Australia got off to a strong start in the final session of day one after bowling out England for 170
Match Report: Australia Women win by an innings and 122 runs
ScorecardKing's rule: Spinner puts Aussies in front on day one
Alana King put England in a spin to hand Australia the upper hand despite an injury concern to Ellyse Perry on day one of the day-night Ashes Test at the MCG.
The Victorian-born leg-spinner put on a masterclass from the Shane Warne end, taking a career-best 4-45 as England were bowled out for 170 despite a stubborn 51 from Natalie Sciver-Brunt.
Australia's innings started during the tricky period under lights, but England only managed to make one breakthrough, with debutant Georgia Voll edging Lauren Bell behind for 12, as Phoebe Litchfield (20no) and Annabel Sutherland (24no) saw the hosts through to 1-56 at stumps.
Perry was the major concern for Australia on a day where the 90th anniversary of women's Test cricket was celebrated by an 11,643-strong crowd.
The veteran allrounder landed awkwardly while diving to cut off a boundary before the dinner break, leaving the field and not returning for the remainder of the day. Sutherland came out to bat in her place at No.3, with Perry to be assessed ahead of day two.
King was the series' leading wicket taker coming into the sole Ashes Test and she carried on that form with the pink ball, as Australia's quest for an unprecedented multi-format Ashes clean sweep got off to a promising start.
After early strikes to Kim Garth and Darcie Brown reduced England to 3-64 at tea, King fittingly produced a masterful spell of leg-spin from the Shane Warne end to tear through the tourists' middle order.
Sophia Dunkley survived a missed stumping opportunity on 16, but added just five more runs to her total before King held onto a return chance, breaking the newly recalled No.5's 48-run stand with Sciver-Brunt.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge (22) was next to fall, courtesy of a brilliant diving catch from Phoebe Litchfield at silly point, and Sophie Ecclestone lasted just seven balls before hitting King directly to Garth at short extra cover.
Litchfield latches onto a blinder 🤩@hcltech #PlayoftheDay #Ashes pic.twitter.com/69RmS139aJ
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 30, 2025
In between, off-spinner Ashleigh Gardner bowled Amy Jones (3) as England lost 3-15 in the 10 overs before the dinner break.
King almost had a fourth when Alyssa Healy looked to have held onto a low edge from Sciver-Brunt, on 44 at that time, at first slip.
But Healy appeared uncertain and after the umpires went upstairs to check for the clean catch, replays showed her fingers were not underneath the ball.
Sciver-Brunt went on to bring up a 121-ball half-century, but King ultimately got the better of the England vice-captain, bowling her for 51 – the fifth time in seven innings this tour she has been dismissed in that fashion.
An underwhelming innings ends in a disappointing fashion
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 30, 2025
England are all out for 170 #Ashes pic.twitter.com/W4zzjyLuwQ
Another dropped chance, this time from Mooney, denied King her fifth, with a diabolical run out ending England's innings on 170 in 71.4 overs after a dogged final-wicket stand between Ryana MacDonald-Gay and Lauren Bell that lasted 8.1 overs, ensuring Australia's openers would have to commence their innings under lights.
Earlier, Healy's troublesome right foot was passed fit for the four-day Test, and Belinda Clark capped 21-year-old Voll in Baggy Green as women's Test cricket returned to the MCG for the first time since 1949.
Wearing the late, great Betty Wilson's captain's blazer, Healy put England into the field and Garth immediately struck with pink ball in hand, drawing the outside edge of Maia Bouchier's bat and Beth Mooney took an excellent catch diving in front of first slip.
It meant the embattled opener was walking back to the pavilion for two, continuing a torrid run after six innings this series where Bouchier's highest score has been 17 – on the fourth ball of the match.
Tammy Beaumont (8) was England's double-century scoring hero at Trent Bridge in 2023, but hopes she could revive her team with more of the same were dashed when she was trapped on the pads by Brown in the eighth over, leaving England 2-23.
Garth, swapped ends when she came on for her second spell and produced a superb six overs including three maidens as she claimed the key wicket of Heather Knight, lbw for 25.
With England heading into the 30-minute tea break 3-64, the first session belonged to Australia, setting the scene for King to spin a web through the tourist's middle-order as the shadows grew longer across the MCG.
England are desperate to avoid an unprecedented multi-series Ashes clean sweep after losing the three ODIs and three Twenty20s.
Commbank Women's Ashes 2025
Australia lead the multi-format series 12-0
First ODI: Australia won by four wickets
Second ODI: Australia won by 21 runs
Third ODI: Australia won by 86 runs
First T20I: Australia won by 57 runs
Second T20I: Australia won by six runs (DLS Method)
Third T20I: Australia won by 72 runs
Australia squad (ODI/T20Is): Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris+, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (vc), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham
England squad (ODI/T20Is): Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross*, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson+, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath+, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp+, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith+, Danni Wyatt-Hodge
* ODIs only; + T20Is only
Day-night Test: January 30 - February 2: MCG, Melbourne, 2.30pm AEDT
Australia Test squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (vc), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham
England Test squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge
The rivalry resumes with a blockbuster series in Australia until Feb 2. Learn about the remarkable 90-year history at the Women's Ashes Hub