Gardner's super spell swings Test in Australia's favour

Australia are five wickets away from an Ashes Test victory at Trent Bridge, after Ashleigh Gardner's triple-strike late on day four provided the latest twist in what continues to be a pulsating contest.

England will resume on 5-116 on Monday with Danni Wyatt on 20 and nightwatcher Kate Cross on five, requiring another 152 runs for victory.

Off-spinner Gardner's game-turning spell triggered a mini-collapse of 4-11 for England after their openers made a strong start to their pursuit of 268, as she removed the star trio of Tammy Beaumont (28), Heather Knight (9) and Natalie Sciver-Brunt (0) in the space of three overs.

It came after spinner Sophie Ecclestone's second five-wicket haul of the match had Australia bowled out for 257 shortly after tea on day four.

Image Id: 71ED1D4AE59D439E967AEFC33F22ABE9 Image Caption: Tahlia McGrath celebrates the wicket of England opener Emma Lamb // Getty

Weather permitting, this is set to be the first women's Test to produce a winner since 2015.

England will need to produce the highest fourth-innings score in the history of women's Tests to defeat the Australians and claim their first win in the format on home soil since 2005.

The tourists meanwhile still require five wickets and will be sweating on the fitness of leg-spinner Alana King for day five.

King was struck on the elbow by quick Lauren Filer while batting and did not take the field for England's batting innings on Sunday afternoon but is expected to return on Monday.

The winner of the Test will claim a crucial four points in the multi-format series, with three T20Is and three ODIs worth two points apiece to come.

Image Id: 705472A4A2944668873EFFE72DEE6569 Image Caption: King was struck on the elbow by Filer during her 48-ball nine // Channel Nine

England had cruised to 0-55 in 10 overs but the introduction of Gardner to the attack immediately brought the breakthrough when she dismissed first-innings double centurion Tammy Beaumont on 22.

Beaumont advanced down the pitch but only managed to edge it to Beth Mooney at slip, and Tahlia McGrath removed her opening partner Emma Lamb lbw on 28 the next over.

Knight looked to make a statement, hitting Gardner for six to get off the mark.

Sciver-Brunt also looked to attack the off-spinner on nought, but her attempted sweep only succeeded in top-edging a high chance to Kim Garth, who held onto an excellent catch running in from short fine leg.

Knight was then forced to walk back to the dressing rooms on nine after she was trapped lbw attempting a flick off the back foot.

The England skipper reviewed the decision but ball-tracking confirmed she was out, with umpire's call on impact.

Garth chimed in with a late blow in the third-last over of the day, collecting her first Test scalp as Sophia Dunkley was caught behind on 16.

Australia resumed on 0-82 and appeared to be in control as they moved to 1-149 on Sunday morning.

But the introduction of debutant quick Lauren Filer into the attack shortly before lunch sparked a revival for England as Australia lost 6-49 either side of the break.

Sophie Ecclestone was again the star with ball in hand for the hosts, picking up 5-63 to complete a 10-wicket haul for the match, becoming just the fourth Englishwoman to achieve the feat.

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Filer struck two almighty blows when she first removed Ellyse Perry and then McGrath.

The right-arm quick had already claimed Perry's wicket for 99 in the first innings, and this time had her chopping for 25.

She then seamed one back into McGrath, bowling the South Australian for one, bringing both her teammates and the Trent Bridge crowd to life.

Mooney, having brought up her first half-century as a Test opener, was eyeing a maiden hundred when she resumed on 73 after lunch with Australia 3-157.

But it was England who surged back into the game as the tourists lost 4-41 in a dramatic first hour after the break.

Jess Jonassen was the first to fall, bowled attempting to slog sweep Ecclestone on 14, before Mooney was dismissed 15 runs shy of her hundred when she chopped on a sharply turning delivery from the left-arm spinner.

Her departure triggered a mini-collapse of 3-3 as Gardner was caught at slip for one off Kate Cross, and Ecclestone nabbed a third when she removed first-innings hero Annabel Sutherland for 14.

Sutherland had been rewarded for her first-innings century with a promotion to No.6, but pulled a simple catch to Danni Wyatt at square leg.

It left Australia teetering at 7-198, leading by 208, and the scenario could have become even more dire when Amy Jones missed a catching chance with Alyssa Healy on zero.

Australia captain Healy, who dropped herself down to No.8 after three consecutive Test ducks, edged the second ball she faced between the England wicketkeeper's legs.

It was one of six missed chances by England during Australia’s second innings, with openers Litchfield and Mooney also among the beneficiaries of the hosts' sloppiness in the field.

Healy took five balls to get off the mark, but as Alana King held up the other end she looked increasingly more at ease, hitting six boundaries to bring up a quick-fire half-century off 61 balls shortly after tea.

The introduction of Lauren Bell to the attack for the first time in the day brought immediate rewards when she had King caught at slip on nine, breaking a 59-run eighth-wicket stand.

Having added 50 of what proved to be Australia's final 61 runs in what could become a crucial captain's innings, Healy holed out to an Ecclestone full toss, and the left-arm spinner wrapped up Australia’s innings on 257 and sealed her own 10-wicket haul with the scalp of Darcie Brown four balls later.

Litchfield was the first Australian wicket to fall on Sunday morning, bowled by Kate Cross on 46.

The 20-year-old opener was denied her first Test half-century when she was out leaving the ball for the second time in the match, deceived by a delivery that jagged sharply back in.

Her dismissal broke a 99-run first-wicket partnership, Australia’s highest in Tests since 1998.

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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, Kate Cross, 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 (8pm 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)