Sutherland century turns screw on wretched England in women’s Ashes

After a mere 90-year wait, a second woman will finally join Peggy Antonio up on the Melbourne Cricket Ground honours board – take a bow, Annabel Sutherland. The 23-year-old already had a Test double-hundred to her name, scored against South Africa last year: now, she will go down in history as the first woman to ever score a hundred at the G.

By the close, Australia had extended their lead to 252, with the real possibility that Beth Mooney – unbeaten on 98 – will join Sutherland up on that honours board by Saturday evening.

This match has already broken the record for the largest attendance ever at a women’s Test, with an aggregate crowd of 23,561 across the first two days. And after the way England fielded on Friday, it now looks a near-certainty that another historical feat will be achieved before the weekend is over - the first 16-0 whitewash of the multi-format era.

England dropped eight catches, leaked piles of runs in the field, twice changed the pink ball (after Heather Knight complained that it was losing its shape), and barely looked like taking a wicket. Before play began, Ellyse Perry had been ruled fit to bat “if required”, after sustaining a hip injury in the field yesterday. But such is Australia’s batting depth that she never looked like being needed.

It was just after Australia levelled the scores – 20 minutes into the second session- that England’s wheels really came off. Oddly, it was also immediately after Sophie Ecclestone, who had bowled continually across the first session (17 consecutive overs), finally made a breakthrough, removing Alyssa Healy leg before.

But put yourself in Ecclestone’s shoes for a second. You’ve already bowled continually for the entire afternoon session, you’re England’s only frontline spinner, and you know there are two and a half more days of this to come. It’s the end of a fruitless tour, and you are exhausted. Then you turn around and see Mooney (who is averaging 61 this series) walking out to bat. Sutherland is at the other end: your team-mates have already dropped her twice, on 29 and 31, and now she has a century in her sights. Wouldn’t you be tempted to wave a white flag?

England did just that – Ecclestone, Lauren Filer and Ryana MacDonald-Gay beginning a competitive game of “who can produce the most tired misfield?” MacDonald-Gay put down a catch at cover off Ecclestone’s bowling; Ecclestone returned the favour by letting one slide through her hands at slip; Filer reached down to pick up the ball, let it through her legs, and back-kicked it halfway across the field.

The winner of the competition? A late entrant, Maia Bouchier, who put down an absolute sitter at gully. Mooney has refrained from publicly criticising England during this tour – asked on one occasion to explain how abjectly bad England have been, she replied, “those are your words, not mine” – but here her facial expressions did the talking: she shook her head in disbelief as England handed her a third life. If anything, it got worse after the dinner break: Ecclestone eventually put down a catch at slip which was so straightforward that Knight actually swapped her out of the cordon.

In among it all, Sutherland calmly made her way to a third Test century, joyously raising her bat to the crowd’s standing ovation, and lapping up another one after MacDonald-Gay finally bowled her through the gate for 163, with job firmly done. It’s rare that a side can manage to throw away a Test match in a single session, but give it 24 hours and England will be able to add that one to their CV.