Women’s Ashes 2023: 3 disappointing performers of one-off Test

Heather Knight. (Photo Source: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

England and Australia’s women teams came up with fine performances in the just-concluded one-off Ashes Test. After four days of pulsating contest between bat and ball, Australia showed their supremacy by blowing away England on the final day and win the contest by 89 runs.

Batting first, Australia scored 473 runs thanks to Annabel Sutherland’s maiden Test century and a sublime knock of 99 runs from Ellyse Perry. In reply, England rode on opener Tammy Beaumont’s historic knock of 208 runs to score 463. In the second innings, the visitors scored 257 to give England a target of 268 runs. The hosts, however, failed to replicate their first innings performance and were all out for 178 runs.

The match witnessed a number of memorable performances. At the same time, it also saw some big names failing to deliver as per expectations. Through this article, we are taking a look at three such players who did not live up to the expectations.

3 disappointing performances in the one-off Ashes Test:

3. Jess Jonassen

Jess Jonassen. (Photo by Tim Goode/PA Images via Getty Images)

A lot was expected from Jess Jonassen but she failed to make a mark in the game. The 30-year old, who has represented Australia in almost 200 international matches, failed with both bat and ball. She came out to bat at number five in the first innings and had the perfect platform to play a big knock.

Australia were on 202 for 3 when Jonassen replaced Tahlia McGrath. She, however, could not last long and was dismissed for just 11 runs by Sophie Ecclestone. With the ball too, Jonassen failed to deliver. She bowled only 5 overs and went wicketless for 24 runs.

Her struggle continued in the second innings too as she was undone by Ecclestone once again in the Test. The left-arm spinner bowled her for only 14. Jonassen did not get a chance to bowl in the second innings.

2. Kate Cross

Kate Cross. (Photo Source: Twitter)

England pace spearhead Kate Cross failed to live up to the expectations as well. Cross led an inexperienced pace attack and the onus was on her to give England the good start with the ball. She started well by dismissing Phoebe Litchfield to give England the early breakthrough in the first innings.

However, Cross just could not make an impact in the game after that early dismissal. Her first innings figures read an unimpressive 1 for 102 in 29 overs. The 31-year old is not known for her batting exploits and did little to improve her reputation as she was dismissed for a duck.

In the second innings too, Cross had a forgettable outing. Although she gave England the much-needed first breakthrough by castling Phoebe Litchfield with a beauty, she could not gave her team the early breakthrough. Cross finished the innings with 2 wickets to her name.

1. Heather Knight

Heather Knight. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Heather Knight has had a forgettable outing as a captain. The England captain’s decisions were criticised as her team failed to capitalise after putting Australia under pressure on a number of occasions during the game. When England’s bowlers were struggling towards the end of the third day, Knight could not motivate them to turn things around.

On the fourth day too, her decision of not giving the ball to Lauren Filer early in the day raised a number of eyebrows. Filer had troubled Australia with her pace and went on to dismiss Ellyse Perry and Tahlia McGrath in her first two overs after being finally introduced in the attack.

With the bat, Knight did well to score 57 runs and sharing a 115-run stand with Tammy Beaumont in the first innings. But in the second innings when England were chasing 267, she failed to do well and was out for just nine runs.