3 T20s AUS 1-2 ENG (8-8 AUS retain Ashes)

multi-format Ashes 8-8 - Aus retain Ashes
Three T20s remain - each worth 2 points


1st T20

England Women 132/9 (20 ov)
Australia Women 134/4 (15.5/20 ov)
Australia Women won by 6 wickets (with 25 balls remaining)

Australia retained the Women's Ashes with an emphatic six-wicket victory over England in the first Twenty20 international in Sydney.

Victory gave the holders an 8-4 lead in the points-based series, meaning England can only draw 8-8 if they win the final two T20s.

England lost Heather Knight second ball and were 16-4, but Dani Wyatt's maiden fifty helped them to 132-9.

Beth Mooney hit 86 not as Australia raced home with 25 balls to spare.

Having won the 50-over World Cup in fine style at Lord's in July, England's preparations for the Ashes were hampered by the two warm-up matches being washed out and they found themselves 4-0 down in the series after losing the first two one-day internationals.

A draw in the one-off Test kept the series alive into the T20s, but there was a bizarre start at the North Sydney Oval after Australia chose to field.

Knight edged to wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy, who also took off the bails, but was temporarily reprieved as the umpires consulted, only to be sent to the pavilion again when the method of dismissal had been determined.

Key batter Sarah Taylor was adjudged lbw in the next over, with no review process in place to question whether the ball might have gone over or missed leg stump.

Ellyse Perry, international footballer and double centurion in the Test, was on a hat-trick in the fifth over after two more catches from Healy, with one outstanding effort millimetres from the turf at full stretch.

But Wyatt gave the innings much-needed impetus with some clean hitting down the ground.

However, the 26-year-old was halfway down the wicket when sent back by Fran Wilson in the 16th over and could not regain her ground.

England mustered a further 32 runs after her dismissal, but Mooney set the tone for Australia's chase with a four and a six in an opening over from Katherine Brunt that cost 14.

Wyatt gave England a glimmer of hope when she raced around the mid-wicket boundary to pouch Healy's hook in the fifth over.

But Mooney continued to dominate with a second six off Brunt and the fluent left-hander made the highest score by an Australian on home soil in women's T20 matches, striking the winning runs in style with her 11th four.

The series concludes with two T20s at the Manuka Oval in Canberra, on Sunday at 03:35 GMT and Tuesday 21 November at 08:10.

'We were always playing catch-up' - what they said

England captain Heather Knight: "We were always playing catch-up. I am really proud of Dani Wyatt and how she fought to get us back in the game.

"Credit to Australia. Beth Mooney played an outstanding innings and took the game away. Everything we tried we couldn't get her out."

Australia skipper Rachael Haynes: "It was so nice for the team to come out and play like that. We started well with the ball but fell away. For Beth Mooney to come out and make a statement like that was fantastic.

"I couldn't watch. I was pretty nervous, the most nervous I have been watching cricket. There was a lot composure in the middle and Mooney took control of that."

Former England seamer Isa Guha on BBC 5 live sports extra: "Australia have won the big moments - that's something England haven't been able to capitalise on when they've been on top."


2nd T20 (07:30 GMT, SUN)

England 152 for 6 beat Australia 112 by 40 runs

The Ashes may have been lost but England gave themselves a chance of salvaging a Twenty20 series victory with a comprehensive defeat of Australia in the second match at Manuka Oval in Canberra, driven largely by the efforts of Nat Sciver, Katherine Brunt and Jenny Gunn.

Australia's power in the shortest format had been emphasised by Beth Mooney's innings in their thrashing of the visitors in the first T20 at North Sydney Oval, the result that ensured they would retain the urn. But England's busy approach with the bat was followed up by a sharp display in the field, which absorbed a swift opening by Mooney and Alyssa Healy then ushered the collapse of the rest.

Brunt's allround display was outstanding, adding 2 for 10 from four immaculate overs to an unbeaten 32 that featured a pair of sixes. But she had plenty of assistance, notably in the form of Sciver's top order contribution, and Gunn's persistent line and changes of pace that gave her four wickets. Sarah Taylor, too, was useful with the bat and then typically polished behind the stumps.

Batting first in the Sunday afternoon fixture, England looked to be stuttering slightly when Dannelle Wyatt and Tammy Beaumont were both out inside the first seven overs while scoring at little more than six an over. However Sciver and Taylor were able to not only form a partnership but also advance the scoring rate in a manner that put pressure back on Australia's bowlers.

After the captain Heather Knight could stay in the middle only briefly, it was Brunt who dominated the closing overs, combining plenty of hustle between the wickets with the occasional meaty blow. Megan Schutt returned to claim a second wicket in the final over, finishing wiht excellent analysis of 2 for 16 to maintain her outstanding series, but England were comfortably able to pass the 150 mark.

Mooney and Healy began as though they intended to make short work of the target, rattling along to 45 inside six overs before a run out turned the game. Mooney chanced a quick single to mid off, but Gunn was able to aim and throw with pinpoint accuracy to hit the stumps and send the left-hander on her way.

Next over Elyse Villani was brilliantly stumped by Taylor off Brunt, and when Healy failed to clear long on the Australians were in free-fall. Ellyse Perry's innings was ended by a drag onto the stumps, and from there it was more or less a case of mopping up operations for England's bowlers, a task completed with two overs to spare.

The final match of the series takes place at Manuka under lights on Tuesday.



3rd T20

Australia 178-2; England 181-6 – England win by four wickets
• Beth Mooney also hits century for Australia but tourists level series 

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Last modified on Tuesday 21 November 2017 22.00 GMT

Through the most daring of hands, Danni Wyatt steered England to the least likely of wins, the visitors ending their Ashes campaign by knocking off the highest successful run chase in the history of women’s Twenty20 internationals. In turn, Heather Knight’s side head home having levelled the overall series at 8-8 after winning the last two rubbers.

When England lost three wickets in five overs to begin their response to 178 for two they looked to have given up any realistic chance. The game had a familiar look: the required run rate would rocket as wickets fell. It had all the symptoms of a shocker to never be spoken of again, save for Beth Mooney’s relentless century earlier on.

That almost certainly would have come to pass if not for Australia’s incompetence, dropping Wyatt and Knight four times in total. Awful, inexplicable drops. But batting with the liberty of the reprieved, the pair instead went on to mount an exhilarating and match-winning 139-run partnership in only 75 balls. In the space of an hour, a stinker became a classic.

For Wyatt’s part it was her maiden international hundred, coming only four days after her first half-century for England. It was raised in 56 balls and on 13 occasions the Staffordshire native went through the Australia field, and twice cleared the rope. Footwork and placement defined the knock, which only got better as the chase got deeper. She was fearless in the middle then in shock after play. “It’s a bit surreal,” she said. “I still can’t believe what’s happened. I was just focused on the ball really. I kept telling myself: ‘Focus.’ Then I looked at the board and I was 95. I was, like, ‘Trev [Knight], what’s going on?

