Australia v England
North Sydney Oval, Sydney: 19th – 23rd February 1992
England’s captain Helen Plimmer won the toss and batted. With Wendy Watson she forged a partnership against the new ball pairing of Zoe Goss and the debutant Charmaine Mason.
With 26 to her name, Plimmer was clean bowled by Mason when the score was 46. It sparked a collapse from which England would not recover, all out for a modest 146. Watson top scored with 35 and Mason on debut 4-40. At the other end, another debutant, South Australian off spinner Isabelle Tsakiris took 4-27.
“We had our mainstays of Karen Brown and Zoe Goss joined by Charlie Mason on debut… I loved what she did with the ball and her attitude. Maybe the Sharon Tredrea influence. Tsakiris was another revelation on debut… the most unlikely star. She turned the ball a mile and literally had the English players in a spin. Carole Hodges was the key wicket. I can still see Charlie bowl a bouncer, Carole try to pull it and Zoe take a brilliant diving catch at fine leg.” – Lyn Larsen
The good news for England is they got rid of Belinda Clark early for 28 when the score was 53 and then Belinda Haggett for 32 when Australia had scored 69. That’s as good as it got for the visitors. Denise Annetts played a classic knock and was not out 148, backed by the skipper, Larsen, who’d promoted herself to number five and scored her best effort in Test cricket, 86.
Larsen declared, 4/346. Mason and Tsikaris again did the damage and England were rumbled for 115, Australia winning the Test by an innings and 85 runs. It was an emphatic victory and a marvelous way to see the captain out, for this was Lyn Larsen’s final Test match.
England 146 (Watson 35, Tsikaris 4-27, Mason 4-40) and 115 (Watson 29, Tsikaris 3-18, Mason 3-39) lost to Australia 4/346 (Annetts 148*, Larsen 86) by an innings and 85 runs