The Australian media have made much of another England team facing theirdominant sports-stars this week

ECB Media Release15-Feb-2003The Australian media have made much of another England team facing theirdominant sports-stars this week. England’s veteran bowler, Clare Taylor,warned, that although Australia’s recent record in Test matches wasimpressive, “Underdogs can cause upsets as football fans saw this week”.Knowing they were expected to be the next England team to succumb, thevisitors made a solid, if slow, start to their Test match innings at TheGabba today. Openers Sarah Collyer and Kathryn Leng reached an openingstand of 53 before Collyer was caught by Rolton from the ever impressivebowling of the world’s leading wickettaker Cathryn Fitzpatrick.Fitzpatrick produced a fiery opening spell and contained the Englishopeners, returning figures of 0-9 from her initial twelve over spell. ButTerese McGregor was expensive, going for 23 in her six overs, includingconsecutive boundaries from Collyer who pulled and drove the Australianseamer.Australia Captain, Belinda Clark, won the toss and elected to bat. It beganto look as though another decision at The Gabba to send the opposition in toopen their Ashes account would prove ill founded as the home side went tolunch wicket-less.But the interval broke England’s momentum, and they slumped to 75-5 in thesubsequent twenty overs. Having survived the pace and venom of Fitzpatrick,and begun to look in control, England’s top order relented to the gentlerpace of Karen Rolton. Rolton is better known for inflicting torment on theEngland bowling attack, but she managed to find good movement for her threewickets.Fitzpatrick admitted after the game “we were confident that when one wicketfell we would be able to pick up the rest, and we didn’t have any pressurefrom the scoreboard”.Adam Dale, former Australia One-Day and Queensland bowler advisedFitzpatrick not to get carried away with the extra bounce on offer at TheGabba and be patient, and she admitted that the advice was gratefullyreceived, and executed.Rolton had Kathryn Leng trapped lbw on 26 and in her next over accounted forArran Thompson in the same way. Leng was unfortunate to be given, as wasCharlotte Edward’s in the over between, also given lbw to Emma Twining.Lydia Greenway, making her England debut, was caught by a spectacular divingcatch from Melanie Jones at short cover, just as she began to score runs.With a slow outfield and a long boundary, fours were always a premium, butEngland’s running between wickets was sharp when they could dispatch theball.The collapse brought the more experienced pair of Claire Taylor and EnglandCaptain, Clare Connor to the wicket. Taylor has resumed wicket keeping dutyfor England in this Test Series following a stress facture to MandieGodliman’s foot, and England welcomed her experience in the middle of theinnings.The last time Taylor faced Australia in a Test match, she reached 137 atHeadingley. Today, although she looked composed and was timing the ball aswell as she has for England this winter, she managed just 14, caught by asuperb diving catch from ‘keeper Price in front of second slip.Laura Harper, who had an average of 26 against Australia in the last AshesSeries provided some resistance at the tail, reaching 20 not out with LucyPearson playing intelligently to assist the teenager.Australia regained the upper hand in the second and third sessions of theday and improved bowling and exceptional fielding saw England finish on124-9.The tourists will need to sharpen their teeth if they are to leave anyimprint on this Ashes Series.