Knight hails Perry’s skills in Ashes showdown

ENGLAND captain Heather Knight hailed Ellyse Perry’s double-century as “one of the best things” she had seen in an Ashes Test as Australia took control in Sydney.

Perry made 213 not out, a record score for an Australian woman, as the hosts declared on 448 for nine for a 168-run first-inning lead at North Sydney Oval.

England openers Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Winfield reached 40 without loss in reply but the focus afterwards was on Perry’s knock.

“She batted very well, stuck to her game plan and gave us pretty much no chances,” said Knight.

“It was one of the best things I’ve seen in an Ashes Test match and she’s obviously put the game firmly in their favour.”

Perry hit 26 fours and a six in her 374-ball innings, even managing to refocus after she thought she had hit Laura Marsh for six when on 194 only for replays to show the ball fell a couple of feet short. She said: “I had an amazing time out there today batting with all the girls and just taking in what was such a special day, just a really great event for women’s cricket. Really nice to be out there for the day and I had a lot of fun.”

Victory would see Australia retain the Ashes, with the Twenty20 leg of the multiformat series still to come, and England must at least bat through to earn a draw on the final day.

Perry told Cricket Australia: “I think we’ve certainly got the upper hand now. It would have been really nice to take some wickets tonight but they’ve got a long day of batting ahead and I suppose the pressure is back on them.

“(It’s) certainly in our hands to win but we’ve got a lot of hard work to do it.”

Knight added: “Tammy and Lauren batted perfectly, a brilliant example of how we want to play. England’s Heather Knight