Australia and England share spoils after remarkable final day in Women's Ashes Test

Neither team knew quite how to react after Kate Cross blocked the final ball, with both sides having come so close to winning and losing

Canberra: Australia 337-9 & 216-7, England 297 & 245-9 - match drawn

The Women's Ashes Test ended in an utterly thrilling draw at the end of a day that saw all four results possible right until the final delivery.

For a long time in the afternoon, it looked as though England might produce one of their greatest Test wins of all time after Australia declared, knowing that they would retain the series trophy if they could bowl out the tourists.

Setting Heather Knight's side 257 runs for victory in just 48 overs, it seemed like only two outcomes were truly likely, given no team had never chased more than 198 to win a women's Test. The previous highest fourth-innings total – 229 for 5 – came in a 1986 draw between England and India.

But contributions from Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Heather Knight, Nat Sciver and Sophia Dunkley ensured that England, behind in the multiformat series, reached the cusp of history at Canberra's Manuka Oval, only to fall marginally short as they suffered a late collapse after bounding within touching distance of an extraordinary result.

It was left to Kate Cross, England's No.11, to negotiate the last over of a hugely compelling game, blocking a full toss from debutante leg-spinner Alana King to confirm a share of the spoils.

Neither team knew quite how to react, with both having come so close to winning and losing.

Beaumont and Winfield-Hill had added 52 for the first wicket in a stand dominated by Beaumont, who gave the run-chase early impetus, before Winfield-Hill – who struggled to begin with – began to find her rhythm in partnership with Knight.

^{Kate Cross and Sophie Ecclestone guided England to a draw in the last 13 balls of the match (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)}

Rachael Haynes took excellent catches in front of the wicket to dismiss both openers, which brought together the key partnership of Knight and Nat Sciver – captain and vice-captain. Together, they transformed what had initially appeared to be a notional effort into a genuine push at a huge total, with four points up for grabs in the multiformat series for the winners of the Test.

Knight adores Canberra's Manuka Oval and joked afterwards that the ACT state team could do worse than offer her a gig, given an extraordinary record at the ground, with England's chances of forcing a result ultimately indebted to her unbeaten 168 in the first innings.

The greatest surprise of the day came when she missed a straight delivery from Darcie Brown, who was thrown the ball as a last throw of the dice by Meg Lanning and repaid her faith with a pacy spell that began an extraordinary final push and counterpunch from the home side.

Dunkley was given out next ball but won a reprieve on review, before launching into a staggering assault that took England to 218 for 3, with the game in their grasp. But Sciver pulled Annabel Sutherland to Lanning at midwicket for 58, and the match turned again.

England lost their composure; Amy Jones and Dunkley were caught on the rope just six balls apart, despite the required run rate still hovering below six.

Katherine Brunt was then caught behind to give Sutherland, who never stopped running in, her third wicket. Anya Shrubsole was then run out at the bowler's end as she attempted a quick single, before Charlie Dean miscued a slog-sweep straight up in the air to the very next ball.

^{Alana King runs out Anya Shrubsole to give Australia their eighth wicket (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)}

Until then, England were still throwing caution to the wind. But once the ninth wicket fell, the Lancastrian pair of Kate Cross and Sophie Ecclestone slammed the door to clinch a draw.

Earlier, Australia had reached 216 for 7, thanks in the main to Beth Mooney's battling half century and a run-a-ball cameo of 38 from Ashleigh Gardner. The hosts had begun the day at 12 for 2 but were stabilised by Mooney's partnership with Ellyse Perry, who made 41.

When it came, the declaration dangled an unlikely carrot, and neither team could have believed how close they would come to achieving the result they were after.

Australia will retain the Ashes by winning one of the three ODIs that come next.

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