Ellyse Perry’s impressive 99 not enough as Sophie Ecclestone leads England to victory in The Ashes 2023

England Spinner Sophie Ecclestone Takes Three Wickets on Day One of Women’s Ashes Test

The one-off test match between England and Australia at Trent Bridge saw a nail-biting first day, with both teams giving their all. However, the highlight was undoubtedly England spinner Sophie Ecclestone taking three crucial wickets to leave the game evenly poised.

Australia Starts Strongly but Loses Momentum Towards the End

Winning the toss gave Australia an excellent opportunity to assert dominance from early on as they raced to 226-3. All-rounder Ellyse Perry was well set for her century before being dismissed by debutant Lauren Filer for 99 runs. This proved to be a turning point in favour of England as they pulled things back remarkably well towards the end.

Ecclestone became Knight’s go-to bowler when it mattered most and she didn’t disappoint. She took two important wickets in three balls – dismissing captain Alyssa Healy for a duck and McGrath soon after – bringing life back into a deflating English side.

Ecclestone Shines Brightly Amongst Tired Seamers

Knight rotated her tired seamers while Ecclestone twirled away tirelessly at one end, providing much-needed control over proceedings. The Lancashire slow left-armer put up an impressive performance bowling an incredible 31 overs at an economy rate of just 2.29 runs per over.

The Test Is Still Anyone’s Game

Australia managed to steady themselves towards the end of play with a seventh-wicket partnership between Ash Gardner and Annabel Sutherland, scoring 77 runs. Despite Gardner falling late in the day to Lauren Bell, they finished on 328-7.

England Needs Ecclestone at Her Best for Future Matches

Ecclestone’s exceptional performance was crucial in keeping England alive during the first day of this Women’s Ashes series. However, her workload is something that needs careful consideration as she bowled an astonishing 64 overs against India earlier this year before struggling with her shoulder. England will need her fit and firing if they are going to compete with Australia in the upcoming matches.

This Test Is Worth Four Points

The five-day test match is worth four pointsinthis multi-format series and will be followed by three Twenty20 internationals and three one-day internationals.