Garth pushes Test case but England A on top in Leicester

Kim Garth looks to have secured herself a dream debut in the Baggy Green after picking up four wickets on an otherwise long and difficult day in the field for Australia against England A in Leicester.

Lauren Winfield-Hill (106) and Paige Scholfield (102) hit centuries while Bess Heath struck a fifty as England A reached 9-562 at stumps on day two of the three-day of the warm-up match, holding a dominant 278-run lead over their rivals.

Australia will now aim to quickly wrap up the final wicket on Friday morning, before looking to bat through the remainder of the final day to give the batters who missed out in their first innings of 284 all out valuable time in the middle.

Garth, a former Ireland allrounder who made her white-ball debut for Australia last December, led the way with the ball on a Leicester surface offering little assistance to the bowlers, finishing with 4-69 from 19 overs as England A took up the attack to the world’s best team.

"It was a tough day out there today, I think there are a lot of positives to come out of it though," Garth told cricket.com.au after play.

"We regrouped as a bowling unit yesterday and spoke about the lengths that we bowled and the lengths that we wanted to bowl today and I think we did that really nicely and had some really good partnership bowling.

"I think we actually did quite well on a wicket that's not offering much for the bowlers and credit to England A as well, they did bat very well. 

"It's very valuable, I think if you ask the coaching staff upstairs, they probably would have wanted a game like this as opposed to just cruising through three days of cricket, so there's plenty to take out of it leading into next week."

Australia went into the match keen to work out their best attack for the Trent Bridge Test, and a long day of toil in the field meant skipper Alyssa Healy rotated between nine bowlers.

Ashleigh Gardner, who is nursing a sore index finger after being struck on the hand during fielding warm-ups prior to day one, was the only option not used; a precautionary move with the off-spinner at no risk of missing next week’s Test.

Leg-spinner Alana King pressed her case for a spot in the Test XI with three wickets, Annabel Sutherland impressed without success, while Darcie Brown and Ellyse Perry were the other wicket takers.

"I was just trying to keep the stumps in play as much as possible, it doesn't offer much for the bowlers, this wicket ... and I was just trying to figure out how to bowl with the red ball, it's not something I've done a lot of before," Garth said of her approach.

"I was just trying to work into my spell and I had a lot longer than I usually do, so I was just trying to gain as much knowledge around that I can."

Image Id: 2DB968EC0871475D9E28F53C8F101E01 Image Caption: Kim Garth picked up four wickets // Getty

England A had resumed on Friday morning on 2-135, with Grace Scrivens on 55 and skipper Winfield-Hill 53no.

A tidy start from Garth and Annabel Sutherland tied up the teenage Scrivens, who added just three runs to her overnight score before she was trapped lbw by Garth for 58.

But Australia’s hopes of rolling through the England A line-up quickly on the second morning were thwarted as Winfield-Hill continued her charge towards a century after being joined by Test hopeful Danni Wyatt.

Winfield-Hill was handed a life on 91 when Megan Schutt spilled a chance off Georgia Wareham, and shortly after brought up triple figures from 137 deliveries.

The return of Brown procured the wicket of Wyatt, trapped on the pads for 37, giving the express Australian quick her first wicket of the match.

Image Id: AEE50F08DF804D61B13D093634EA20FD Image Caption: Bess Heath and Paige Scholfield put pressure on the Australian attack // Getty

After a morning session that saw the hosts add 110 runs for the loss of two wickets, Winfield-Hill’s innings finally came to an end shortly after lunch when she miscued King to Wareham at deep backward point, out for 106.

The leg-spinner then had her second when she bowled Alice Davidson-Richards for 34.

England passed Australia’s first-innings total of 284 before drinks in the second session, and by tea that advantage had surged past 100 runs as Heath and Scholfield continued to frustrate the Australians.

Heath, an uncapped right-hander who played for Melbourne Stars last summer, brought up a half-century from 60 deliveries, and Scholfield reached a fifty of her own off 61.

Healy did not hesitate to take the new ball with England A 6-394 after 80 overs, but Heath and Scholfield continued to dish out the punishment to Brown and Garth, helping England to 6-428 at the tea break, ending a session that yielded 183 runs for the hosts and little but frustration for the tourists.

Garth then bowled Heath on 88 to secure her fourth, while Scholfield brought up a memorable ton before she was caught behind for 102 off the bowling of Perry.

CommBank Ashes Tour of the UK 2023

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

England Test squad: Heather Knight (c), Natalie Sciver-Brunt (vc), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Alice Davidson-Richards, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Amy Jones, Emma Lamb, Issy Wong, Danielle Wyatt

Test: June 22-26 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 11am local (7pm AEST)

First T20I: July 1 at Edgbaston, Birmingham, 6.35pm (3.35am July 2 AEST)

Second T20I: July 5 at The Oval, London, 6.35pm (3.35am July 6 AEST)

Third T20I: July 8 at Lord’s, London, 6.35pm (3.35am July 9 AEST)

First ODI: July 12 at The County Ground, Bristol, 1pm (10pm AEST)

Second ODI: July 16 at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, 11am (7pm AEST)

Third ODI: July 18 at The County Ground, Taunton, 1pm (10pm AEST)