12 July, 2009
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Beth Morgan and Jenny Gunn led an England fightback after its top order folded on day two of the Women's Ashes Test at New Road.
The hosts had been cast into trouble in the one-off Test when they slipped to 5-59, after dismissing Australia earlier in the day for 309.
Morgan (23 not out) and Gunn (34no) steadied the ship, however, with an unbeaten 57-run partnership to safely guide England to 5-116 when rain ended play early.
Australia had resumed the day on 7-271, with its final three wickets adding a further 38 runs to surpass a 300-mark that had looked beyond them on Friday.
The tourists had themselves been forced to battle back from 5-28 before a 229-run partnership between Jodie Fields (139) and Rachael Haynes (98) rescued the situation.
England opening bowler Katherine Brunt had been the destroyer-in-chief when she tore through the top order before removing Fields late in the day.
And Brunt picked up where she left off this morning to trap Lauren Ebsary lbw, her fourth such decision of the innings, on way to figures of 6-69.
Nicky Shaw then took the final two Australian wickets to finish with 3-67.
England's response was immediately undermined as it lost both openers, Caroline Atkins (two) and Lydia Greenway (five), during an impressive opening spell from Rene Farrell.
Worse was to come for England as it then lost key players Claire Taylor (10) and Charlotte Edwards (10) with the score on 28.
Sarah Taylor then strode to the crease and batted confidently despite the situation to hit 21 from 26 balls before she was out lbw to Ellyse Perry.
At 5-58 England's hopes of retaining the Ashes looked to be slipping from its grasp and Morgan and Gunn responded with a gritty stand to haul it back.
Morgan was particularly watchful as she reached the close unbeaten on 23, after facing 123 balls in more than two hours at the crease, while Gunn had contributed 34 from 75 balls.
Farrell finished the day with impressively economical figures of 2-11 from her 15 overs.
Australia Women 1st innings
Nitschke c Atkins b Shaw 15
Blackwell c Taylor b Brunt 0
Rolton lbw b Brunt 0
Sthalekar lbw b Brunt 6
Fields lbw b Brunt 139
Poulton b Brunt 1
Haynes b Marsh 98
Perry not out 18
Ebsary lbw b Brunt 3
Farrell b Shaw 8
Andrews c Taylor b Shaw 11
Extras 10 (b 1, lb 9)
Total 309 (all out; 113.3 overs)
FoW: 1-1, 2-5, 3-19, 4-23, 5-28, 6-257, 7-271, 8-280, 9-297, 10-309
Bowling
Brunt 26 – 10 – 69 – 6
Shaw 21.3 – 4 – 67 – 3
Gunn 12 – 2 – 41 – 0
Marsh 27 – 7 – 61 – 1
Colvin 16 – 3 – 37 – 0
Atkins 3 – 0 – 13 – 0
Morgan 8 – 4 – 11 - 0
England Women 1st innings
Atkins lbw b Farrell 2
Greenway c Andrews b Farrell 5
Taylor c Poulton b Ebsary 10
Edwards b Perry 10
Morgan not out 23
Taylor lbw b Perry 21
Gunn not out 34
Extras 11 (b 2, lb 5, w 2, nb 2)
Total 116 (5 wickets; 54 overs)
FoW: 1-2, 2-11, 3-28, 4-28, 5-59
Bowling
Farrell 15 – 7 – 11 – 2
Andrews 7 – 3 – 16 – 0
Perry 8 – 0 – 38 – 2 (1w)
Ebsary 5 – 1 – 15 – 1 (2nb, 1w)
Sthalekar 11 – 7 – 13 – 0
Nitschke 8 – 2 – 16 - 0