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Stars’ Test victory a testament to depth

When Australia’s top-order failed to fire, there was no shortage of talent availble to step up and secure an emphatic Test win

The captain and coach of the Women’s Ashes-leading Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars have lauded the depth of their squad after Australia moved within one win of regaining the urn.

Boasting some of the most accomplished and feared players in the world, it was the Southern Stars’ lesser-known names that rounded out a complete group effort, prompting coach Matthew Mott to label their Test victory “pretty much the perfect game of cricket.”

Quick single: Southern Stars thrash England 

Australia’s big guns with the bat failed to fire in the four-day Test at Canterbury’s Spitfire Ground, with skipper Meg Lanning and star allrounder Ellyse Perry contributing just 21 runs between them in four innings.

At 5-99 in the first innings and with Australia’s premier five batters in the sheds, it was a rear-guard 77-run stand between debutante Jess Jonassen and wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy that held a rampaging England at bay before turning the heat on the hosts.

Jonassen went on to make 99 and was aided by another debutante in Kristen Beams, who scored an unbeaten 26 as the pair put on 68 for the ninth wicket to lift the tourists to 9-274.

Watch: Highlights of Jonassen's first-innings 99 (restrictions apply)

Australia then backed it up with the ball, despite being without star leg-spinner Beams,  after the 30-year-old strained her calf during her crucial partnership with Jonassen.

Quick single: All-round superstar still improving

Lanning used six bowlers in the first innings and seven in the second to dismiss England for 168 and 101, ensuring a 161-run thrashing and Australia’s first Test win in Britain for 14 years.

“It is something that we look at as a strength of ours that everyone in the team can come in and do a role,” Lanning said.

“I really felt that as a captain that I could turn to any one of our bowlers and they would do the job for me.

“I can only speak for our team but that's certainly very helpful in a Test match where you need to keep the game moving and keep trying to give up different things to their batters.

Watch: Ellyse Perry's six wickets (restrictions apply)

“Every one of our bowlers did a fantastic job throughout the Test match - we didn't really rely on one or two which is really important.

“And batting-wise, the top order didn't really do a hell of a lot in the Test match but it was the people in the middle order and the lower order that were able to scratch around and get us into a really good position.

“As I said before - the 274 in the first innings was probably the difference in the game - to be able to get that extra 70, 80 runs put us in a really good position, so it's nice not to have to rely on one or two people.”

In the three-match one-day international series that preceded the Test – and which Australia claimed 2-1 – the entire squad of 14 was used, not only giving each player game time but also as a show of faith that any member of the playing group could slot into the starting XI and perform.

That trust was vindicated in the Test match where players like Sarah Coyte, Megan Schutt, veteran Alex Blackwell and Jonassen all rose to the occasion to chip in or dominate depending on what the situation required.

Watch: Extended highlights of Australia's win (restrictions apply)

It’s that surplus of talent and team unity that had coach Mott proud as punch after the comprehensive win.

“That was the key to our success to be honest,” Mott told cricket.com.au.

“A couple of our high profile batters missed out in this game but at no stage did any of the rest of the team fall down.

“They thought it was time to knuckle down, get a score together.

“As a bowling unit I thought Meg operated the bowlers sensationally well.

Watch: Schutt's bag of four (restrictions apply)

“Gutsy (effort) from Kristen Beams to go out there and have a try with a grade two calf strain which is a really good effort, and that just showed the spirit within the team.

“Everyone contributed at some point so that’s all you can ask for.

“It was pretty much the perfect game of cricket.

“We lost a lot of the game to rain and still we were able to force a result so it was a really good win for us.”