Knight was perfect in support, getting Wyatt on strike as often as possible before working up the gears herself, the two getting the ask down to a run a ball with four overs to go. The captain’s half-century was enough to also win her the player of the series award. “It was a really special night,” she said. “I knew the girls would fight hard, we just needed someone to go big and Danni did exactly that. I was perfectly happy to play second fiddle to her, and the way she was striking it. Some of the shots, I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. I thought they had too many [runs] but there is a hell of a lot of fight in this team and to level at 8-8 makes me really proud.”

It never looked viable when Mooney played the most superlative white-ball innings of the series. The 117 unbeaten runs she tallied in 70 balls were faultless and sit second on the list of highest scores made by a woman in the shortest form. By any measure, she deserved to be on the winning team.

Her 17 boundaries and one six tell one story, but this was no slog. Rather, it was a far more precise exercise from the left-hander. After lacing the first delivery of the night past point, Mooney went on to scoop, sweep and pull every ball directed at her body with impeccable balance.

When driving, she did so both conventionally and inside-out with equal ease and ample footwork. Four boundaries from the final four balls, delivered by Anya Shrubsole, emphasised her mastery.

But somehow, on this night, it would not be enough. If looking to apportion blame, the opener need look no further than Alyssa Healy. The wicketkeeper, who has had a fine series with the bat and gloves, dropped both Wyatt and Knight to the most straightforward skied chances. Megan Schutt and Molly Strano put down catches off Knight that were just as bad.

“The word bittersweet was used and that’s a pretty good description,” the Australia coach, Matthew Mott, said of his side winning the main but giving up the T20s so spectacularly.

“It’s just a shame for Beth, who played the innings of her life and just made such a great statement for the group. We can’t hide from the fact we dropped four catches and that freed them up to go pretty hard, and Danni Wyatt’s innings was absolutely outstanding.”

As for Mooney, she said she wasn’t sure “whether to laugh or cry” after the game.

Fair enough. But what she proved, Wyatt too, is that missing the ODI series was no handbrake on dominating the T20s. With a global tournament on the cards a year from now, both now know they can win games for their country.

Ashes 2017/18: 4 day tour match: Cricket Aus XI v ENG

Day 1 report

Cricket Australia XI 9 for 249 (Short 51, Woakes 6-54) v England

Chris Woakes doesn't fit the classic image of a fast bowler.

While the newspapers in Australia are full of stories of his counterparts - brooding, menacing types persuaded to stare down the lens like it just took the last pringle - promising to unleash pace and destruction upon England, Woakes responded to another outstanding performance by saying "it was nice". And then, after a pause, "and pleasing".

Make a headline out of that: "It's nice," roared Woakes. "It's pleasing," bellowed Woakes. "I'm focusing on my processes," vowed Woakes.

But beneath the bluster, beneath the wearying propaganda that seems to preface Ashes series these days, Woakes is getting on with his job "very nicely" indeed. And while most of the media may be fixated on the damage the Australian fast bowlers are promising to inflict on England and the absence of Ben Stokes, the tourists' other fast-bowling allrounder is enjoying the opportunity to warm-up for a confrontation that could go a long way to defining his career. And the result of the series.

Woakes' performance is vital. If he can replicate his record in England - where he has 42 Test wickets at a cost of 24.28 apiece - he will have given England a potency that will support James Anderson and Stuart Broad and ensure they have a viable attack. If he cannot improve his overseas record - he has currently taken eight Test wickets outside England (and Wales) at a cost of 63.75 apiece - then too much will be required of England's opening bowlers and it is hard to see how they win.

The key would appear to be movement. If Woakes can persuade the Kookaburra ball (used here) to move laterally as he can the Duke's (used in England) then his other qualities - his control, his relative pace (upper 80s, you would think) and his bounce - will all be enhanced.

So the good news - from an England perspective - from this tour to date is that he is finding that movement and, as a result, proving a tough proposition. Even on these pudding pitches.

Chris Woakes broke through CA XI's top order with quick wickets Getty Images

Woakes, for the second time in successive innings, produced a spell that effectively cut the opposition in half. This time it was four - the first four wickets to fall - for 15 in six overs. Later he returned to claim two more. It means he has, at present, claimed 12 first-class wickets on this tour at a cost of just 10.25 apiece. The opposition is about to get much tougher but the pace he is bowling and the movement he is generating are encouraging.

It may be tempting to read some diffidence into Woakes' softly-spoken manner. To imagine that he will recoil in the furnace of the Gabba.

Chris Woakes feels he is coming to the boil nicely ahead of the first Test in Brisbane.

Woakes claimed 6 for 54 on the first day of the match against a CA XI in Townsville and afterwards spoke of his delight at his own rhythm and his ability to move the Kookaburra ball.

"All the numbers are saying I'm getting close to getting cooked," Woakes said. "I'm pleased with where my body is at and getting overs in the legs is important. You don't want to go in to the Test series undercooked and I'm pleased with where I'm at.

"We got a bit of shape with the ball, which was nice. There has been a lot spoken about the Kookaburra ball not doing as much as the Duke's and generally it doesn't. The fact that we got a bit of movement today is pleasing and builds some confidence with this ball that we are not as used to.

"The most important thing today was that I was pleased with how it came out and my rhythm. Six wickets is pleasing but had I picked up one or two I would still have been pleased."

Tempting but wrong. Instead his quiet manner reflects a confidence in his own ability, which doesn't require the layer of bravado others see fit to use. He knows it is performances that matter, not rhetoric. And he knows, if he "nails his processes" he will end the tour in a "very nice, very pleasing" mood. What's that saying about empty vessels and loudest sounds? Talk doesn't take wickets.

It's been noticeable in Woakes' career to date that he has produced some of his most eye-catching performances when his side have been under pressure. How about that 11-wicket haul against Pakistan at Lord's? England lost. Or that unbeaten 95 in an ODI against Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge? He came in when England were 82 for 6 and chasing 287. Both times, the pressure brought the best out of him.

His wickets here generally came from deliveries on or around off-stump that either bounced or nibbled away. So once Nick Larkin and Josh Carder's fine opening stand (they put on 66 in 26 overs as England failed to fully utilise the first new ball) was ended with Larkin slashing to gully, Carder and Ryan Gibson were unfortunate enough to receive balls that demanded a stroke and nipped away just enough. Jason Sangha and Simon Milenko were beaten for pace by full deliveries while Harry Nielsen also pushed one to gully.

Broad's figures, in comparison, were modest. But he bowled fine generally and used this game for the warm-up that it is. He is, in the best sense of the word, something of a show-off. And performing amid the bucolic charm of Riverway Stadium - and a vocal crowd who were never far away from reminding him he remained wicketless for most of the day - was never likely to inspire him.

