Still not out: Perry’s 579 balls of defiance

It was a day of firsts for Australia on Thursday and the tourists are hoping that trend continues when the women’s Ashes Test continues tonight (AEST).

The opening day in Taunton saw three fresh Baggy Greens handed out during an emotional pre-match presentation as Ashleigh Gardner, Sophie Molineux and Tayla Vlaeminck made their Test debuts.

Then, after captain Meg Lanning called correctly at the coin toss and elected to bat, both she and Alyssa Healy – opening the batting in a Test match for the first time – struck their first half-centuries in the format.

On Friday, vice-captain Rachael Haynes will resume on 54 not out and while she’s made it clear that personal milestones aren’t her first priority, there’s little doubting her determination to turn that into a bigger score.

Haynes made her Test debut a decade ago in Worcester and was dismissed heartbreakingly short of a century, sent on her way for 98.

Thursday’s half-century, 10 years and eight days later, is the first time since that she’s passed fifty in a Test, having featured in just three long-form games in the intervening years.

It’s also a position she, for a long time, didn’t believe she’d be in again given her four-year hiatus that saw her on the international outer between 2013 and 2017.

"To have the opportunity to (play Test cricket again), it’s one I’m really relishing," Haynes said at stumps.

"We’re in a great position in this series and we’re in a good position after day one of the Test. So that’s my focus at the moment, but I’m certainly enjoying it.

"It’d be nice to (score a century). Pez (Ellyse Perry) is a little ahead of me at the moment so it’d be nice to help her get there as well.

"I think our partnership is the most important thing, I think we batted well together today and hopefully we can continue that tomorrow."

Perry picked up a neat slice of history during her unbeaten 84; having scored a memorable 213 not out the last time she donned the whites, she’s now scored 297 runs from 579 deliveries since she was last dismissed in Test cricket, bettering the previous record of 285 held by New Zealand’s Emily Drumm.

On Thursday, the 28-year-old also became just the seventh woman and the first since 1986 to score more than 500 runs and take more than 25 wickets in Tests, an impressive milestone given the scarcity of women’s red-ball cricket.

"Sometimes she looks like she’s playing a different game," Haynes said of Perry.

"I thought she batted with really good tempo today and was patient at the right times.

"She’s a pretty difficult batter to bowl to and she doesn’t give too much away, so I hope she can go on tomorrow and hopefully get herself a hundred."

Day two of the Taunton Test will begin at 8pm AEST on Friday (11am local time) 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