In a four-day Test match where rain played a part for a significant part, it was remarkable that with a few minutes left in it all four results were possible.
In the end, Australia and England played out a stunning Test draw at Manuka Oval, aided by Meg Lanning’s sporting declaration and Heather Knight and Co going after an improbable win.
Finally, when an England win seemed most likely, a remarkable fightback with the ball by the hosts in the dying overs meant Australia had the best chance to clinch the Ashes.
No winner, no loser, but a match for the ages.
Lanning and Australia tempted England, declaring at 7-216 to set them a record target of 257 from 48 overs to win the one-off Test. But needing 5.35 an over, England went after the target, and with Knight and Nat Sciver in great form, looked on track to pull off the greatest chase in the history of the game.
Read the full match report here.
When the legendary Lisa Sthalekar says this is the greatest Test match that she was lucky enough to be involved in, it tells you a little about it.
Here are some reactions to the epic draw:
The greatest Test match that I have been luckily enough to be involved in. Thank you @englandcricket @ @AusWomenCricket for playing such an entertaining game. Now for 5 day Test please
— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) January 30, 2022
🗣️ "I still don't quite know what happened in that last hour!"
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 30, 2022
Meg Lanning chats with @Holly_Ferling #Ashes pic.twitter.com/7DzKLhuGN7
1️⃣6️⃣8️⃣* first innings
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 30, 2022
4️⃣8️⃣ second innings
An absolutely stunning performance from our captain this Test match 👏 #Ashes | #AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/ffryyhkvwB
Darcie Brown and Alana King sum up an incredible Test match!#Ashes pic.twitter.com/aUx3nQknnx
— Australian Women's Cricket Team 🏏 (@AusWomenCricket) January 30, 2022
Test cricket at it’s best 🤍
— Kate Cross (@katecross16) January 30, 2022
If this isn’t the advert that we should have more of it, I don’t know that is..#WAshes pic.twitter.com/kLAlcpZ3Rd
There are currently no women's Test matches on any confirmed schedule, anywhere, for any nation. #ashes
— Isabelle Westbury (@izzywestbury) January 30, 2022
Still haven’t quite processed the last 4 days… An unbelievable game to be involved in with so many plot twists. Gutted we couldn’t pull of the win, but so proud of how we put ourselves out there and nearly made it. Test match cricket 🤍 #ashes pic.twitter.com/pqwwZXqWWJ
— Heather Knight (@Heatherknight55) January 31, 2022
Emotional rollercoaster! What an epic test! 🤪 @julesbreach https://t.co/ZQR8dmQGUO
— Ebony-Jewel Rainford-Brent MBE (@ejrainfordbrent) January 30, 2022
There are days when no team deserves to lose. And that's why Draw is counted as a result in Test Cricket. Today was one such day. Well played both @AusWomenCricket and @englandcricket women 👏🏼 #Ashes pic.twitter.com/Yjzhe9t7q8
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) January 30, 2022
That’s entertainment for you!! Test cricket doesn’t get much better than that. Credit to both teams for fighting until the very end… what a nail biter. This is why we need more 🙌🏼 #Ashes #AUSvENG 🏴 🇦🇺
— .GeorgiaAdams. (@GeorgiaAdams01) January 30, 2022
The realisation that we don't have a second Test match and we don't even know when these girls will play another Test match 😢#Ashes
— Poulami (@Crictopher17) January 30, 2022
It felt like she was almost gonna tear up, but it's Heather Knight! Took a few seconds to compose herself and went like business as usual! What an absolute champion! #Ashespic.twitter.com/nxyYkcL4ig
— Sa. Gomesh | ச. கோமேஷ் (@theumpires_call) January 30, 2022
Introduce a Women's World Test Championship so that cricket can witness Heather Knight score more tough runs in this format. She has been phenomenal in the Canberra Test.#Ashes | #AUSvENG
— Annesha Ghosh (@ghosh_annesha) January 30, 2022
One of the most thrilling conclusions in #Ashes Test match history, with all four results possible at the death.
— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) January 30, 2022
The draw means the series is well and truly alive when the ODI's kick off in Canberra on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/xt7KmS04h2
The Alana King family understandably being toasted in the players’ family area. Imagine turning a Test match around in that fashion on your debut #Ashes
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) January 30, 2022
Ohh Goddd, see and India is also not involved! Going to pin this on my profile, like forever 🙂
— Ritwika Dhar (@RituD307) January 30, 2022
People, here's your boring women's cricket, extinct test cricket! #Ashes pic.twitter.com/AQndgqHrFV
Having live tweeted hundreds of women's cricket matches over the years, can't recall many that have set my mentions alight in this way before.#Ashes
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) January 30, 2022
If this one-off #Ashes Test, like the one-off Tests India played in England and Australia last year, don't convince the powers to be that #womenscricket should have more Test matches, what will!?
— Zenia D'cunha (@ZENIADCUNHA) January 30, 2022
Wooh, what a test, easily the best test match of womens cricket history 🔥 Congratulations @CricketAus and @englandcricket 🙌#Ashes
— Javeria Khan (@ImJaveria) January 30, 2022
One day. I wish I get to see Suzie Bates play this format. Wish it happens.
— Krithika (@krithika0808) January 30, 2022
One day.#CricketTwitter #Ashes
What a finish that was. Absolutely great for test cricket 🏏 #Ashes
— Marnus Labuschagne (@marnus3cricket) January 30, 2022
England Women just proved that you can both play in The Hundred and boss at Test cricket against a champion side in their den, with “comical” preparations.
— Abhishek Mukherjee (@ovshake42) January 30, 2022
Time for the pundits to find actual reasons for the Men's Ashes debacle.
We really need to appreciate how with only three women's Tests played in the last 12 months, two affected by rain, we've seen really high quality cricket, and a great advert.
— Snehal Pradhan #MaskUp (@SnehalPradhan) January 30, 2022
That's down to the players playing positive cricket, and captains making sporting declarations.
Well played Meg Lanning, Heather Knight and both teams. In just 10 sessions (not because of it), they've engineered an excellent, compelling Test. More of it, across five days. And also, crucially, time for multi-day domestic women's cricket. Let this be a springboard. #Ashes
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) January 30, 2022
That Test match did not deserve a loser! What. A. Game.#Ashes pic.twitter.com/fcH7Z3b8zH
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) January 30, 2022
Well, that was just remarkable. Test cricket, eh? Positive declarations, positive batting, brilliant fight back by Australia’s bowlers, brave catching, nailbiting finish. And @Heatherknight55 is the 👸#Ashes
— Eleanor Oldroyd (@EllyOldroyd) January 30, 2022
I have honestly never felt so sick in my whole entire life!
— Alexandra Hartley (@AlexHartley93) January 30, 2022
Not just any draw one of the best I’ve ever seen!
Kudos to Lanning for declaring when she did to set up an extraordinary test match.
THE SERIES IS STILL ALIVE!
LET PLAY MORE TESR MATCH CRICKET #ashes pic.twitter.com/SigKyY3hRn
“Oh my word” is the catch phrase of the comms box. What a test match! Well done both captains and coaches who have promoted a really positive style of play. Bring on more multi format series! #ashes
— Alex Blackwell (@AlexBlackwell2) January 30, 2022
Another women's Test peters out to a dull draw. #Ashes
— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) January 30, 2022
A scarcely believable final hour in Canberra saw momentum swing sharply but in the end, points were shared in the tensest of #Ashes Tests | @JollyLauz18
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 30, 2022
Test match cricket should be a regular feature in women's cricket.. Enough evidence provided that test matches will be a delightful spectacle.. I genuinely think that globalisation of cricket can happen quicker through this vertical - women's cricket.. @ICC
— WV Raman (@wvraman) January 30, 2022
It is up to the administrators of the game, *not* the players, to make women's Tests not "boring".
— Karunya (@kuks) January 30, 2022
But these women sure are doing their bit. Bring out the popcorn. What stars! #Ashes
One of the greatest of all time #ashes
— Isa Guha (@isaguha) January 30, 2022
