Sthalekar Puts Australia Back In Front In Bowral
Lisa Sthalekar: 95 not out added to three wickets for Australia.
©Action Images / Stuart Crump
244 (Edwards 94, C Taylor 79, Sthalekar 3-48) v
Australia Women 154 (Guha 5-40) & 195-4 (Sthalekar 95no, Guha 3-51)
Lisa Sthalekar followed up taking three wickets in England's first innings with an unbeaten 95 as Australia's Women took the lead on day three of the Ashes Test in Bowral.
After England were bowled out for 244, Australia closed on 195 for four, a lead of 105 runs with one day left of play.
England's lower order was swiftly dismissed in the morning, only adding 22 runs to their overnight 222 for seven, Shelley Nitschke, Kirsten Pike and Emma Sampson taking a wicket apiece.
That left England 90 ahead and they quickly made inroads into Australia's batting as Isa Guha, who took five for 40 in the first innings, took the wickets of top three players Alex Blackwell (24), Melissa Bulow (two) and captain Karen Rolton (four) to leave the home side on 34 for three.
Australia were indebted to a 107-run partnership between Sthalekar and Shelley Nitschke (36) and by the close, the partnership between Kate Blackwell, who remained unbeaten on 27, and Sthalekar, had grown to 54.
Although England need only to draw to retain the Ashes, the game remains very much in the balance.
© Cricket World 2008
