Alice Capsey and Paige Scholfield hit hundreds to put England A in a dominant position against Australia A at the unofficial “Test match” at the Cricket Central in Sydney.
After taking four wickets on the opening day of the “Test”, Izzy Wong claimed a fifth on the second morning to bowl out Australia A for 343 after Charli Knott won the toss and opted to bat. For the hosts, Rachel Trenaman top-scored with 77, while fifties came from Knott (52), Nicole Faltum (52), and Sianna Ginger (54).
Tess Flintoff then took out Mady Villers, while Lauren Cheatle clean bowled Hollie Armitage and Grace Scrivens to leave England A reeling at 34-3. At this point Scholfield joined Capsey, and the pair put on 210 for the fourth wicket, the first double-hundred stand for England A in women’s first-class cricket.
In fact, this was also the second-highest partnership for any wicket against a representative Australian side: Molly Hide and Myrtle Maclagan had added 224 for the second wicket for the South (of England) against the touring Australians of 1937, at Hove.
This is also the fifth-highest stand for the fourth wicket in the format and the highest for any English side.
Both Capsey and Scholfield have represented the country in white-ball cricket – Capsey in 23 ODIs and 38 T20Is, and Scholfield in 3 ODIs and 2 T20Is, but are uncapped in Test cricket.
Highest fourth-wicket partnerships in women’s first-class cricket
| Stand | Batters | Team | Opposition | Venue | Season |
| 253 | Karen Rolton, Louise Broadfoot | Australia | England | Leeds | 2001 |
| 249 | Karen Rolton, Michelle Goszko | Australia | England A | Sittingbourne | 1998 |
| 222 | Denise Annetts, Lyn Larsen | Australia | England | Sydney | 1991/92 |
| 220 | Joanne Broadbent, Mel Jones | Australia | England | Guildford | 1998 |
| 212* | Hazel Buck, Liz Amos | Australia | Midlands | Bournville | 1993 |
| 210 | Alice Capsey, Paige Scholfield | England A | Australia A | Sydney | 2024/25 |
After Maitlan Brown trapped Capsey LBW for 108, Scholfield continued in the company of Jodi Grewcock. At stumps on day two, England A were 317-4, trailing by 26 runs with Scholfield (138*) and Grewcock (29*) at the crease.
