Inexperienced Sutherland unfazed by last-day drama

If anyone thought 20-year-old Annabel Sutherland was overawed during Sunday's thrilling final hour of Australia's drawn Ashes Test in Canberra, they had better think again.

Playing just her second Test, Sutherland produced a brilliant six-over spell during the dramatic finale at Manuka Oval, taking three wickets and triggering an English collapse that saw the tourists lose 6-27 as well as the opportunity to take the lead in the points-based Ashes.

Working in tandem with debutant leg-spinner Alana King, Sutherland turned the tide against an England side that was cruising towards what would have been a world-record chase, giving Australia a chance to claim an unlikely victory before England No.11 Kate Cross safely saw out the final two overs.

"It was so much fun. There was no place I'd rather be than charging in and trying to do a job and almost get a win," Sutherland said on Tuesday.

"I feel like I've always wanted to take an opportunity when it's thrown at me.

"The nature of this Australian team is that it doesn't happen that often because of the depth we've got.

"Just being able to play that role and take the ball after Meg threw it at me, I feel like I've been ready to do that for the last year or so."

Sutherland's first breakthrough came after she was hit for back-to-back sixes by Sophia Dunkley, the first time consecutive maximums had been hit in a women's Test.

The Victorian assumed she would be pulled from the attack by skipper Meg Lanning, but instead she was instructed to bowl around the wicket.

The ploy paid off and her next over went for just one run, clawing back some of the momentum from England.

The first ball of Sutherland's next was smacked back down the ground by Natalie Sciver for four, before the second went wide down the leg side but was deemed a legal delivery.

Sciver gestured at the umpire in frustration, then responded by aggressively going after Sutherland's third delivery, but only managed to pull the ball directly to Lanning at square leg.

Her dismissal for 58 – which came with England needing just 39 runs from 46 balls – triggered the collapse, as Sutherland went on to remove Amy Jones and Katherine Brunt.

Western Australia’s King, a former Victorian who also played Premier Cricket with Sutherland at Prahran prior to her move to the west, claimed the wickets of Dunkley and Charlie Dean at the other end.

Lanning, vice-captain Rachael Haynes and allrounder Ellyse Perry had joined Sutherland in conference between almost every delivery, helping the young quick navigate the biggest challenge of her career to date.

"We were talking about the length I was bowling each ball," Sutherland said.

"We really just wanted to get it right given we'd fought so hard to get back in the game.

"It was really cool to have Pez (Perry) there next to me, she was really good in keeping me calm and focusing on what I needed to do."

The drawn Test means Australia go into the three-game ODI series with a 6-4 advantage and needing only one win to retain the Ashes.

England, meanwhile, must win all three one-dayers to claim back the trophy they lost in 2015.

Sutherland expects England to come out hard at Australia, as they did in their fourth-innings chase in the Test match, but said it would not change the hosts' approach.

"We've had a lot of success in one-day cricket over the last few years," she said.

"We're pretty confident in our cricket to get the job done.

"We've got two rest days which is good and I think everyone will enjoy these couple of days before we head in to the one-dayers."

Commonwealth Bank Women's Ashes v England

Australia Ashes squad: Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Stella Campbell, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes (vc), Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Meg Lanning (c), Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland

England Ashes squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver (vc), Anya Shrubsole, Mady Villiers, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt

Australia lead the multi-format series 6-4

Jan 20: Australia won by nine wickets

Jan 22: No Result

Jan 23: Match Abandoned without a ball bowled

Jan 27-30: Match Drawn

Feb 3: First ODI, Manuka Oval (D/N), 2.10pm AEDT

Feb 6: Second ODI, Junction Oval, 10.05am AEDT

Feb 8: Third ODI, Junction Oval, 10.05am AEDT