This is another slow pitch, too. Disappointingly slow. England opted to come here over other options (Drummoyne in Sydney and Hobart were mentioned) as the ground had a reputation for pace that was akin to that expected in Brisbane. Instead, they have something more akin to New Road. Mount Louisa, off in the distance, even did a passable impression of the Malvern Hills. For the third time in succession, they surface they have encountered has been markedly different to that expected in Brisbane.

The England camp are remaining tight-lipped on their view of the preparation they have been provided. But it will be no surprise if, the next time they are here for an Ashes series, they bring a battery of their own seamers (and perhaps hire their own training facility) to ensure they face more taxing bowling. The likes of Mark Footitt, Stuart Meaker, Olly Stone and Richard Gleeson could all have been employed - fitness permitting - to ensure England experienced some pace ahead of the Ashes.

Cricket Australia would have you believe this CA XI represents almost the best opposition available with the Shield in full swing. It's not entirely true, though. Ed Cowan, for example, says he would have loved to play this game but, having been offered the opportunity to appear only 48-hours ahead of the Adelaide match, could only promise his availability for the second game. Perhaps, with a bit of planning, the likes of Cameron White and Michael Klinger could have been included, too?

England experienced a few nervous moments during the day, though. The most serious came when Jonny Bairstow had to leave the field after hurting the middle finger of his left hand in scuffing a delivery off the bowling of Woakes that appeared to bounce just in front of him.

While Ben Foakes, who was permitted to take the gloves by the umpires despite not being named in the XI, is a more than capable deputy (and soon had a catch - perhaps the first 'caught Foakes, bowled Woakes' of many), the thought of losing Bairstow from England's middle-order is enough to keep Joe Root up at night. He will, therefore, have been hugely relieved to see Bairstow reclaim the gloves about 50 minutes later having been diagnosed with nothing more serious than a bruise.

The cordon remains a bit of a concern, though. While James Vince, so fallible in the slips during his first spell in the side, has taken to the gully position with some class - he held three sharp chances on the first day here, none of them easy - another two or three chances went begging in the region. The most straightforward went to Root, off Mason Crane, when Matthew Short had 36, while Bairstow - leaping in front of first slip - put down another (this time off Woakes) to reprieve Milenko. Another edge, again off Crane, went between Bairstow and Root, while Mark Stoneman dropped a tough chance - he did well to get a hand on it, really - when Short cut Crane on 25.

Short took advantage of his reprieves to record a stubborn half-century (51 from 122 balls with just two boundaries) and ensure the CA XI recovered from the loss of four wickets for 25 runs either side of lunch.

Craig Overton impressed, too. He has settled into this tour nicely and, with his height and ability to generate movement, has demanded respect from the batsmen. He has conceded almost exactly two an over in the first-class games on this tour so far and has given himself an outstanding chance of a Test debut in a week's time.

There was also good news off the pitch for England. James Anderson, who missed training on Tuesday due to illness, bowled in the nets, while Jake Ball returned to running for the first time since sustaining strained ankle ligaments in Adelaide, and later also enjoyed a gentle bowl.


Day 2

England XI 3 for 337 (Stoneman 111, Cook 70, Root 62*, Malan 57*) lead Cricket Australia XI 250 (Short 51, Woakes 6-57) by 87 runs

Townsville is, in many ways, a ferocious place.

Oh, it's pretty. It has a mountain range, a shoreline and beautiful forests. The shops and bars seem nice, too.

But the sun is brutal and the wind is fierce. It doesn't rain for years at a time - literally - and the land provides a home for snakes, wild dogs, scorpions and spiders so large it's hard to believe they're not ponies on the way to a fancy dress party. "Don't worry," the locals tell you. "The bigger they are the less poisonous they are." But these spiders can beat you to death. They can wait for you in a dark carpark, steal your wallet and demand protection money from local businesses.

But even though there's something that can burn, bite, poison or sting you just about every square inch, it's still preferable to be on land than in the water. Because if you find yourself in the water round here (lakes or sea, anyway; the shower is fine once you've checked for spiders) you're in real trouble. You'll be sharing with sharks, crocodiles and jelly-fish all of which will delight in killing you. Beaches in Queensland have been shut 50 times in recent weeks for one of the above and, at present in Townsville, there is a warning about a four metre croc (described as a "problem crocodile" as opposed to all those laidback easy-going ones) that is lurking close to shore.

The bats have rabies, the koalas have chlamydia and even the magpies - vast, pterodactyl-like creatures that threaten to carry you off in their talons - have been known to kill. "Ah, don't worry," a local said on Thursday. "The worst those spiders can do is paralyse you." It'll be a miracle if any of us get out alive.

But, for a few hours on Thursday, the middle at the Riverway Stadium looked like paradise. For batsmen, at least. The pitch was gentle, the bowling even more so and Alastair Cook and Mark Stoneman seized the opportunity with both hands.

Stoneman has looked fine all trip. He has passed 50 every time he has come to the crease and here became the first man on the tour to register a century. He gave one chance - Nick Larkin, at gully, put him down on 41 off Simon Milenko; Larkin, the one man with a first-class hundred in this CA side, sustained a fracture and will not feature in the rest of this match - but generally looked utterly in command. He doesn't hook - he tends to duck the bouncer - but he pulls nicely, cuts very well and has a lovely, fluid drive. There were many jokes about Australians never having heard of several of this England squad when they arrived: it seems safe to suggest they'll know the Stoneman name before he heads home.

Underlining England's mantra about going on to convert good starts in match-defining scores, Stoneman didn't even take off his helmet to acknowledge the applause when he reached three figures: a century can't be seen as a destination by England on this tour; it has to be a landmark on the way to a more distant goal. He was angry with himself - punching his bat in frustration - for scuffing a return catch to the legspinner Daniel Fallins shortly after tea.

Cook's innings might be more significant. With England's batting line-up lacking experience in these conditions - the likely top nine will, excluding him, have a combination of six Test caps in Australia between them - his knowledge of three previous tours provides reassurance. He has looked horribly out of form until this innings, but here looked comfortable and confident. From his very first delivery, when the ball thudded against the middle of his defensive bat, his movements were more certain, his judgement more precise.

He looked furious with himself for his dismissal - attempting to guide a cut behind point, he managed only an edge - and for missing out on a hundred, but this was a good step forward from him. He, and the England management, will sleep a little easier as a result.

The one nagging worry - and it nagged particularly hard as Dawid Malan and Joe Root settled in against unthreatening spin bowling in the final session - is that this surface and this opposition will bear little comparison to that anticipated in Brisbane. It's like preparing for an artic trek by buying yourself a cornetto. England may still be in for a shock in Brisbane.

Opinion is divided over whether this represents a desperately cynical ploy from Cricket Australia or simply reflects the shallowing depth of their playing reserves. If it is the latter, they have a significant problem lurking just below the surface. If it is the former, there might be a certain poetic justice if this tactic came back to bite Cricket Australia on the backside like one of those spiders that lurks under the toilet bowl round these parts (yes, nowhere is safe). While it is undeniably true that the standard of opposition - and the pace of surfaces - will increase sharply next week, it may be that England have had the opportunity to acclimatise, gain confidence and form ahead of the serious business ahead.

