Kate Laven
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1st Women's Test: England Women v Australia Women at Shenley, 24-27 Jun 2001 Kate Laven |
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England Women 2nd innings:
Australia Women 1st innings: |
But before she could go on to take Kirsty Flavell's record (set in 1996 for New Zealand at Scarborough), Gozko, who remarkably was making her Test debut, was adjudged leg before by umpire Neil Mallender as she tried to work the ball down the leg side.
After a stay at the crease that lasted a marathon six hours and 35 minutes, the skilled right-hander, who has played 10 One-Day Internationals for her country, received a standing ovation from her colleagues and the small Shenley crowd who had sat all day under blue skies and a searing hot sun watching her stroke ball after ball to the boundary.
She arrived at the crease yesterday, with the score on 21 for two in the fifth over of the innings and departed on the first ball of the 116th over, when Australia had reached 344.
"I was pretty happy with it though what I have done has not really sunk in yet," said the 23-year-old, who plays her cricket at the same Sydney club as Steve and Mark Waugh.
"I didn't actually know what the record was but Charmaine Mason was out there batting with me and she told me so I was pretty ecstatic. I equalled it so that's fine with me.
"It would have been nice to beat it and it would have been nice to get 350 but it sets up a nice stepping stone for the rest of the series.
"I did not even know I would be playing in this Test so I am pleased I made it to 200. I was in control of what I was trying to do from the start though there were a few lapses in concentrations and England bowled pretty well.
"I got a bit tired running between the wickets towards the end but the other girls kept me going and I was just keen to get the total to around 350 and was concentrating on that. It was a dream for me to be batting out there."
Goszko was reluctant to leave the crease when she was finally given out.
"Batsmen never agree with umpires decisions when they are lbw but you just accept that decision and leave," she said.
Australia lost their last four wickets for 62 runs with England skipper Clare Connor accounting for two to finish with figures of 5-65 from 28 overs, having earlier taken two wickets in two balls.
By the end of Australia's innings, their lead over England was 241 and that was reduced by eight runs at stumps though opener Caroline Atkins perished on the last ball of the first over of the innings when she was leg before to Olivia Magno for a duck.
Reaching 132, Goszko, who comes from the same region in Sydney as Australia captain Steve Waugh and brother Mark, passed the previous highest score made by a debutant anywhere in the world. Her fellow Australian Melanie Jones made 131 at Guildford in 1998.
Her five hour innings placed Australia in a commanding position, their lead over England extending to 152 at tea on the second day. They lost three wickets in the afternoon session including two in two balls to skipper Clare Connor.
Louise Broadfoot (24) chipped the ball to square leg where Lucy Pearson took a dolly of a catch and with the next delivery, Julie Price was trapped leg before. It was the last ball of the over and hat-trick tension lasted until she delivered her first ball of her next over, which was successfully blocked by Olivia Magno.
Magno went on to make just four runs before being caught at cover off Dawn Holden's spin bowling with the score 216 for six.
Goszko's century came up with a paddle through mid wicket. It was reached in 202 balls, 12 of which were struck powerfully to the boundary. She added another 42 before she made her first mistake of the innings, but Clare Taylor at first slip saw the ball pop up and right through her hands to give Goszko her reprieve.
At tea, Australia were 255 for three with new batsman Therese McGregor 13 not out.
The talented right-hander, resumed on 21 and produced a series of powerful straight drives to reach an entertaining 50 in 100 balls.
Playing in her first Test match, the 23-year-old had moved onto 78 by lunch and looked set for a century, her innings of eight boundaries untroubled by England's bowlers or any near misses in the field.
Lisa Keightley survived one near miss when Lucy Pearson, fielding backward of square made a poor return to the bowler’s end which will have run out the batsman for 34 with the score 110 for two.
But Keightley was unable to make the error pay and after adding another two runs, she drove loftily to mid-off and was safely caught by Arran Thompson off skipper Clare Connor's bowling.
By then Australia were 128 for three, and the stylish Keightley, who is ranked third in the world for the highest individual score in an ODI had added 107 for the third wicket with Goszko. She faced 119 balls and scored four boundaries.
Connor called up her spinner Laura Harper in the 11th over of the morning but the 17-year-old proved expensive, her three overs yielding 17 runs. Her spinning partner Dawn Holden was more economical, 30 runs coming off her 12 overs.
The captain was England's only bowler to go to lunch with a wicket in the bag but she will be demanding more from her attack during an arduous and hot afternoon session as they try and limit the run scoring with Australia already 50 runs ahead.
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 25 Jun2001 - 22:26