On This Day in Cricket: The Women’s Ashes Test That Ended in a Heart-Stopping Draw

In 2022, after a one-sided men’s Ashes series, the spotlight shifted to Canberra, where women’s cricket delivered one of the most gripping Test matches the format has ever witnessed. Although the scorecard recorded it as a draw, the contest felt like a resounding victory for the game itself and for women’s Test cricket.

Australia and England produced a stone-cold classic in the only Test of the Women’s Ashes 2022 , a match where records tumbled, nerves frayed, and the outcome remained uncertain until the final over. England’s target of 257 looked ambitious, yet what followed was a fourth-innings chase that rewrote the history books.

England piled up 244, the highest fourth-innings total in women’s Test cricket and still fell just 13 runs short. With three overs remaining, they needed 17 runs with three wickets in hand. Then came legspinner Alana King, whose double strike off successive balls plunged England to nine down and pushed Australia to the brink of victory.

Cricket, however, had one final twist in store. Tailenders Kate Cross and Sophie Ecclestone held their nerve, surviving not only Annabel Sutherland’s probing final spell but also King’s last over, to secure a dramatic draw that felt anything but anticlimactic.

Earlier in the match, Australia had gone on the offensive under captain Meg Lanning, who struck a fluent 93 in the first innings. Lanning twice declared aggressively, prioritising a result over safety - a bold call that nearly paid rich dividends. Australia’s intent to force a win was evident from the outset, lifting the intensity and quality of the Australia vs England Women’s Ashes contest.

For England, the backbone of resistance was Heather Knight. Her monumental 168 in the first innings, spanning over seven hours, was a masterclass in Test batting, patient, resolute, and authoritative. She followed it up with a crucial 48 in the fourth innings, anchoring the chase as wickets tumbled around her. Knight was a unanimous choice for Player of the Match.

Australia’s young all-rounder Annabel Sutherland was equally influential, finishing the Test with five wickets and bowling with relentless discipline during the tense closing stages.

This Women’s Ashes Test was not merely a draw; it was a powerful statement. It showcased the tactical depth, endurance, and drama that define women’s Test cricket, silencing any lingering doubts about its relevance. On that unforgettable day in 2022, the Women’s Ashes didn’t just rival the men’s series - it eclipsed it.