James Vince was the one man to fail to take advantage. Since the 82 he made to start the tour - a non-first-class innings that saw him dropped twice - he has fallen between 26 and 33 in his three subsequent innings. He has time to play the ball and is wonderfully easy on the eye, but there is a vulnerability that renders his selection at No. 3 quite a risk. While he was given not out here initially, the umpires consulted and it was eventually decided he had played one off his pad to short leg. He looked aghast at the decision. Or, perhaps, at having missed out. Batting in first-class cricket in Australia has rarely looked as comfortable.


Day 3

Cricket Australia XI 250 & 121-3: Gibson 49, Moeen 2-34, Crane 1-24
England 515: Stoneman 111, Malan 109, Root 83

England lead by 144 runs

England improved late on a mixed third day of their final Ashes warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI in Townsville.

Although Dawid Malan converted his overnight 57 into a century, England at one stage lost five wickets for 38.

A last-wicket stand of 58 between Chris Woakes and Mason Crane took the tourists to 515 all out.

CA XI openers Daniel Carder and Ryan Gibson shared 80 but spinners Moeen Ali and Crane reduced the hosts to 121-3.

Joe Root's side are in firm control - they lead by 144 runs - and will probably complete a big win on Saturday's final day, but for long periods this was an unsatisfactory day with the first Test against Australia less than a week away.

As Australia named a surprising squad for the match at the Gabba, England's lower order wasted the opportunity of time at the crease and the pace bowlers then lacked penetration on an unresponsive pitch.

"It was a mixed day," assistant coach Paul Farbrace told BBC Sport. "We took our eye off the ball with the bat.

"We are in a good position but, in terms of preparation for next week, we have dipped below where we have been during the first two days, which is a shame."

Malan follows Stoneman's lead

Like Mark Stoneman on Thursday, Malan responded to calls from captain Root and coach Trevor Bayliss for England's batsmen to convert starts into big scores.

Resuming in partnership with Root with England 337-3, the left-hander played eye-catching cover drives and clips off the pads on the way to his 19th first-class century.

Root, who began the day on 62, looked set for a hundred of his own until he was brilliantly caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Harry Neilsen off pace bowler Simon Milenko for 83.

Malan angled the off-spin of Matthew Short to third man to reach three figures, but his slow response to Moeen's call meant he failed to beat Daniel Carder's throw from short fine leg in the middle of the late-order collapse.

"For someone who is playing in this country for the first time, he has shown that the extra pace and bounce in the wickets suit his game," said Farbrace.

"He found it difficult in England this summer when the ball nipped around, but he looks very much at home here."

Late-order slump

Jonny Bairstow slapped a full toss from leg-spinner Daniel Fallins to mid-on to depart for 19, but he at least made an unbeaten 61 against the same opposition last week.

For Moeen and Craig Overton, who may be required to contribute runs from number nine if he makes his Test debut at the Gabba, chances of batting in the middle may now have run out.

Both fell to consecutive deliveries from off-spinner Matthew Short either side of lunch.

Moeen, in his first match of the tour, was bowled for five and Overton was caught at short leg from his first ball to register a third successive duck.

"In an ideal world, you would like every player to spend the right amount of time at the crease, but it doesn't always work out that way," said Farbrace. "Moeen has a few more days to practise and work at his game.

"You can't see Craig is out of form - he's only faced 13 balls in three innings! He's here for his bowling and any runs that he can contribute will be a bonus."

When Stuart Broad was caught sweeping, England had slipped from 419-5 to 457-9.

The dependable Woakes and solid Crane took England past 500, their stand ended when Woakes was caught behind off Milenko.

England spinners break through

As on day one, England were frustrated by the CA XI openers. This time, Carder was joined by Gibson, with Nick Larkin absent because of a hand injury.

Broad was accurate with the new ball but Woakes, who took six wickets in the first innings, was expensive and Overton's eagerness to be hostile sometimes resulted in over-doing the bouncers.

In truth, the pitch is looking increasingly more suited to slow bowling, with Moeen and Crane successful late on.

Off-spinner Moeen, having recovered from a side strain, was rusty to begin with but, after switching ends, had Carder caught at slip and bowled the sweeping Gibson.

When leg-spinner Crane enticed Will Pucovski to edge to slip, England's efforts looked more respectable.


Day 4

Cricket Australia XI  250 & 364/4 (110 ov)

England  515

Match drawn

England narrowly avoided the indignity of going wicketless on the final day of their last Ashes warm-up game against a Cricket Australia XI in Townsville. 

Jason Sangha, 18, and Matthew Short - with only seven first-class matches between them - made maiden centuries. 

They shared a stand of 263, Sangha falling to leg-spinner Mason Crane before a draw was agreed with the hosts on 364-4 - 99 ahead. 

Sangha was dropped by Mark Stoneman on 43, but England created little else. 

The tourists were not helped by a placid, unresponsive pitch, but the mitigating circumstances do little to improve damaged morale so close to Thursday's first Test against Australia in Brisbane. 

On Friday, England looked to be heading to the Gabba in good health, especially after the announcement of a surprising Australia squad. 

But, at best, this is a setback. At worst, it is an embarrassment. 

England humbled by inexperienced hosts 

England comfortably defeated a similar Cricket Australia XI in Adelaide last week and for two days in northern Queensland they looked set to do so again. 

However, from 337-3 at the beginning of day three, England lost five wickets for 38 runs and needed a last-wicket stand of 58 between Chris Woakes and Crane to get past 500. 

Even then, they reduced the CA XI to 121-3 by the close and led by 144, with the hosts a batsman short because of an injury to Nick Larkin. 

But Sangha and Short made the most of the benign conditions to ensure England spent the fourth day toiling in the heat. 

The slow surface is unlikely to be similar to what England will encounter at the Gabba, yet the tourists should still have had the tools to dismiss a side with only 75 previous first-class matches between them. 

"It's not really damaging to us," England coach Trevor Bayliss told BBC Sport. "Obviously we'd like to take 10 wickets for 90 runs in every game, but this is what can happen in cricket.

"A number of guys spent time in the middle with the bat and the bowlers got a lot of overs under their belts. Hopefully everyone now has got their rhythms right and they can come out next week and go from ball one."

Sangha and Short steal the show 

Two weeks ago, Sangha and captain Short, 22, were playing club cricket in Sydney and Melbourne respectively. Neither have played a match in the Sheffield Shield. 

But they blunted and at times dismissed an England attack that included at least three bowlers who will play in Brisbane. 

Sangha, who made his first-class debut last week, was fortunate to be put down when he drilled a Crane full toss to Stoneman at short cover. 

With a correct technique, the right-hander regularly scored square of the wicket on the off side. 

When he pulled Woakes for four, he became the second youngest man, behind Sachin Tendulkar, to score a first-class hundred against England. 

