The highly anticipated 2025 Women’s Ashes multi-format series, featuring the national teams of Australia and England, gets underway on the 12th of January at 5:00 AM Indian Standard Time (IST), with the first of three One Day Internationals (ODIs) at North Sydney Oval, Sydney.
Squads:
Australia women’s cricket team
Alyssa Healy (C), Tahlia McGrath (VC), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham
England women’s cricket team
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
Players to watch out:
Georgia Voll
The 21-year-old opening batter in Australia’s domestic One Day competition last summer amassed 459 runs, at an average of 41.72, from 12 innings, while also taking 7 wickets. Georgia has replicated that success on the international stage, registering scores of 46*, 101, and 26 in her debut series. She warmed up for the Ashes by scoring a fifty in the only tour game and can be relied upon for big runs.
Kim Garth
The 28-year-old bowling all-rounder, in ODIs, has scalped 50 wickets from 45 outings, at an economy rate of 4.10, and has scored 533 runs from 37 innings, with bests of 72* and 4/11. Kim has looked in good rhythm of late, returning bowling figures of 1/20, 1/35, 0/22, 2/17, and 1/33 in her recent outings, all ODIs. She is an experienced campaigner and can be counted on to produce breakthroughs.
Tammy Beaumont
The 33-year-old keeper-batter, from 114 ODI outings, has racked up 4,204 runs at an average of 41.22 and registered the highest score of 168*. Though Tammy has played only 6 ODIs in Australia so far, it is hoped she continues her purple patch in this series, adding to her recent form, which saw her register scores of 150*, 52, 11, 34, and 65* in her previous 5 ODIs. The seasoned batter can be trusted to lead the scoring.
Sophie Ecclestone
The 25-year-old left-arm off-spinner, from 68 ODI outings, has picked up 113 wickets at an average of 19.78 and an economy rate of 3.62, while also adding 359 runs from 46 innings. Sophie picked up 5 wickets from 3 ODIs in a recent series and warmed up for the Ashes with bowling figures of 3/27. The seasoned spinner can be relied upon for wickets and also handy runs lower down the order.
Pitch:
The North Sydney Oval provides a good batting deck, with an average score in the 270s. However, the wicket poses a formidable challenge for batters throughout the game due to its lively nature, particularly against pacers.
Weather:
Expect rain interruptions and delays, with a couple of shower spells on the radar during match hours. The temperature is forecast to hover in the mid-20s (°C), with moderate winds and humidity at 70%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Beth Mooney, Alyssa Healy, Ellyse Perry, Heather Knight, Phoebe Litchfield, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Megan Schutt, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone
Match details:
Date – January 12, 2025
Time – 5:00 AM IST
Venue – North Sydney Oval, Sydney
Broadcast – The game will be telecasted on the Star Sports Network and live streamed on Disney+ Hotstar.
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