Tammy Beaumont creates history with double century in Women's Ashes

Tammy Beaumont etched her name in the record books as she became the first Englishwoman to score a double century in Test cricket. Her outstanding innings of 208 against Australia in the first Ashes Test showcased her immense talent and batting prowess. Despite her remarkable achievement, Australia stamped their authority on the third day of the one-off Ashes Test, building a 92-run lead over England.

In the first innings at Trent Bridge, England was bowled out for 463, trailing Australia by a mere 10 runs. However, the Australian openers, Beth Mooney and Phoebe Litchfield, guided their team to a comfortable 82-0 by the end of the day's play.

Beaumont's extraordinary knock initially put England in a promising position. It was not only the first double century in the history of England women's cricket but also surpassed an 88-year-old record set by Betty Snowball in 1935, making it the highest individual score by an England woman. However, Australia's innings started with some loose bowling, easing the pressure on the visitors.

England began the day trailing Australia's first-innings total of 473 by 255 runs. Beaumont and Nat Sciver-Brunt dominated the morning session, forging a crucial third-wicket partnership of 137. Sciver-Brunt, with a stroke of luck overturning an lbw decision on the first ball of the day, went on to score a valuable 78. Danni Wyatt, making her Test debut, displayed aggression with a quickfire 44 off 49 balls, bringing England closer to Australia's total.

Unfortunately, Beaumont ran out of batting partners as England lost their last four wickets for a mere 15 runs. Spinner Ash Gardner took impressive figures of 4-99, while Tahlia McGrath claimed 3-24. England's new-ball bowling spell was sloppy, allowing Mooney and Litchfield to remain unbeaten at 41 and 33, respectively. The attendance at Trent Bridge reached 6,951 on that day, setting a record for a women's Test in England, with the aggregate attendance for the match totalling 17,149.

Despite Beaumont's brilliant performance, Australia's openers capitalized on a flat pitch, reminding England of the visitors' class. With a slender 10-run margin separating the teams after the first innings, the match hung in the balance. However, England's seamers offered scoring opportunities to Mooney and Litchfield with loose deliveries. England's aggressive approach has been evident throughout the match, but their inconsistent bowling and failure to capitalize on early wickets have allowed Australia to firmly establish their dominance.

As the game progresses, Beaumont remains confident and emphasizes the importance of the morning session and collective team effort. Australian all-rounder Ash Gardner acknowledges her team's upper hand, considering the challenges England might face while batting in the second innings. Former England spinner Alex Hartley expresses frustration over England's loss of momentum and urges the team to bounce back stronger in the upcoming days.

Despite Beaumont's historic innings, Australia's commanding position in the one-off Ashes Test has put England under immense pressure to stage a comeback. The match's remaining days will require a determined effort from England to challenge Australia's dominance.