In the first day of the women’s Ashes, Ellyse Perry showcased her brilliance with a remarkable innings of 99, propelling Australia to 328-7 at the close of play in the solitary Test of the multi-format series held at Trent Bridge.

The highlight of the day came when Perry successfully challenged an lbw decision off Lauren Filer’s debut ball at the international level. Perry, who had scored just 10 runs at the time, went on to record her fifth fifty-plus score in ten Tests against England.

However, just as Australia seemed to be gaining control of the Test, Sophie Ecclestone struck a crucial blow for England by dismissing Jess Jonassen and Australia’s captain Alyssa Healy, both for a duck, in the same over.

Filer eventually claimed the prized wicket of Perry as she approached her century, while the slow left-arm spin of Ecclestone dismissed Tahlia McGrath, who had contributed a solid 61 runs in a 119-run partnership with Perry.

The five-day Test carries four points in the series and will be followed by three Twenty20 internationals and three one-day internationals.

Following the exhilarating men’s Ashes Test earlier this week, the women’s contest took center stage. England, aiming to reclaim the urn for the first time since 2015, received tremendous support from a crowd of 5,545 spectators—the largest single-day attendance for a women’s Test match in the country’s history.

England captain Heather Knight, who had promised to “entertain and inspire” on the eve of only the second five-day women’s Test ever played, adopted an attacking approach with her field placements after winning the toss and electing to bowl.

Australia, riding high on their T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year, appeared to be in control at 226-3 before losing three wickets for just 12 runs in a span of 24 balls, reinvigorating England’s hopes.

As play resumes on Friday, Annabel Sutherland (39 not out) and Alana King (seven not out) will aim to guide Australia towards a total of 400.