Short, more bottom-handed and with a preference for the leg side, hit one six off Crane that was caught by a diving member of the groundstaff. He reached three figures by pushing Moeen Ali through point for three and ended unbeaten on 134. 

Their stand was ended after tea when Sangha top-edged Crane to short fine leg to depart for 133, but by then England had nothing to celebrate. 

England do the hard yards 

Even allowing for the ideal batting conditions, England showed little penetration, barely beating the bat or hitting the pads. 

Stuart Broad was tidy and Woakes used sparingly but fellow pace bowler Craig Overton harmed his chances of a Test debut in Brisbane with a toothless display - his attempts at unsettling Short with bouncers were treated with disdain. 

Off-spinner Moeen, in his first game of the tour after recovering from a side injury, has at least bowled 48 overs in the match, while Crane served up too many full tosses. 

By the end, England were using part-timers Joe Root and Dawid Malan to protect the frontliners and hasten the finish.

"It was a very flat wicket," said Bayliss. "It was good to spend some time in the field. I'm sure there will be times during the Test series where we're out in the field all day. 

"There were two young guys out there that batted very, very well. All credit to them. They looked good. It's good for Australian cricket."

Women's Ashes Test Match

England 280 & 206-2: Knight 79*, Elwiss 41*
Australia 448-9 dec: Perry 213*, McGrath 47, Healy 45, Ecclestone 3-107, Marsh 3-109
Match drawn; both sides take 2pts, Australia lead series 6-4

Captain Heather Knight led a stubborn rearguard action as England forced a draw against Australia to keep the multi-format Women's Ashes alive.

Australia would have retained the trophy if they had won this inaugural day-night Test, but needed to bowl England out on the final day in Sydney.

England began on 40-0, 128 runs behind, but after losing their openers, Knight (79 not out) added an unbroken 117 with Georgia Elwiss (41 not out) to keep Australia at bay before a draw was agreed with the tourists on 206-2.

Australia now lead the series 6-4 on points, meaning - barring intervention from the weather - England need to win all three Twenty20 internationals in order to regain the Ashes trophy.

Ellyse Perry's sparkling double century on day three had left the hosts in the ascendancy, but neither side were helped by a lifeless North Sydney Oval pitch which gave no assistance to the bowlers, and it must be a concern that the T20 series begins on Friday at the same ground - with the same pitch reportedly set to be reused.

Ashes 2017/18: 4 day tour match: Cricket Aus XI v ENG

Nov 8-11, 2017 - Tour Match at Adelaide Oval (day/night)

All-rounder Craig Overton put himself firmly in the frame for a starting place in the first Ashes Test as he helped England complete a 192-run win over a Cricket Australia XI.

England took just 30 minutes to seal victory on day four as uncapped Overton, 23, finished with 3-15 and James Anderson 3-12, as the hosts were bowled out for 75 in their second innings.

Chris Woakes had taken England to the brink of triumph with 4-17 on day three.

Cricket Australia coach Ryan Harris said: "I think it's going to be a really good series."

Matt Short and Gurinder Sandhu had held England up through an extra half-hour on Friday evening as the hosts recovered from 25 for seven, but Overton broke the eighth-wicket stand without addition to the overnight 45 in the first over of the new day.

Short made it easy for the Somerset seamer, aiming an ambitious pull at a ball which smashed into middle-stump.

Anderson took the ninth wicket, left-hander Sandhu trapped lbw from round the wicket, and the match was over when Anderson had Daniel Fallins flailing an edge to slip in his next over.

3 ODI's (2-1 IND), 3 T20's (2-1 IND)

1st ODI

India 280/8 (50 ov)
New Zealand 284/4 (49/50 ov)
New Zealand won by 6 wickets (with 6 balls remaining)

Virat Kohli, in his 200th ODI, sought to play the perfect innings on a slow pitch and in sapping heat. He got lucky when he took the calculated risk, he was also dropped on 29, but that was fortune earned and he went on to score his 31st hundred.

New Zealand took more risks collectively, opened with almost a pinch hitter, but enjoyed less luck than Kohli. Yet, Kohli was let down by his team-mates, 37 being the next best score to his 121, whereas all New Zealand batsmen contributed - Ross Taylor and Tom Latham added 200 - as they chased down 281, only their third win when batting second against India in India.

It was a fascinating contrast of batting approaches. Kohli trusted his game and his fitness to score at around 80 runs per 100 balls without looking to even hit a boundary. He hit only five boundaries in his first 75 runs, two of them without meaning to. New Zealand, on the other hand, came out attacking, with Colin Munro taking a risk every over.

If it was a ploy to put the Indian spinners under pressure even before they were introduced, it didn't work as they managed to still lose wickets. Latham and Taylor, though, swept the spinners to distraction, managed the seamers with ease, and kept finding the boundary whenever the asking rate threatened to become uncomfortable.

That the run rate was not highly demanding was down largely to Trent Boult, who removed the India openers in his first spell, and then took the wickets of MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya as he conceded just 35 in his 10 overs. He might have dropped an apparent sitter from Kohli, but Mitchell Santner, perhaps the only relatively permanent specialist fingerspinner in limited-overs cricket today, did his bit with the ball, taking Kedar Jadhav's wicket and conceding just 41 runs in his allotment of 10 overs.

Kohli had to find a way around these two and slow conditions to build the India innings single-handedly. He stayed at the wicket for 46 overs in Mumbai's October heat of over 30 degrees centigrade and humidity over 70%, but not once did he miss a quick single or fail to put pressure on the deep fielders with the threat of a second run. He came in to bat when the reunited India openers, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, seemed like they had eyes set on the return of the high-scoring ODI in India. Both of them perished to the swing of Boult, and with a shaky idle order to follow, Kohli knew he had to carry the innings.

Kohli did find support from a new middle-order applicant, Dinesh Karthik, who was playing his first ODI in India since 2010, but the support didn't last. Around the 30th over, when wickets come with bigger impact than the earlier ones, Kane Williamson went back to his strike bowlers. In his first over back, Tim Southee sent back Karthik off a mis-hit hook, a shot that had earlier produced three sixes for India.

Now came the spell of play where teams hope for wickets to shut the opposition out. To that end, New Zealand kept going to their strike bowlers. MS Dhoni and Kohli managed to deny New Zealand those wickets, but Dhoni's innings of 42 balls came at a strike rate of under 60. No side could say it owned this period of play, but in the end it proved to be the difference between chasing 281 and 300.

Boult came back to make sure India didn't run away at the end even though Kohli accelerated gradually and Bhuvneshwar Kumar provided a finishing kick with 26 off 15. Eighty-three in those last 10 overs gave India a more than competitive total given the form of their bowlers and the nature of the pitch. However, after a pretty formulaic effort from Australia, India were now against an opposition that was intent on upsetting their rhythm.

