Women's Ashes: Heather Knight the best Test batter says Katherine Brunt

Heather Knight is the best Test batter in the world said team-mate Katherine Brunt after the England captain's superb Ashes century in Canberra.

Knight's 127 not out rescued her side on day two of the one-off Test and dragged them to 235-8 at the close.

Brunt, who took 5-60 earlier in the day, described the innings as one of the best she has seen in her career.

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

«In Test cricket you talk a lot about [Australia all-rounder] 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, 31, was already the only woman to score centuries in all three formats for England.

Her hundred in Canberra, her second in Tests following 157 against Australia in 2013, came as wickets tumbled around her with England 120-6 at one stage and in danger of being forced to follow on.

She batted calmly for 249 balls, did not offer a real chance and capitalised late in the day in a crucial unbroken partnership of 66 with Sophie Ecclestone, who was the next highest scorer with 27 not out.

«I have seen some brilliant hundreds in World Cup cricket and a hundred here by [England batter] Danni Wyatt in a T20 [against Australia in the 2017-18 Ashes],» said 36-year-old Brunt, who has played 239 times for England across all formats.

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

»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."

Perry, one of the superstars of women's cricket for more than a decade, took 2-35 for Australia