Australia keep the faith ahead of Test finale

Australia remain confident they can pull a rabbit out of a hat and somehow manufacture a victory on the final day of the women's Ashes Test in Taunton on Sunday.

And England remain adamant they haven't shut up shop in a match they need to win to keep the multi-format series alive, despite their scoring slowing to a crawl late on Saturday's third day.

After Australia declared their first-innings at 8-420 before lunch on Saturday – having lost two sessions to rain the previous day – England made a positive start to their reply despite losing opener Tammy Beaumont for nought, with the run rate at one point breaching five runs an over.

Captain Heather Knight and opener Amy Jones were still ticking over at 3.48 when the former was dismissed, but that had dropped to 2.40 at stumps, with the hosts 6-199.

Given England require a win, and the four points that come with it, to prevent Australia retaining the Ashes, there was the potential for them to go after that follow-on mark of 270 as quickly as possible, then make an aggressive declaration from behind in a bid to produce a miracle.

But after both Knight and Jones were dismissed at the hands of Australian left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux, the runs dried up, with the usually dynamic pair of Natalie Sciver (62no from 132 balls) and Katherine Brunt (15 from 75) defying the Australian attack late into the day.

Once Brunt departed, fellow quick Anya Shrubsole joined Sciver, scoring one run from 36 deliveries faced before the close of play.

England will resume still 71 runs shy of the follow-on, while Australia will need to take 14 wickets in an extended 108 overs (making up for overs lost to rain on Friday) to pull off a win – one that may not be required to retain the Ashes, but would be particularly satisfying given three of the last five Tests between the nations have ended in draws, with each side also winning one.

"We're trying our hardest out there," Sciver said at the end of play. "Losing a few wickets doesn't help things, that dictates how we're to play going forward.

"But as a team we fought really hard. It's going to be a fight tomorrow as well.

"We didn't think too much about the score, the way we needed to play was positively.

"It's kind of gone the other way a bit, because the pitch is doing a bit more and they've got some good spinners.

"But if we do get to a position where we can put Australia back in (on Sunday) we're got some world-class bowlers who'll be able to take some wickets."

Molineux, who finished the day with three wickets on Test debut, said the pitch was offering little assistance for the Australian attack.

Nonetheless, she believes the carrot of a rare Test win could drive them to pull off something spectacular.

If England are bowled out before they reach the follow-on mark of 270, Australia will have the chance to put them straight back in to continue to press for a win.

"It would be really good to be in the position to have that decision in our hands," Molineux aid.

"We've got 14 wickets to go and they're not going to be easy, so we've got to get a good night's sleep in tonight and come back pretty fired up.

"(The pitch is) pretty dead. You get out what you put into it, every now and then it'll turn but you've got to stay patient.

"I wouldn't be surprised tomorrow if (England) come out with a little more intent and they've definitely got the players to do so, so we've got to be ready for that.

"We've been really positive since day one out there, just to put on the whites and play Test cricket, there's been a really good vibe among the group.

"We know we're close, it would be really nice to win the Test."

Day four of the Taunton Test will begin at 11am on Sunday local time (8pm AEST) and will be broadcast live and free on the Nine Network and ABC Radio.

CommBank Ashes Tour of England

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

England Test squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Georgia Elwiss, Kirstie Gordon, Amy Jones, Laura Marsh, Nat Sciver, Anya Shrubsole (vc), Lauren Winfield, Sarah Taylor

Australia lead England 6-0

First ODI: Australia won by two wickets

Second ODI: Australia won by four wickets

Third ODI:  Australia won by 194 runs

July 18-21: Only Test, The County Ground, Taunton

July 26: First T20, County Ground, Chelmsford

July 28: Second T20, The County Ground, Hove

July 31: Third T20, Bristol County Ground, Bristol