England and Australia played out a nailbiting draw at Manuka Oval, after both sides threatened to orchestrate miraculous victories in a gripping final hour of their Women's Ashes Test.
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The visitors were on track to chase down the 257 runs from 48 overs required for victory, before a late collapse sparked by Australian youngster Annabel Sutherland left them desperately clinging to survival in the final two overs with just one wicket in hand.
Kate Cross saw off leg-spinning debutant Alana King's final over, including the last delivery where every Australian fielder crowded around the bat.
In the end the gap between the teams was only 11 runs, and while England's Ashes bid is still alive, it now must win all three one-day internationals to win the series.
After losing two sessions to rain on Saturday, Australia resumed on the final morning at 2-12 and batted with intent before captain Meg Lanning declared at 7-216 midway through the second session, leaving the visitors needing 257 runs for an unlikely win.
"I feel like we might have got away with one a little bit there, but still we were in a pretty good position to win - I'm still not sure what to make of it," Lanning said.
Beth Mooney's 63 underpinned Australia's second innings, just 12 days after she had surgery to fix the jaw she'd broken in two places.
But her crowning moment came later in the day when she dove in the deep, with no regard for the recently acquired metal in her jaw, to catch Sophia Dunkley whose inventive 45 off 32 balls had brought England to the brink of victory.
England captain Heather Knight (48) and Nat Sciver (58) accelerated the visitors to 2-166 before 18-year-old Darcie Brown removed the skipper LBW.
Australian quick Annabel Sutherland (3-69) then took control of the Australian fightback, stemming the flow of runs after taking Sciver's wicket, and then removing Amy Jones and Katherine Brunt.
Yet while wickets continued to tumble, England kept pushing until Anya Shrubsole was run out at the bowler's end for six, trying to pinch a quick single.
Then it was Australia's turn to push for the win, and when King had debutant Charlie Dean caught by Alyssa Healy with two overs remaining, Lanning's team assumed favouritism.
Number 11 Kate Cross coolly blocked out the final two overs, and the match finished with the result that had looked most likely when play began on Sunday morning.
"When Sciver and Dunkley, even when Knight was in it looked pretty easy," Lanning said.
"It was just like a one-day game you think about getting to a point in a one-day game where you need six an over and you'd back yourself every day of the week. I was certainly concerned there for a little while."
England fight on in this fascinating Ashes series, and will take plenty from this match despite failing to secure what, for about an hour, looked like a certain Test victory against Lanning's side.
Manuka's relatively new head groundsman Tom Fahey and his team should take a bow after producing a superb cricket wicket.
Australia and England players were both glowingly complementary of the playing strip, which held up superbly through four days, offering plenty for quick bowlers and the spinners.
This was also the fastest-scoring Test in women's history at well over three runs per over.
Australia scored freely to reach 9-(dec)-337 in its first innings after being sent in on day one before lionhearted England captain Knight dragged her side back from the brink with a record-breaking 168 not out.
Rain looked to have washed away any chance of a result before both sides almost pulled off a Manuka miracle.
The two teams return to Manuka Oval on Thursday for the first of three one-dayers to close out the Ashes. The final two will be played in Melbourne.
James Buckley
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
James is a Queanbeyan boy enjoying his second stint at the Canberra Times, more than eight years on from his first. In between he's traveled the world, and spent time covering sport in Sydney.