Latham, who scored runs in each of his innings in the ODI series in India last year, was asked to step down into the middle order. Munro was asked to distract India's new-ball bowlers. He succeeded for a bit before Jasprit Bumrah's slower one accounted for him. Kuldeep Yadav was in the game right away, getting Williamson with a wrong'un that one of the best batsmen in the world failed to pick. Pandya bounced Martin Guptill out to make it 80 for 3, leaving India potentially one blow away from sealing the defense.

Latham and Taylor, though, had other ideas. Latham, especially, played the cleaner, more controlled innings. He swept and reverse-swept 20 of the 51 balls of spin he faced, taking 35 of his 58 runs of spin through those two shots. Taylor had to curb his leg-side play a little although he stayed partial to his other favourite, the cut. Over by over, shot by shot, the partnership grew. The spinners went past the bat but failed to create a wicket.

There came two opportunities in the field. In the 31st over, Dhoni could have run Taylor out with a direct hit at the bowler's end. Dhoni missed, but Chahal, the bowler, was not at the wicket to collect the throw. In the 36th over, Kohli got a fortunate bounce at cover and Taylor gave up trying to make it. Kohli missed the stumps again. Taylor was 40 and 56 at those instances.

Desperate, India went back to seam bowlers, holding back four overs of spin, hoping they could pounce on the inexperienced batsmen to follow. For that, though, they needed a breakthrough. It wasn't forthcoming as Latham and Taylor willed each other on, punishing every error from India. By the time, the last dice was rolled with the reintroduction of spin, New Zealand needed just 63 from nine overs.

Latham now was in the mood to have some fun, reverse-sweeping both the spinners. The batsmen had to work hard in the humidity; just like Dhoni and Kohli, they had to take frequent breaks. For India, the break came too late, with scores level. Taylor could have manipulated the scoring in the end and followed his partner Latham into a century, but he chose not to disrespect the opposition and took every run and leg-bye on offer. He was caught on 95 with scores level, and you couldn't sense an ounce of disappointment at missing a century.


2nd ODI

New Zealand 230/9 (50 ov)
India 232/4 (46/50 ov)
India won by 6 wickets (with 24 balls remaining)

New Zealand won the first ODI at the Wankhede Stadium courtesy their preparedness against India's spinners, and the success of a key tactical move - swapping the batting positions of Colin Munro and Tom Latham. Three days later, following a trip down the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, India turned the tables with their own counter-tactics, on a pitch with just enough grass on it to allow their fast bowlers to bowl a traditional good length.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar finished with three wickets and Jasprit Bumrah with two, the pair conceding only 83 in their 20 overs as New Zealand set India a target of 231 to level the series. The chase proved straightforward, with Shikhar Dhawan and Dinesh Karthik scoring half-centuries to lead India home with four overs remaining.

New Zealand's fast bowlers didn't begin half as well as their Indian counterparts, with Trent Boult and Tim Southee routinely pitching short in their new-ball spells. India hit seven fours in the first seven overs, and five of them came off the back foot, via pulls and punches and slashes over the slips. Rohit Sharma fell early, flicking Boult in the air, but the easy flow of boundaries meant New Zealand never put any pressure on the second-wicket pair of Dhawan and Virat Kohli, who added 57 off 56 balls.

Kohli fell in the 14th over, driving away from his body at one that wasn't full enough from Colin de Grandhomme, and Karthik walked in at No. 4, joining the endless carousel of batsmen to audition for the role in recent months. He began his innings with a boundary, guiding de Grandhomme between backward point and short third man, and ended the match with another - a sweetly timed on-the-up drive through the covers - but endured a bit of a struggle in between, never entirely fluent but always serving the interests of the chase.

New Zealand never managed two wickets in quick succession, with Karthik a constant thorn at one end: he added 66 with Dhawan for the third wicket, 59 with Hardik Pandya for the fourth, and an unbroken 28 with MS Dhoni for the fifth. The pitch wasn't a belter, but it was still batting-friendly, and New Zealand hadn't set a big enough target to force India into taking any real risks.

For that India will thank their bowlers, particularly Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah. Bowling a mix of slower balls and bouncers, India's new-ball pair exposed Munro's leaden-footed technique, and he plodded his way to 10 off 16 balls before Bhuvneshwar slipped a knuckleball through his defences. Before that, seam movement from a good length took out Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson, both stuck on the crease, the former nicking an away-seamer, the latter lbw to an inducker, and New Zealand were 27 for 3.

It was here that Latham came to the crease. During his unbeaten hundred in Mumbai, the sweep had been his most productive stroke, fetching him 26 runs off 16 balls and putting India's pair of wristspinners off their lengths. India had responded by leaving out one of their wristspinners and bringing in the left-arm orthodox of Axar Patel - a flat, stump-to-stump, and therefore harder-to-sweep bowler. But before bringing Axar on, and as soon as the first Powerplay ended, India brought on Kedar Jadhav, who hadn't bowled at all in Mumbai.

With his round-the-wicket angle and low-arm release, Jadhav either angled the ball into Latham's stumps or occasionally fired one wide of off stump, neither line conducive to the sweep, particularly given Jadhav's lack of bounce. He bowled seven straight overs in his first spell, and only conceded 24, and in that time Latham played him with a studiously straight bat, only sweeping twice while scoring 11 off 23 balls.

Jadhav's spell kept Latham in check, and in the time he was at the crease - in the company of Ross Taylor and then Henry Nicholls - New Zealand only managed 91 runs in 22.1 overs. The sweep appeared more frequently once Jadhav went out of the attack, but eventually the shot cost Latham his wicket, for 38 off 62 balls, as he failed to cover for Axar Patel's switch to left-arm around.


The arrival of de Grandhomme perked up New Zealand's scoring, the allrounder playing a number of eye-catching flicks and on-drives while adding 47 for the sixth wicket at 5.42 per over with the more prosaic Nicholls. But just when the partnership was looking threatening, Bhuvneshwar broke it in the 38th over, when he returned for a two-over second spell. Again he hit that perfect length to prompt Nicholls to drive without getting a full stride forward, and again he found just enough movement to beat the inside edge and peg back leg stump.

Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah only conceded 12 in the last four overs of the second Powerplay, and perhaps this built extra pressure on de Grandhomme, who fell while trying to push the pace in the last over of spin, the 44th. Yuzvendra Chahal tossed one up wide of off stump, and de Grandhomme, reaching out for the big one, sliced a catch to short third man. Chahal's next ball was a slider, which caught Adam Milne plumb in front.

New Zealand were 188 for 8 at this point. Mitchell Santner and Tim Southee ensured they would end up with a fighting total, courtesy a ninth-wicket stand of 32, but 230 was still decidedly below par.



3rd ODI

India 337/6 (50 ov)
New Zealand 331/7 (50 ov)
India won by 6 runs

Elation, after a seventh straight bilateral ODI series win, for India. Heartbreak for a New Zealand side that has been among the best prepared and most tenacious limited-overs teams to visit the country in recent years. Why is this only a three-match series?

