Australia would have enforced the follow on at Manuka Oval on Friday, were it not for Heather Knight's unbeaten century which might just have saved England's Ashes campaign.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The visitors slumped to 8-169 as Knight's troops fell around her, and still needed 18 runs to avoid the follow on when Sophie Ecclestone came to the crease but Australia was unable to carve out the two breakthroughs which would have allowed them to send the visitors back in.
"We really had a crack at the follow on," Australian all rounder Ellyse Perry said.
"I don't know if it was particularly obvious but our field settings changed a lot. We did everything we could there to force the follow on, particularly with the two spinners from both ends and lots of catchers around the bat.
"It wasn't through lack of effort but I thought that partnership with Ecclestone and Knight at the end there just swung a little bit of momentum back to England.
"We'll certainly try and advance the match [on Saturday]. Crucially we probably need enough time to take another 12 wickets - I think we need at least a day."
MORE CANBERRA SPORT
Knight left the field unbeaten on 127, with England just 102 runs behind Australia at the halfway point of the match.
"The fight that we're showing should be an example of what it means to us," English veteran Katherine Brunt said.
"The last hour of that was absolutely brilliant in terms of giving back some hope to us."
James Buckley
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
