England seamers struggle before Ashes warm-up abandoned

Women’s Ashes warm-up fixture, North Sydney Oval

Governor General’s XI 183-8 (28.2 overs): Voll 57 (42), Ecclestone 3-27

England: did not bat

Match abandoned

England’s only warm-up match in preparation for the women’s Ashes was abandoned because of rain in Sydney.

Before the Australian Governor General XI’s innings was ended with a score of 183-8 from 28.2 overs, the match was reduced to 35 overs a side due to the weather.

In 28 overs, England’s revised target of 188 was then reached, but play at the North Sydney Oval was suspended.

However, Heather Knight, the captain, claimed at the toss that she preferred for her bowlers to get over their legs.

The seamers struggled for consistency as openers Alyssa Healy and Georgia Voll added 91 in 11.2 overs, with 21-year-old Voll impressing with 57 from 42 balls.

Leg-spinning all-rounder Wareham only made three as England’s spinners fought back after the sloppy start, and the pair and Georgia Wareham were the only players in the XI who were also in Australia’s Ashes squad.

On Sunday, the first one-day international will begin at 23:30 GMT on Saturday, with a more promising forecast for that match.

England is anxiously awaiting the fitness of seamer Kate Cross, who was not named in the side because she is still having back issues.

Cross was injured during the South African tour in December, which caused her to miss the Test series’ final match.

After Lauren Bell, Lauren Filer, and Nat Sciver-Brunt’s poor performance, captain Knight might have a headache after the formation of her seam attack without the skilled Cross.

Although Filer struggled with her run-up and delivery stride on a damp pitch, falling numerous times in her opening spell, the three managed to concede 98 runs in 112 wicketless overs.

Danielle Gibson, the all-rounder, only managed three overs for a respectable 14 runs before the spinners were once more tasked with rescuing the action.

Healy lbw sweeping for 38, Voll’s swift bowling, and Charli Knott were both bowled for 17 respectively, was done by Ecclestone.

Charlie Dean, a part-timer, bowled three overs, and Sarah Glenn, a leg-spinner, had only one more over. Both of her five overs contributed respectable numbers of 2-20.