New Zealand came to Kanpur with a poor record in ODI deciders in India. In each of their three previous attempts, their batting had let them down: they fell short of 200 in both 1995 and 1999 and, on this day last year, imploded to 79 all out.

It's not the proudest record, and on Sunday New Zealand were set quite a task to break their decider duck in India. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli scoring hundreds and becoming the first ODI pair to combine in four double-century stands, India set them 338 to win. They had only completed two bigger successful chases.

That set the stage for the two teams to trade punch and counter-punch in a riveting microcosm of the entire series.

Colin Munro set things rolling by stepping out and carting the third ball of the innings over the midwicket boundary. The next three balls disappeared for fours, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar - steady, dependable Bhuvneshwar Kumar - was dazed and bemused. Trying to somehow cramp Munro for room with round-the-wicket bouncers, he sent down three wides in his third over, and by the end of his first spell was nursing figures of 0 for 51 in five.

But at the other end, Jasprit Bumrah kept things sane, extracting whatever little help a flat Green Park pitch could give him by hitting it hard with maximum backspin or, in the case of his slower offcutter, sidespin. His first spell read 4-0-12-1, Martin Guptill an excellent choice for 50th ODI wicket.

Tom Latham prepares to reverse sweep off the back of the bat Associated Press
New Zealand remained on track, with Munro and Kane Williamson adding 109 for the second wicket and moving the score to 153 for 1 in the 25th over. The counter-punch, this time, came from Yuzvendra Chahal, the only other bowler apart from Bumrah to get something out of the surface. He did this by means of hard-spun legbreaks - one drifted away from Munro and broke back in to bowl him through the gate, the other, dangled slower and wider, forced Williamson to miscue a slog-sweep. New Zealand, suddenly, were 168 for 3.

Enter Tom Latham, New Zealand's most improved and most impressive batsman on this tour. In Mumbai he had swept his way to a match-winning hundred; his innings here was perhaps even better, showcasing not just deftness against spin but also pristine timing against the fast bowlers, particularly square on the off side and off his legs. He dominated a 79-run stand with Ross Taylor, and then added 59, off just 40 balls, with the scrappy and highly effective Henry Nicholls.

When Bhuvneshwar, producing the perfect yorker on a day when little else went right for him, ended that stand, New Zealand needed 32 off 19 to win. Not the worst time for your biggest hitter to walk in.

Except it wasn't to be Colin de Grandhomme's day; his indecision played a part in Latham being run out for 65 off 52, and he didn't seem to have his hitting gloves on either. With Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah landing a dew-sodden ball there or thereabouts in the closing overs, the target slipped away from New Zealand's reach. It came down to 15 off the last over, but they were never going to get it against Bumrah in this sort of form.

New Zealand could have been chasing significantly more than 338 had their bowlers not pulled India back through the last 10 overs, in which they took five wickets while conceding only 85.

Three of those were the result of catches at long-off - a not insignificant detail, for it encapsulated the value of the fifth boundary fielder in the third Powerplay. In the last five overs of the second Powerplay, when mid-off was usually inside the circle, Rohit and Kohli had hit six fours and a six in the arc between deep extra-cover and long-off. India scored 56 in that five-over period, and Kohli and Rohit looked unstoppable.

In his 28th match, Jasprit Bumrah became the second fastest Indian to 50 wickets BCCI
But the relaxation of field restrictions gave New Zealand a bit more control. Rohit and Hardik Pandya fell to Mitchell Santner's changes of pace and trajectory while going for big hits, while a Tim Southee slower ball undid Kohli's attempt at clearing long-off. Between the end of the 40th over and Kohli's dismissal, India had only managed three boundaries. MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav manufactured three fours and a six thereafter, and India picked up 35 off the last 20 legal balls of their innings. Those runs would prove quite handy.

Rohit and Kohli came together in the seventh over of India's innings, when Shikhar Dhawan spooned Southee to mid-off, and immediately gave the sense of settling themselves for a long stay.

Kohli looked in rare form right from the time he walked in, flicking an off-stump ball to the right of midwicket to get off the mark and then punching Southee through the gap between cover point and extra-cover, but despite this he slipped into a sidekick role, happy to get off strike and watch Rohit do his thing. He did, however, become the fastest player to 9000 runs in one-day cricket.

Rohit's innings contained all the classic Rohit ingredients - the back-foot punches, the front-foot pulls in front of square, the drives down the ground - and also a determination to rectify the mistakes of his previous two innings. He had been out playing across the line in the first two ODIs, and didn't repeat that mistake here. In the eighth over, for instance, he got a full, middle-and-leg ball from Trent Boult, similar to the one he flicked in the air in Pune, only this time he showed the full face of the bat and picked up four to the left of mid-on.

Once he got his eye in, boundaries flowed to all parts. The fifty came up off 52 balls, the hundred off 106, and with Kohli following in his slipstream a total in the 350-370 range looked possible. India didn't get that far, but they eventually got far enough. Just about.

Ashes 2017/18: 2 day Tour Match WA XI v EN

Day 1/2

England 349-6 against Western Australia XI on day one of two
• Four half-centuries for tourists but Alastair Cook and Joe Root go cheaply

How to evaluate an opening day where England racked up 349 runs at a fair lick, against opposition with an average age of 22, who dropped more catches (five) than they took wickets (four, with two further retirements) and could seldom sustain pressure with the ball? Where there were four half-centuries for unestablished batsmen, but failures for the seasoned leaders, including Alastair Cook to the tour’s second ball before a run had been scored?

Mark Stoneman, who top-scored with a stylish 85 and put on 153 with James Vince after Cook prodded at the Western Australia XI’s captain Nathan Coulter-Nile (the one bowler of consistent quality England faced), was encouraged and so he should be. He was one of those dropped, on 54, low at gully (an area England’s opposition stacked, sensing a weakness), but looked rhythmical, straight-drove beautifully and cut powerfully. He had asserted that the conditions should suit him here and he backed that up in his first innings, before explaining how England’s preparation is moving through the gears.

“Finding rhythm in a match situation is important,” he said. “You can hit as many balls as you want in the nets but the intensity is not quite there.

“There will be tougher tests but there was nice progression from the work we have done throughout the week. A score helps you settle in to the tour, and helps your confidence. It settles everything down and you can hopefully try to snowball that and you’re not fighting against anything, alleviating technical or mental issues in your mind.”

Stoneman and Vince did not know each other before this tour, but they are sharing one of England’s serviced apartments and despite an early mix-up between the wickets that nearly meant Vince was run out they seemed to gel. Whether it is by accident or design that they are rooming it seems a bright idea: down as opener and first drop for the first Test in Brisbane, they should spend plenty of time together on the field so might as well get to know one another off it.

After weathering a testing opening spell, they cashed in as Coulter-Nile used eight bowlers before lunch, by which point boundaries were flowing and both men had reached 64-ball fifties. Slightly wild bowling in such a game helps, Stoneman said. “It can be a good thing. Your levels of concentration have to be high. If you have a couple flying down the legside then one right on the money, you will make mistakes.”

