Women’s Ashes: England’s Tammy Beaumont makes history with double century but Australia in control after day three

Tammy Beaumont made history by becoming the first England player to make a double century, but Australia lead by 92 runs after day three of the Ashes at Trent Bridge.

Beaumont’s opener of 208 smashed a record which had stood for 88 years when Betty Snowball scored 189 against New Zealand at Christchurch in 1935.

Beaumont’s score is England women’s highest in any format. She also becomes just the eighth woman in the history of the game to make a Test double hundred.

She was eventually bowled by Ash Gardner having faced 331 balls and was congratulated by every member of the Australian side.

“I guess I just had a day out. Even on that review I was really confident. What a day,” Beaumont told TMS.

“I wasn’t aware of that milestone, that’s why I didn’t want to celebrate it and we still needed runs. It’s a great accolade to have but for me it was about getting as close to the Aussies score as possible.

“To do it in an England, it is pretty special, the highest score I have in an England shirt against the best team in the world and I hope it goes down in the books.”

England started the day 255 runs behind but chipped away at the total as Beaumont and Nat Sciver-Brunt added a third-wicket partnership of 137.

Sciver-Brunt added 78 and Danni Wyatt made 44 before England lost four wickets for 15 runs.

Tahlia McGrath removed Kate Cross (0) after facing just two balls, only minutes after removing Sophie Ecclestone (17) and Lauren Filer (11), the latter caught by Alyssa Healy, as England were all out for 463 – and trailing by 10 runs.

In response, the opening partnership of left handers Beth Mooney and Test debutant Phoebe Litchfield made 82 – at a run rate of over 5 an over – without loss as England were made to pay for some wayward bowling.

Australia’s all-rounder Gardner believes the visitors have the upper hand heading into day four.

“I’d say we have the upper hand just a little bit,” Gardner told TMS. “I think in the second innings for the English girls it’s going to be pretty hard to bat on.

“We’ve seen the odd ball stay pretty low which is kind of what we expect in a Test match wicket. I think for us the key is to play nice and straight and look to get on the front foot.

“It’s going to be interesting. There is so much time left in the game. 180 overs is a very long time. We’re thinking small at the moment and not thinking about the result just yet.”