In an enthralling contest at Trent Bridge, Tammy Beaumont’s unbeaten century propelled England to a strong position, reaching 218/2 by the end of the second day’s play in the one-off women’s Test against Australia.

Australia had earlier posted a formidable total of 473, with Annabel Sutherland impressively scoring an unbeaten 137. However, Beaumont’s exceptional innings halted the visitors’ hopes of establishing a significant first-innings lead. Her century made her only the fourth England player, across both men’s and women’s cricket, to achieve this feat in Test, One-Day International (ODI), and Twenty20 formats.

Reflecting on her performance, Beaumont acknowledged the finely balanced nature of the match, emphasizing the difficulty of dismissing batsmen on the batting-friendly wicket. Despite her own self-criticism, describing herself as stubborn, Beaumont’s partnership of 67 with Natalie Sciver-Brunt (41 not out) ensured England remained competitive after the departure of captain Heather Knight, who had scored 57.

Australia began the day at 328/7 and received valuable contributions from tailenders Alana King (21) and Kim Garth (22), assisting Sutherland in achieving the sixth-highest total in women’s Test cricket history. England’s spinner Sophie Ecclestone shone with her maiden five-wicket haul in Test matches, finishing with figures of 5/129 in 46.2 overs.

This five-day Test serves as part of a multi-format Ashes series, featuring three T20 matches and three ODIs.