Vince also reached the eighties, but was less convincing outside off stump, a feature of his fledging Test career. He was reprieved three times between 47 and 67, with the first two near identical drops from cut shots. Coulter-Nile, stationed at first slip, shelled both above his head, while a pull stung the hands of midwicket, who could not take the catch.

 Joe Root is less than impressed at his dismissal. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

A better period of bowling after lunch led to Stoneman edging Lance Morris to second slip when driving, then Aaron Hardie, another young right-arm seamer, dismissed Vince, whose luck ran out when he flicked straight to midwicket, and Joe Root in the same over. Root had been tied down and was given out caught behind off the back pad, and did not hide his disappointment at the decision and becoming the second of England’s key batsmen to fall cheaply. “It’s not a good thing that they missed out,” said Stoneman, “but it is a bit of a lesser problem when it’s two blokes with phenomenal records in Test cricket and who know their games inside out.” He makes a fair point, but only if the pair score runs in Adelaide this week.

Next came the shootout at No5 between Dawid Malan and Gary Ballance, the latter providing the final drop at second slip when on 36. Both played well, reaching half-centuries and neither could be prised out, but Malan remains at least a length in front for selection at Brisbane, thanks to his glorious driving here. He nailed his first ball, which came between the Vince and Root wickets, through mid-off and continued in that vein.

With 75 overs bowled, Jonny Bairstow and Chris Woakes were given a crack and they capitalised on a flagging attack and its fresh Kookaburra. Coulter-Nile, who may well make his Test debut in the forthcoming season and had caused Ballance some trouble with the short ball, charged in, but Bairstow was in the mood, waltzing his way to 36 off 37 balls, and Woakes was happy to amble along in his slipstream.

“Things will ramp up as the tour goes on and greater challenges lie ahead,” said Stoneman. “But that was a pretty good day for a first hit out.”

On the second and final day when the temperature is set to hit 33 degrees, he says, the aim is to take 10 wickets. If the WA XI’s batting is much like their bowling, that seems a pretty modest target.

Day 2/2

England 349/6d

Western Australia XI 342 

Match drawn

In the grand scheme of things, this was probably exactly the day England needed.
Coming off an unusually long layoff (by their standards; it is two months since most of this side played a red-ball match), England's first-choice seam attack gained miles in the legs and exposure to the conditions that may serve them well in the weeks ahead. The Western Australia innings was extended - some of their batsmen were allowed to bat again having been dismissed - to ensure England gained a full day in the field. Long before the end, the match had turned into little more than a training session.

In such circumstances, it is probably wise not to reach for too many conclusions. But England will have noted the control offered by Jake Ball - who, James Anderson apart, was easily the most impressive of the seamers - and the struggle Craig Overton had maintaining the required length. They will have noted, too, that Mason Crane tired after a good start - he was plundered for three successive boundaries late in the day - and that Stuart Broad (who conceded nearly five an over) looked as if he needed plenty more overs ahead of the Test series.

And they will, not for the first time, have been grateful for the enduring qualities of Anderson. In conditions in which none of his colleagues could gain any appreciable movement - Chris Woakes, in particular, was pretty much straight up and down - Anderson claimed two wickets in a mid-afternoon spell of five overs for nine runs through his ability to make the ball reverse. He returned later to claim two more wickets in a three-over spell without conceding a run.

There were some worrying moments, though. Moments when England looked just a bit toothless and just a little over-reliant on Anderson. Moments when they looked almost powerless to stop a 20-year-old makeshift opener (he reckoned it was the first time he had opened in five years) without a first-class game behind him scoring at will. Moments when you suspected they could face some long days in the field before this trip is over.

That was never more apparent than when Josh Philippe was rattling his way to 88 not out at lunch. Driving unusually well - he got underway by thumping Broad on the up through extra cover - and was merciless on anything even remotely overpitched. He pulled well, too, and hit 16 fours in his 92-ball innings. Had England's over rate been better - they managed just 25 overs in the first session - he may well have managed a century before lunch.

They may be concerned, too, by a couple of dropped chances. Jonny Bairstow was unable to cling on to a tricky chance offered by Jake Carder off Woakes when he had 18 while Root, at second slip, put down Philippe on 72 off Ball when the batsman edged an attempted cut. Neither was especially easy but, in such circumstances, when chances are so tough to earn, it is essential England accept such opportunities.

There are caveats to all this, though. Most of all, Philippe looks a terrific prospect. He made 93 and 64 in the Futures League against Tasmania recently and scored heavily in club cricket for Taunton in 2016 and Newcastle in 2017. He also represented Durham's second XI on a couple of occasions as an overseas player. There is no reason at all why he should not go on to enjoy a successful career in the game.

Not in England, though. Due to a well-intentioned but ultimately damaging crackdown on visa requirements, Philippe - and many like him - will struggle to return to play in the UK in future years. And there is no UK or European family that can help him gain a passport.

"Unfortunately there's no British passport," he said. "The blokes at Durham were pretty interested in that but there's no French, no European and no British in me. Unfortunately I'm all Australian. Well, not unfortunately. I'm very proud to be Australian and I will try to make it here." The fact that he was watched-on by several generations of his family - his mother also represented WA at cricket - suggests he will not lack for support.

The pitch, too, by WACA standards, was slow and flat. And with little swing, spin or seam moment in evidence, it was always a day when batsmen were likely to enjoy themselves. This was a warm-up game, after all. It was, for England, more about taking part than the scores.

We learned a couple of things, too. We learned that England's new slip cordon - sans Ben Stokes - is likely to see Dawid Malan at third slip (Alastair Cook remains at first and Root is at second), with James Vince in the gully.

We learned that Overton, for all his inconsistency, could trouble batsmen with a sharp change of pace - twice he struck players on the helmet with rearing short deliveries and he also gained the first wicket of the day with Carder falling to the hook trap - and we learned that Woakes, for all his qualities in England, is still searching for a way to make the kookaburra ball move sideways.

"You could probably see from the first session we were rusty," Anderson admitted later. "We didn't quite get it right at all.

"I didn't have much rhythm first up. It didn't feel great and there wasn't much swing either with the new ball.

"But I got better as the day went on and most of the bowlers would probably say the same. You have to bowl very different lengths to England - you can't be as full - and they played pretty well.
"Philippe was pretty good. He obviously threw his hands at everything and on a flat pitch he got away with a lot. But I thought he timed the ball brilliantly."

Perhaps the biggest lesson of all was that, in Philippe, Western Australia have an exciting prospect. He missed out on a century when he skipped down the wicket and attempted to hit Crane back over his head - Bairstow completed a neat stumping - while 21-year-old Clint Hinchliffe later complied an increasingly attractive 75. He, too, has yet to play first-class cricket but both would appear to be names to keep an eye upon.