England secure draw in one-off Australia Test but Women's Ashes pursuit looks bleak
KEY POINTS
- Heather Knight and Georgia Elwiss put on 117-run partnership as the hosts are denied fourth day win.
- Tourists must win three remaining T20 matches to ensure their reclaim the urn.
England held on for a draw in the one-off Test in the Women's Ashes series against Australia in Sydney but face an uphill task to regain the urn.
Elisse Perry's double-century on day three — a national record and the third-highest score in a women's Test — helped Australia to 448-9 declared, a 168-run first-innings lead. But the tourists were resilient in their second innings, reaching 206-2 to ensure the match ended in a draw.
Captain Heather Knight was unbeaten on 79 and shared a 117-run partnership with Georgia Elwiss, who faced 190 deliveries for her 41 not out.
Australia won two of the three one-day internationals leading up to the day-night pink ball test match, and lead the series 6-4 with three Twenty20 internationals remaining. England must win them all to regain the Ashes.
"It's been a long few days, but for the girls to come back today and make the game safe was pleasing," said skipper Knight. "It was disappointing we couldn't force a win as Ellyse took the game away from us yesterday.
"We're not used to playing multi-innings games but batting with Georgia was brilliant. She's a mentally strong player and she knows her game really well. It was attritional at times but that's the game we had to play. It was difficult to take 20 wickets but we can only play in the conditions we're given."
The series resumes on 17 November at the North Sydney in the first of three T20 internationals before the final two games on 19 and 21 November in Canberra.
