Heather Knight is "best in the world" says Katherine Brunt after skipper's Ashes ton

Knight's resilient showing at the Manuka Oval - she ended the day unbeaten on 127 from 249 balls as no one else scored more than 27 or faced more than 42 deliveries - ensured that her side are still just about alive in the contest

Katherine Brunt labelled Heather Knight as the best female batter in the world against the red ball after England's captain made a crucial century in the Women's Ashes Test in Canberra.

Knight's resilient showing at the Manuka Oval - she ended the day unbeaten on 127 from 249 balls as no one else scored more than 27 or faced more than 42 deliveries - ensured that her side are still just about alive in the contest, and the series.

In a format of the women's game which is all too rare, the skipper now has two tons - she is one of just two players to make centuries for England in Tests, ODIs and T20s - and Brunt believes there is no one better on the planet.

"All-round, the rate she scores if she wants to, even in situations like that, is next level," said the allrounder.

^{Heather Knight made 127 not out for England at the Manuka Oval (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)}

"In Test cricket you talk a lot about Ellyse Perry, but batting-wise she [Knight] is the best in the world.

"Some of the mental work she does and the fight she shows is next level too."

Knight's contribution led England to 235 for 8 at the close, and they still trail Australia by 102 runs.

Brunt, who earlier completed first-innings bowling figures of 5 for 60, said the dressing room has come to expect next-level performances from their captain.

"It was massive, massive beyond a shadow of a doubt and she was resilient as ever and has a lot of fighting spirit," she said. "She is 100 per cent a leader and if you want to lead by example, that is how you do it.

"None of us thought she would go out there and not do it. We all believed she could do it, she does and Australia do too.

"That level of cricketer and that level of batter, that is what they are there to do. I have seen some brilliant hundreds in World Cup cricket and a hundred here by Danni Wyatt in a T20," said Brunt.

"I have been around a long time and seen many great hundreds but that [was in the] top three.

^{Knight kept England in the game against Australia (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)}

"Not one person has scored a significant score so she has taken the whole world on her shoulders and dug extremely deep to put a score on the board."

Knight's knock also received praise from inside the Australia camp, with allrounder Ellyse Perry saying: "It was certainly an exceptional one.

"Essentially she didn't give us a chance. It was super gritty but very classy as well.

"She is a wonderful player and has excelled in this format before. It was right up there in terms of performances."

Brunt, meanwhile, insists the tourists are not yet out of this game - if they lose in Canberra, Australia retain the Ashes.

"If I didn't think that I would go home and stay in hotel room and not bother bowling 40 overs," she said. "Sophie Ecclestone is probably not going to sleep and be in the nets about four hours in the morning to work on that maiden fifty.

"We have come in desperate for a win. The aim is 100 per cent to win and we all believe we still can. We have seen it turn around in a way you wouldn't have thought it would a couple of hours ago. It is cricket and anything can happen."