Women’s Ashes: Record knock from England’s Tammy Beaumont but Australia take lead (Stumps, Day 3)

Nottingham [UK], June 25 (ANI): Tammy Beaumont became the first England women cricketer to score a Test double century on day three of the only Women’s Ashes Test against Australia in Nottingham.

At Stumps, Australia’s score read 82/0, with visitors leading by 92 runs. Beth Mooney (33) and Phoebe Litchfield (41) were unbeaten at the crease when the stumps were drawn for the day.
Beaumont, who was unbeaten on 100 at stumps on day two, joined forces with Nat Sciver-Brunt early on day three to put Australia on the back foot. Before lunch, though, Australia came through with the wicket of Sciver-Brunt (78), as Ashleigh Gardner struck once more.

Beaumont, on the other hand, continued in full bloom, building on her outstanding form in the warm-up game against Australia A, where she hit another double tonne.

Earlier, debutant Danni Wyatt kept her company, but as she fell, Beaumont swiftly lost partners on the opposite end. She did, however, accomplish her double century a little earlier, becoming the first England woman to do so in Test cricket.

She broke Betty Snowball’s 1935 record of 189 to capture the English record. This was also the eighth double century in Women’s Tests, with Pakistan’s Kiran Baluch topping the list with her 242 against the West Indies in 2004.

Beaumont was the last wicket to go as England lost their last five wickets in 52 runs, handing Australia a 10-run advantage.

The visitors added to their lead with an undefeated 82-run stand between Beth Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield on day three, which carried the team to stumps.

Brief score: Australia 473 & 82/0 (Phoebe Litchfield 41, Beth Mooney 33; Sophie Ecclestone 0-3) vs England 463 (Tammy Beaumont 208, Heather Knight 57).