It’s been over a decade since England left Australian shores with an Ashes series victory, but their recent history is no longer indicative of their potential to walk away with one in three weeks time.
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In a series set to host 75-year firsts and potentially the last of many great battles between veteran players from either side, this summer’s Women’s Ashes will be a belter; make no mistake.
Australia, led by wicketkeeper-bat Alyssa Healy, are hellbent on turning their 2023 redemption of the trophy into their first outright win since England last visited these shores.
In her way, stands Heather Knight’s growing English side — who are in some hot form heading into the ODI series opener at North Sydney Oval.
The multi-format series, which will showcase three 50-over games, three T20’s and a one-off Test match, provides each nation with the opportunity to play for a total of 16 points across the series. And while the series squads have only been officially named for the first three ODI’s, both sides will have plenty of crossover in their playing XI’s for each format.
ODI SQUADS:
Australia: Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (vc), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham
England: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge
Four points are awarded for the winner of the sole Test match (two in the case of a draw), while two points are won for each white-ball game that falls in a country’s favour.
The most recent rendition of the Ashes resulted in an 8-8 draw on the points tally, after Australia won the red-ball match before losing each ODI and T20 series 2-1.
So as the opening match of the thrilling three-week, three-format series awaits, where do some of the biggest storylines lie?
Rain ruins Alyssa Healy’s Ashes warm-up | 01:15
2023 THRILLER SETS THE TONE
To look forward this summer, you’re actually better off looking back first.
The most recent Ashes in 2023 was arguably one of the greatest played in recent times, with the two countries unable to be separated at the end of the three-format series. With the recent history between the two nations, expectations for a contest just as close are ski high.
The opening match 18 months ago was one for the ages, with Australia’s 89-run win in the one-off Test filled with a full hand of strong individual performances between both sides.
With the bat, England’s Tammy Beaumont made an eye-watering 208 for England amid their first innings score of 463 – now one of just 10 players to ever pass 200 at international red-ball level.
One of those other 10 however is Annabel Sutherland, who that same match made her maiden red-ball hundred (137*) at the level batting at number eight. Star veteran Ellyse Perry was tragically caught in the gully for 99 to second-top score for the visitors.
Star left-arm orthodox spinner Sophie Ecclestone took a five-wicket haul in each innings to help give England a sniff. Not to be outdone though was Ash Gardner, who took a whirlwind 12/165 for the match — including 8/66 in the fourth innings to help Australia draw first blood in the series.
The five-day epic set the tone for the rest of the 2023 series, and it could well do the same this time around on Australia’s home soil; only this time as the finale, and not the opener.
England were able to win each white-ball series (50-over and T20) 2-1, but given how a Test win is worth more than any other in the series, it was tough for the Poms to come back and win back the Ashes.
Gardner out for revenge v fiercest rival | 10:56
WHICH VETERANS COULD MAKE THE SERIES THEIRS?
A mixture of experience and youth will again take centre stage across these next three weeks. Each side has several veterans who could win the game off their own bat or bowling arm this summer, but also select young guns who having played in the Ashes before, are ready to rise up the ranks to establish themselves as true stars.
Ellyse Perry is rightly the decorated of the Australian players, and remarkably, is just four runs away (currently on 1,049) in ODI’s against England from becoming the number one all-timer run scorer between the two sides in the 50-over format. Funnily, she is also only four wickets away from the same all-time ODI record between the two teams, with only Cathryn Fitzpatrick (44 wickets) ahead of her.
The likes of Alyssa Healy, Ash Gardner, Beth Mooney and Megan Schutt have also been around the block long enough for England and Australian fans to know what they’re capable with in multiple facets of the game.
Naturally, attention will follow Healy given her role as captain, but mostly to do with how she holds up after a rough last few months with injury. A ruptured plantar fascia put Healy in a moonboot for the start of this season’s WBBL, before she missed Australia’s most recent series against India on home soil as she prepared to front up against New Zealand, and now England.
As for England, it’s Nat Sciver-Brunt, Tammy Beaumont and Danni Wyatt-Hodge (particularly in white-ball cricket) with the bat that will concern Australia the most, given their well-documented experience at the top level.
With ball in hand, Sophie Ecclestone — who’s still only 25 — and Kate Cross look the likeliest to hold the keys at the top of their bowling mark for the visitors this summer.
Ecclestone was almost the difference for England across all three formats in 2023, and has only improved her game more since these two sides last clashed for the trophy. Many of her rivals will be extra familiar with her bowling given her two appearances in the Women’s Big Bash League these last three years, but that won’t stop her from feeling like she has the upper hand heading into this summer.
Veteran? Perhaps not. But the bowling all-rounder has time and time again proved herself a reliable wicket-taker that can turn a game on its head, regardless of the format.
“The question that decides the Ashes” | 05:57
AND WHAT ABOUT THE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK?
So much hype has rightly been shone on the seasoned campaigners this Ashes, but what about the young guns?
Australia’s Phoebe Litchfield was unveiled on Test debut against England 18 months ago, just six months after her international debut against Pakistan. For a while now, the 21-year-old has been seen as the newest prodigy in the nation’s system, but the whirlwind debut of Georgia Voll against India earlier this summer means there are now two emerging stars att he top of the order to watch.
As Healy’s opening replacement, Voll hit scores of 46, 101 and 26 in her first three ODI’s to leave selectors with a tricky task juggling form and team balance moving into this series. Whether Litchfield’s 21-year-old counterpart gets a gig at all throughout the series remains to be seen, but given the runs are already on the board this early into her career, she could well be a handful for the Poms across these next three weeks.
Scarily, only a couple of years older than the duo is Victoria’s Annabel Sutherland who has proven herself already a genuine superstar of the game at just 23 years old.
Averaging 70.50 with the from five Tests (one century and one double century) and 45.87 in ODI’s, there is every chance that she is the player who England will put the most time and effort into behind the scenes this series. Her well-documented ability to take wickets with the ball at crucial times for her country also cannot be understated, and gives her captain Healy yet another X-factor up her sleeve in the field.
As for England, their promising youth on tour stems heavily in the field. Sarah Glenn (25 years old), Charlie Dean (24) and Alice Capsey (20) are all at the front half of their careers and look lively with ball in hand, with the trio all playing against Australia back in 2023 in varying capacities.
Glenn in particular looked the most threatening of the trio, and given her experience for the Brisbane Heat in the WBBL, won’t be unfamiliar with the conditions at hand this summer. Averaging just over 15 with the ball from her leg-spinners, the bowling all-rounder will be a sneaky threat to Australia in the shortest format.
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