History eludes superb Perry as Filer signals her arrival

Ellyse Perry has swiftly shrugged off her missed milestone at Trent Bridge, with the allrounder instead full of praise for debutant England quick Lauren Filer after the pair's entertaining tussle on day one of the Ashes Test.

On a day where she further cemented her status as one of the all-time great Test batters, Perry missed the chance to join Jill Kennare and Betty Wilson as the third Australian woman to score three Test tons when she was caught on 99 by Natalie Sciver-Brunt at gully off the bowling of Filer.

"(A hundred is) a number and it's one that we talk about a lot in cricket, but like the whole experience out there today, it was so much fun," Perry told reporters at stumps.

"I've loved every opportunity, sometimes things just go that way (so) it's hard to be disappointed. It was nice to contribute and to be a part of a few really good partnerships, particularly that one with (Tahlia McGrath).

"There is not really much to dwell on there, it's just like any other time you get out, it's a bit of a bummer but gosh, the game definitely goes on and life goes on for sure."

The allrounder had scarcely offered a chance throughout her 153-ball knock – although she did foreshadow her demise the ball prior to her dismissal, when a near-identical cut shot flew just over the hands of Sciver-Brunt – as her faded helmet only became further worn under the Nottingham sun.

Perry punished anything short and wide and looked comfortable against the spin of Ecclestone that sorely troubled several of her teammates, but when she departed shortly after a rain delay interrupted her charge towards a century, England fought back with three quick wickets to grasp the ascendency from the tourists.

Filer had earlier thought she had captured the prized wicket of Perry for 10 with her first ball in international cricket, when her loud appeal for lbw was granted.

But Perry immediately reviewed and was gratified when replays showed she had hit the ball.

She added another 89 runs to her tally before she eventually did fall to the 22-year-old quick, who impressed in her first outing for England, hitting the deck hard and troubling the Australians with her pace as she also collected the key scalp of Beth Mooney.

"I'd had a really great tussle with Filer the whole time, I thought she was extremely impressive today on debut and brought the game alive at different points," Perry said.

"(She was bowling a) length that you'd normally be comfortable to go back to (but it) just seemed to be skidding on.

"Whether that's her natural disposition, or whether that was the way that the pitch was playing today ... I think a lot of our players who went back to balls got a bit hurried.

"So it was really important to adjust as quickly as you could thinking about getting on the front foot to her.

"She moved the ball off the seam a little bit too and just was consistently bowling in a good pace."

Red-faced and beaming shortly after stumps when she fronted media, Filer was still trying to wrap her head around what she described as a "surreal" day.

While she was denied the dream start of Perry's wicket first ball, she said the close call had delivered the confidence boost she needed when faced with Australia's star-studded batting line-up.

"I was just trying to bowl it straight so when it went and hit her pads I was just screaming," Filer said.

"I did hear two noises, but I thought it was pad-bat ... obviously it's a shame it wasn't given out but it was a good confidence boost to get into my spell.

"I was obviously really happy to take two wickets."

CommBank Ashes Tour of the UK 2023

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

England Test squad: Heather Knight (c), Natalie Sciver-Brunt (vc), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Kate Cross, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Amy Jones, Emma Lamb, Issy Wong, Danielle Wyatt

Test: June 22-26 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 11am local (8pm AEST)

First T20I: July 1 at Edgbaston, Birmingham, 6.35pm (3.35am July 2 AEST)

Second T20I: July 5 at The Oval, London, 6.35pm (3.35am July 6 AEST)

Third T20I: July 8 at Lord’s, London, 6.35pm (3.35am July 9 AEST)

First ODI: July 12 at The County Ground, Bristol, 1pm (10pm AEST)

Second ODI: July 16 at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, 11am (7pm AEST)

Third ODI: July 18 at The County Ground, Taunton, 1pm (10pm AEST)