England's Women retain the Ashes

England's women retained the Ashes with a six-wicket victory over Australia in the one-off Test in Bowral. Congratulations!

Australia started the fourth and final day on 195-4, a lead of 105, but Isa Guha took 4-60 and the hosts declared on 231-9 to set England 142 to win.
England reached their target for the loss of four wickets, with Claire Taylor 64 not out and captain Charlotte Edwards hitting the winning runs.

"I'm delighted. To win in Australia is a fantastic feeling," said Edwards after the match.
"We had always said we would come out here and aim to win this match in order to retain the Ashes and that's what we did. I'm so proud of all my players. We have played some fantastic cricket over these past four days to continually have the upper hand over Australia and to pull through and secure victory was a great effort. It was comfortable in the end, but it was a really hard battle. I am just delighted we have managed to win in Australia. It's the hardest pace to win in cricket and it shows the strength in depth we have got, especially with two 18-year-olds in the side. I haven't won a toss all tour and I think it was a turning point. You need that kind of luck sometimes."

Isa Guha (left) was named player of the match after taking 9-100 in Australia's two innings.
She said: "It was brilliant to be playing at the Bradman Oval and it was an extra special win because we knew that people were saying we had only come out for the draw as that would have been enough to retain the Ashes. But we always knew that we were playing for a win and it's great to be part of such a special occasion."

Seam bowler Guha started very well right from day one, when she took 5-40. Australia were bowled out for just 154 after having been put in by England captain Charlotte Edwards, who had won the toss. England was, however, weakened by the unexpected absence of key all-rounder Jenny Gunn, who had failed a fitness test shortly before the match. (Maybe Jenny was working too hard on her blog, which I recommend to everyone. And I hope she will be fit again to play in the upcoming matches in New Zealand). Isa Guha's figures were her best in a Test and she was well supported by Nicky Shaw, who claimed 2-18 from 19 overs.
England needed a solid start in reply and openers Caroline Atkins and Beth Morgan provided it, surviving 15 overs to see the team to 22-0 at stumps.

A record stand from captain Charlotte Edwards (right) and Claire Taylor kept England in a healthy position over Australia on day two. Edwards (94) and Taylor (79) put on 159 for the third wicket, as England reached stumps on 222-7.
Their partnership surpassed England's previous record for a third wicket stand against Australia, the 137 put on by Rachael Heyhoe-Flint and Edna Barker in 1968-69.
England had resumed on 22-0, but then collapsed from 216-4 in the final session, giving the Australians some hope.

On the third day England's women looked to be on course for a draw, to retain the Ashes despite letting Australia recover from 33-3 to 195-4, a lead of 105.
Seamer Isa Guha trapped Melissa Bulow and Australia's captain Karen Rolton lbw, and bowled Alex Blackwell in between.
The excellent Lisa Sthalekar (98 no) added 107 with Shelley Nitschke (36) and 54 unbroken with Kate Blackwell to lift the hosts. However, despite their best efforts, the Aussies could not prevent England winning the match outright, and thus retaining the Women's Ashes.

AUS: 1st innings: 154 (81.5 overs) / 2nd innings: 231-9 (93.0 overs)
ENG: 1st innings: 244 (141.4 overs) / 2nd innings: 144-4 (44.3 overs)

Adam Gilchrist announces Retirement

Australia's wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist has announced his retirement from professional Cricket. He will end his Test career after the current match against India in Adelaide, and his one-day international career after next month's triangular series against India and Sri Lanka.

The 36-year-old chose Australia Day for his announcement, which came as a surprise for most, as only last week he stated in an interview the intention to carry on playing for his country.
And only yesterday Adam Gilchrist became the record holder for most Test dismissals by a wicketkeeper, when he claimed his 414th victim and moved ahead of South Africa's Mark Boucher. But it is not clear if this achievement had any influence on his decision.

With 96 Test matches Gilchrist is an Australian veteran and scored 17 Test centuries. His finest hour was probably last year, when he hit a brilliant 149 (off 104 balls) against Sri Lanka, to guide Australia to a third successive World Cup.

England's Women frustrated over short Ashes tour

England's women captain Charlotte Edwards is frustrated that their Ashes defence will be decided by just a single Test in Australia next month. England's women won their Ashes over two Tests at home in 2005, but there is now only room for one Test on the upcoming tour.

"It's frustrating. We'd have preferred a two or three-match series, but it can't be," Edwards said in an interview with the BBC. "If it rains then it could be even more frustrating, but we won't go looking for a draw. May the best team win."

The England team has now arrived in Australia, knowing they face a tough task against opponents that are the top-ranked side in the women's game. But 28-year-old captain Edwards is confident the memories of 2005 will help lift England's performance.
"We are going out there as underdogs," she admitted. "It's a massive challenge for us, as Australia have been the most consistent team in the world for the last ten years. But the 2005 win made Cricketing history and is something that I will never forget."

England will play a Twenty20 match and five one-day internationals against Australia prior to the Ashes Test, which starts at the Bradman Oval in Bowral on February 15th. Afterwards they will head off for more one-day matches in New Zealand.

Well done, India!

Congratulations to India on winning the third Test of the current series against Australia at the WACA by 72 runs. Especially as no overseas team, barring legendary Caribbean sides, has won in Perth since 1985-86.

Given what happened in Sydney a fortnight ago, India's convincing victory will surely go down as one of their finest Test wins.
An entertaining ninth-wicket partnership between Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark gave a 16,000-strong crowd plenty of merriment, but it proved to have only nuisance value, as India ended Australia's stunning 16-match winning streak.

This shows that - after coming out of the quagmire of controversy off the field - the greatest game in the world is still capable of producing great and fair sport with brilliant results.

As Australia won the first two Tests in Melbourne and Sidney, India still needs to win the fourth, which starts on the 24th in Adelaide, to square the series. I hope they will and wish them luck.

IND: 1st innings: 330 (98.2 overs) / 2nd innings: 294 (80.4 overs)
AUS: 1st innings: 212 (50.0 overs) / 2nd innings: 340 (86.5 overs)