Bolton joins Southern Stars' run-fest

Southern Stars opener Nicole Bolton says her first big score of the Women’s Ashes tour has “gotten the monkey off” her back, as Australia’s batters produced another dominant performance ahead of next week’s Test.

Bolton’s 93 helped the Southern Stars set a first-innings total of 6-391 declared against a combined ECB Academy and Surrey boys side in Beckenham on day one of their three-day tour match on Wednesday.

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Batting first, the Australian top order piled on the runs, with skipper Meg Lanning (93) and Ellyse Perry (80 not out) both continuing their superb runs of form.

While Australia’s middle-order has been in excellent health thanks to the consistency of Lanning, Perry and vice-captain Alex Blackwell – who have scored 10 fifties and three centuries between them in three ODIs and three warm-up games so far this tour – openers Bolton and Elyse Villani had not been able to replicate the runs-fest, failing to reach 50 in any of the Stars’ matches before Wednesday.

Bolton, who missed Australia’s first ODI due to concussion but made starts in the remaining two matches with knocks of 37 and 40, said she was pleased to spend quality time in the middle ahead of next week’s first and only Ashes Test.

“I’ve missed out on a couple of opportunities so it was nice to get a couple of runs under the belt,” she said at stumps.

“It was just good having that time in the middle and obviously being able to bat for a longer period.

“I think it’s a bit of the monkey off the back.”

The ECB Academy/Surrey boys side will resume on 0-38 on Thursday after Tammy Beaumont (20 not out) and Evelyn Jones (8 not out) weathered 12 overs before the end of the day’s play.

The three-day tour game is the Southern Stars’ last tune-up ahead of next Tuesday’s Test match in Canterbury, and Bolton said she believed she was well-suited to the longer form of the game.

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“I think some of girls joke that I’ve come out of the womb a longer-format player,” she laughed. “I relish it, I like to bat for longer periods and really grind the bowlers into the ground and I think I was able to do that today.”

“I think for myself (switching formats), nothing really changes too much. It’s just taking that time early doors to be a bit more watchful and aware of my off stump.

“The longer you’re out there, the easier it gets.”

The Women’s Ashes is a mixed-format series combining three ODIs, one Test and three Twenty20s, with the Southern Stars currently leading on four points to England’s two.

With four points on offer for the winner of the Test, the match presents the Southern Stars with an opportunity to stamp their authority on the series and move closer to securing the Ashes on British soil for the first time since 2001.

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