all too easy for Australia at the moment.

30th over: Australia 142-3 (Mooney 64, Healy 61) South Africa turn to the twirl of Chloe Tryon. A decent start from the spinner who pushes the ball onto the batters on a good length and gets out of the over with just three off it, feels like the first boundary-less over in yonks.

29th over: Australia 139-3 (Mooney 64, Healy 61) de Klerk resumes with the ball after a slurp of something cooling and is greeted by Beth Mooney’s flowing blade as a full ball is pinged back past the beleaguered bowler for four more runs.

28th over: Australia 134-3 (Mooney 60, Healy 60) Crikes. Australia have scorched 64 runs off 60 balls in the post tea period. The lead has raced to 58 runs and the umpires call drinks. South Africa need a shot of something in their gatorade, this pair proving to be their batting kryptonite so far in Perth.

27th over: Australia 128-3 (Mooney 54, Healy 60) It’s been brutal stuff from Australia since the tea break. Twelve runs are plundered from the over as Hlubi wilts in the heat. Healy drives for four and follows up by hitting a cover drive with Swiss clock timing to take her to a highest score in Test cricket.

26th over: Australia 116-3 (Mooney 53, Healy 51) The 100 partnership comes up between Mooney and Healy and Beth Mooney goes to a half century of her own by sweeping Mlaba away for four. It’s taken 81 balls for the opener who was marooned down the non striker’s end for Klaas’ early onslaught. She’s absolute granite for her side.

25th over: Australia 110-3 (Mooney 48, Healy 50) Alyssa Healy crashes a pull shot to the fence for four and goes to a 59-ball fifty! It’s been a counterpunching masterclass from the Aussie skipper and a first Test half ton on home soil.

24th over: Australia 105-3 (Mooney 47, Healy 46) A welcome maiden from Mlaba brings a few moments of respite for the visitors. One ball in particular fizzes and bounces to offer some signs of hope, the ball ripping past a watchful Healy’s outside edge.

23rd over: Australia 105-3 (Mooney 47, Healy 46) Beth Mooney drives a full bunger from Klaas down the ground for an easy four.All the signs are showing that it could be a punishing session for South Africa under the Western Australian sun.

22nd over: Australia 101-3 (Mooney 43, Healy 46) Beth Mooney is happy to glide along in Healy’s more aggressive slipstream. A bit of width from Mlaba allows the opener to open the face and run the ball away fine for another deft four. 100 up for Australia and the lead is opening up.

21st over: Australia 96-3 (Mooney 38, Healy 46) Australia are truly dominating now, Healy gets on the front foot and pumps Klaas over mid on for another four. She’s approaching fifty and South Africa are in desperate need of a wicket to break this partnership.

‘Ave it!

20th over: Australia 89-3 (Mooney 40, Healy 38) Mlaba drops short to Healy and is punished with a scything cut for four.

19th over: Australia 84-3 (Mooney 36, Healy 37) Klaas is summoned back into the attack but even she can’t stop the flow. Healy pills for three through midwicket to give the Aussies the lead. Mooney then gets in on the act with a delicious drive through the covers for four.

18th over: Australia 76-3 (Mooney 32, Healy 33) Left arm spin from Nonkululeko Mlaba to get things underway. Mooney sweeps her first ball for a couple and then slams the second ball away for the first boundary of the session, a powerful cut square of the wicket to a bit of a drag down. The scores are now level, every run from here on in will hurt South Africa that little bit more.

Here come the players for the final session of the day. There are 49 overs left in the day, we won’t get anywhere near those.

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Geoff just sent through this nice missive on Australia’s star performer with the ball today:

17th over: Australia 70-3 (Mooney 26, Healy 33) Healy shows off her deft touch with a velvet handed late cut for four. She then defends the final ball of the session to see her side to the tea break with the deficit reduced to just six runs. The players trudge off under the stifling afternoon sun, the home side much the happier.

16th over: Australia 66-3 (Mooney 26, Healy 29) This is a fantastic counterpunch by Mooney and Healy. Their fifty-partnership comes up with Beth Mooney batting well outside of her crease and turning a de Klerk length ball into a half volley – timing it through cover for another boundary. Australia made just 18 runs from the first nine overs as Klaas and Hlubi kept the pressure on but since they departed the scene it has been all Australia.

15th over: Australia 57-3 (Mooney 19, Healy 28) Three boundaries off the over for Australia! Alyssa Healy is ticking and dangerous. She cuts Bosch for four and follows it up with a drive through the covers for four more. The bowler looks a tad rattled, dropping short once more and getting plundered for another boundary by the gimlet eyed Healy.

14th over: Australia 45-3 (Mooney 19, Healy 16) Shot! de Klerk sends down a half volley and Mooney greets it with a delightfully straight blade. Four more, a flurry of boundaries since drinks. South Africa in danger of letting Australia off the hook here, their slender lead stands at only 31. More wickets needed to make this a one innings shootout.

13th over: Australia 40-3 (Mooney 15, Healy 15) Lovely! Alyssa Healy unfurls a coaching manual cover drive and holds the pose for good measure. The ball tracing away across the turf to the boundary. Australia are punching back here with the first change SA bowlers coming on and the intensity dropping off a little. Healy pulls for a couple and Beth Mooney drives uppishly to collect another brace. Ten runs off the over in total. Precious runs at this stage.

12th over: Australia 30-3 (Mooney 13, Healy 8) de Klerk is getting some movement in the air despite the sweltering conditions. She drops too short though and Healy pounces to slap through point for another boundary. The home side starting to tick.

11th over: Australia 23-3 (Mooney 11, Healy 3) Anneke Bosch replaces Klaas, who has 3-8 from her opening spell. Bosch and bosh! The bowler drops short and is crunched away square of the wicket by Mooney for a welcome Aussie boundary.

10th over: Australia 19-3 (Mooney 7, Healy 3) It is – as Caroline Aherne’s Fast Show weather presenter Poula Fisch would say – “Scorchio” in Perth. The mercury touching on 43 degrees. Umbrellas, ice packs and cold drinks are the order of the day during the drinks break. It’s about 7 degrees and belligerently dank here in South London, hot coffee and thick socks.

Nadine de Klerk replaces Hlubi and Mooney scampers a single into the off side. The match is on a knife edge.

9th over: Australia 18-3 (Mooney 6, Healy 3) Mooney flashes at a drive to a ball outside off stump and connects only with the Perth breeze. Signs of frustration from the usually unflappable opener. She’s playing with her hands well away from her body at the moment, dicing with death. Time for a drink.

8th over: Australia 16-3 (Mooney 5, Healy 2) Hlubi is challenging the edge, landing it on a handkerchief on and around off stump. Mooney glides a single past point and Healy fails to get hold of a pull shot but plinks for one into the leg side.

7th over: Australia 15-3 (Mooney 5, Healy 1) Klaas has been.. class. She already has Litchfield, McGrath and Perry in her back pocket and looks very dangerous. Healy gets off the mark with a flick to leg and Mooney returns the favour with a slightly fortunate inside edge past the timbers.