After what has been a disappointing Ashes series defeat for the England men’s side Down Under, the country’s women have the opportunity to shine when they go toe to toe with Australia.
Skipper Heather Knight and her side are looking to secure a first series victory since their 2-1 win in Australia back in 2014 and will be hopeful of causing an upset in their rival’s own backyard.
England Can Take Heart From Previous Trips
While Australia have managed to retain the Ashes title for the last three series, England are unbeaten in their last two trips Down Under. England, who are expected to be the underdogs with Marathonbet UK for the title, managed to win the series in Australia in 2014, before drawing with their old rivals in their next trip to the southern hemisphere in 2017-18. The Three Lions head coach Lisa Knightley will be looking to use those performances as inspiration for what is set to be a tough contest against their talented Australian hosts.
This England squad are lacking in Test match experience, with Katherine Brunt their most capped player in the longest format of the game. However, with the women’s Ashes series a multi-format competition, the Three Lions will only have one Test match against the Aussies between three T20 and three ODI clashes. Australia are currently top of the world rankings when it comes to the two shorter formats of the game, which just shows the challenge that lies ahead of England’s women.
Knight Calls For Bold England
Knight is no stranger to leading her side to success, having captained the team to World Cup glory in the 50-over format of the game back in 2017. The 31-year-old has already stated an Ashes series win in Australia would rank alongside that World Cup title in her list of achievements, if her side were able to pull off a shock result Down Under. Knight claims England will have to be “bold” and “win some key moments” if they are to stand a chance of winning the series.
Spinner Sophie Ecclestone looks set to play a big role for the tourists, with the North West Thunder bowler hoping to cause the Aussie batting order problems. Making her debut for England back in 2016, the 22-year-old already has plenty of experience behind her. Ecclestone is no stranger to impressing on Australian wickets either, having shone in the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. The Lancashire star became the youngest woman to take 50 wickets in WT20I cricket, as she achieved it in just 34 matches for her country. England will be hoping Ecclestone can repeat that form and spin some magic over the coming series.
It looks set to be an intriguing series and one in which England’s women will be determined to give the fans back home something to cheer about.
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