By Carol Salmon at Harrogate
AUSTRALIA took charge of the second Test after passing the 300 mark and then subjecting England's openers to a tricky final half-hour.
The tactics almost worked when Charlotte Edwards got an edge to a delivery from fast bowler Cathryn Fitz- patrick but Lisa Keightley spilled the chance in the slips. Edwards and her fellow opener, Janette Brittin, survived until stumps.
Australia had declared at 306 for three in 92.3 overs. Belinda Clark and Keightley feasted on some wayward contributions from strike bowlers Clare Taylor and Lucy Pearson as well as spinner Kathryn Leng.
However, Clark should have been stumped in Melissa Reynard's first over and was almost run out a few balls later after brilliant fielding by Barbara Daniels.
It was leg-spinner Edwards who finally made the breakthrough. With the score on 125, Clark drove straight to Karen Smithies at short mid-off.
Five runs later Keightley smashed a short one to Leng at midwicket which gave Edwards two wickets in three overs. The 19-year-old finished an impressive 10-over spell with two for 15 and included five maidens.
The advent of Karen Rolton saw the scoring rate soar as the left-hander from Adelaide took only 74 deliveries to reach her fifty with 11 boundaries.
Rolton raced to 82 with five more fours before slogging a Pearson delivery to be caught at mid-on.
Pearson and Taylor took the new ball but it dis- appeared for 59 runs in the first 10 overs as they failed to find line or length.
Day 2: Brittin at her best as career concludes
By Carol Salmon at Harrogate
A SECOND century in succession from opener Janette Brittin steered England into safe waters but it is difficult to see them going on to win the second Test against Australia here.
Their 282 for five came from 116 overs and this was not fast enough to exert any pressure on Australia in the second innings.
The first two sessions offered much promise as England matched if not bettered Australia's early progress. In fact, the new ball was taken at an identical score, 220.
But while Australia raced away to a declaration at 306 for three, England lost their way.
This does not detract from another fine innings from the 39-year-old Brittin, who is bringing the curtain down on a distinguished career in spectacular fashion.
Now the all-time highest scorer in women's Test cricket, Brittin improved her individual best from the 146 scored at Guildford earlier this month.
Her century came up in 230 minutes with 11 boundaries and at stumps, Brittin was on 148 not out from 356 balls.
Brittin and Charlotte Edwards produced their second century opening stand in a row, this time 103 in 127 minutes from 251 balls.
Edwards, having seemingly recovered from a knee injury which required mid-pitch treatment, then needlessly ran herself out.
A firm shot to cover fielder Belinda Clark was met with an equally firm return throw and Edwards, on 48, was dismissed.
Australia, who were convinced speedster Cathryn Fitzpatrick had trapped Brittin in front early in the morning session, stuck to their task on a blustery and distinctly chilly day.
They were a bowler short when Charmaine Mason departed with a groin injury and this meant long spells for Bronwyn Calver and Fitzpatrick.
Day 3: Australian spirits dampened by rain
By Carol Salmon at Harrogate
THE rain which washed out play after tea on the third day of the women's Test between England and Australia almost certainly put paid to any hopes of achieving a positive result.
By that stage, Australia had wiped out the modest first-innings deficit by reaching 123 for one in 42 overs.
England showed little urgency with the bat in taking their overnight 282 for five to 326 for eight before declaring.
Home opener Janette Brittin pushed her score of 148 not out at the start on to 167 before she slashed a wide delivery to Karen Rolton in the gully.
Brittin's innings lasted over seven hours, contained 17 boundaries and took her Test aggregate to 372 in three innings against the tourists.
Cathryn Fitzpatrick, who had earlier caught and bowled Kathryn Leng, deserved her reward for a long and sustained spell of fast bowling. The 30-year-old from Victoria wrapped up her best Test figures of four for 91 by having Melissa Reynard caught at first slip.
Australian openers Belinda Clark and Lisa Keightley then savaged anything loose, hammering 19 boundaries in a stand of 95.
Left-arm spinner Clare Conner pegged things back by taking Clark's wicket with a full toss and then bowled five maidens in a row.
Day 4: England hopes are washed out
By Carol Salmon at Harrogate
Final day of four: England (326-8d and 64-0) drew with Australia (306-3d and 303-5d)
THE rain had the final say as England's attempt to reach an unlikely target of 284 from 43 overs for victory in the second Women's Test against Australia came to nothing.
After Australia declared at 303 for five, openers Charlotte Edwards and Kathryn Leng rattled the score along at more than four an over.
Edwards's unbeaten 42 contained eight boundaries and she was particularly severe on anything short dished up by Australia's pace bowler Cathryn Fitzpatrick.
Having played through numerous showers, however, one final heavy downpour just before 5pm made the surface too treacherous to continue.
Janette Brittin was unable to take her normal place as Edwards' opening partner because the finger she broke during the one-day international at Hove has become infected.
Earlier, Australia did not apply undue pressure on the England bowlers, taking 61 overs to add 180 before declaring for an early tea.
Opener Lisa Keightley top-scored with 90 from 191 deliveries with 12 boundaries to become the first Australian to pass 600 tour runs. The side's most powerful hitter, the South Australian left-hander Karen Rolton, used up 111 balls to reach 65 not out.
England, meanwhile, have named a largely unchanged squad for the third and final Test against Australia which starts in Worcester on Aug 21. It has been reduced to 13 players due to the unavailability of Yorkshire's Sue Metcalfe.
ENGLAND: K Smithies (capt), J Brittin, J Cassar, S Collyer, C Connor, B Daniels, C Edwards, K Leng, L Pearson, S Redfern, M Reynard, C Taylor, K Winks.