Heather Knight produces captain's hundred to keep England's Test hopes alive

At the end of the second day's play, she has been on the field for all but 13 balls of the match, having gone to her second Test hundred in remarkable style

Canberra (day two of four): Australia 337-9 dec, England 235-8

Heather Knight produced one of the finest innings of her distinguished career as England fought back on the second day of the Women's Ashes Test.

Knight was unbeaten on 127 when the close of play arrived, with Sophie Ecclestone emerging as a vital ally at the other end after the tourists' batting had been decimated, leaving them in serious danger of having to follow on until an unbroken 66-run stand put pay to those fears.

Amid the carnage – Knight apart, only Ecclestone passed 15 and survived more than 42 deliveries – England's captain was stoic and resilience personified, driving through cover at will and seemingly nonplussed by the failure of her partners to provide any staying power.

At the end of the second day's play, she has been on the field for all but 13 balls of the match, having come to the crease after Lauren Winfield-Hill edged to slip.

Tammy Beaumont was trapped in front shortly afterwards by Ellyse Perry, who also bowled Sophia Dunkley via inside edge.

^{Heather Knight found a willing ally in Sophie Ecclestone (Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)}

Nat Sciver was undone by a terrific delivery from Annabel Sutherland, edging behind to Alyssa Healy, while Amy Jones – who had driven confidently at the start of her innings – miscued a pull to mid-on.

Katherine Brunt, Charlie Dean and Anya Shrubsole all fell for single-figure scores – giving a wicket each to spinners Alana King, Ashleigh Gardner and Jess Jonassen – and it was left to Ecclestone, who dug in for her longest international innings, to support her captain.

Given the situation in the match and the wider context of the series, it was a remarkable knock from Knight, who now sits level with Smriti Mandhana for the highest score by an overseas batter in a Test on Australian soil.

Brunt, who began the day by claiming the wickets of Jonassen and Sutherland to record a third five-wicket haul in 14 Tests, described it as one of the top three innings she had seen in her international career.

Her own individual performance shouldn't be forgotten. The veteran fast bowler swung the ball both ways in the morning as a sign of the conditions that England were soon to face.

The oldest player in the series, who once played a Test against current England coach Lisa Keightley in 2005, has bowled more overs in the match than any other seamer and was suitably rewarded for her toil.