Australia beat England by an innings, King takes nine total

MELBOURNE: Australia’s bowlers ended the first and only test against England on Saturday in emphatic fashion, as Alana King and Ashleigh Gardner took a combined nine wickets on the day.

England ended Australia’s first innings in the first session of the day, but not before Beth Mooney was able to complete her ton. Mooney scored 106 runs off 173 deliveries, hitting seven fours along the way. It was the second highest score for the Aussies, as Annabel Sutherland scored 163 runs off 258 deliveries, including an incredible 21 fours and one six. Australia ended with an intimidating total of 440 runs.

Trailing by 270 runs, the England batters got back to work. But, they were no match for the firepower of Australia’s bowlers. Alana King led the charge, taking five wickets on the day. She would dismiss Nat Sciver-Brunt and Sophia Dunkley in consecutive overs. King then bowled Tammy Beaumont, who made the highest score for England with 47 runs off 124 deliveries, in the 41st over. The 53rd over would see King send off Ryana MacDonald-Gay, after the England batter was caught out by Darcie Brown.

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King’s final wicket came in the 69th over, when Lauren Filer was caught out by Sutherland. But, before Australia ended the match, Ashleigh Gardner had her fair share of fun, taking four wickets. She dismissed England skipper Heather Knight, as well as Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Amy Jones, and Sophie Ecclestone. Darcie Brown also took the very first wicket of the game, dismissing Maia Bouchier in the fourth over.

Australia won by an innings and 122 runs. It was all made possible by a couple of fantastic batting performances by Sutherland and Mooney. Those knocks set up King and Gardner to put on the pressure with the ball, and they capitalised. King had nine wickets total across both innings.

While England lost the match, Nat Sciver-Brunt was able to score a half century in the first innings, and Sophie Ecclestone had a five-wicket haul in Australia’s first and only innings.

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