The Cricket Australia National Selection Panel (NSP) has named a 14-player squad ahead of the Australian Women's Cricket Team's Commonwealth Bank Ashes Tour of England from 2-31 July.
Australia and England will contest three One-Day Internationals, a Test match and three T20 Internationals. The Ashes will be awarded to the team that accumulates the most points across the multi-format series. Teams are awarded two points for each ODI and T20 INTL win, while a Test win is worth four points.
Commonwealth Bank Ashes Tour of England – Australia squad
- Nicole Bolton, WA
- Nicola Carey, TAS
- Ashleigh Gardner, NSW
- Rachael Haynes, NSW
- Alyssa Healy, NSW
- Jess Jonassen, QLD
- Delissa Kimmince, QLD
- Meg Lanning, VIC
- Beth Mooney, QLD
- Ellyse Perry, VIC
- Megan Schutt, SA
- Elyse Villani, VIC
- Georgia Wareham, VIC
- Tayla Vlaeminck, VIC
Speaking on the selection of the Women's Ashes squad, National Selector Shawn Flegler said:
"We've been able to name a reasonably stable squad which is really important with Sophie Molineux the only player to miss out from Australia's most recent series against New Zealand.
"Sophie has been doing everything she could do prove her fitness having had a shoulder reconstruction back in February, but she still needs a bit more time to make sure she's 100% so she'll travel to England with the Australia A side.
"Tayla (Vlaeminck) was also under an injury cloud but she's back bowling and has had a terrific off-season up in Brisbane, so we're really excited to see what she can do in English conditions.
"We're fortunate to be able to take an Australia A side to England as well which will give us flexibility with the squad as we move through the various formats.
"The Ashes is arguably Australia's biggest bilateral series and one that is always a really tightly fought contest. As holders of the Ashes it's going to be a big challenge for the team to bring the trophy back to Australia, but we believe the side has the right mix of talent and the depth to do exactly that."
Selectors have also named an Australia A side that will play matches against the England Women's Team and Women's Academy sides. The squad will be coached by Leah Poulton, with Queensland's Scott Prestwidge and Tasmanian Michael Dighton her assistants.
Commonwealth Bank Ashes Tour of England - Australia A squad
Maitlan Brown, ACT Erin Burns, NSW
Josie Dooley, QLD
Heather Graham, WA
Sammy-Jo Johnson, QLD
Tahlia McGrath, SA
Sophie Molineux, VIC
Georgia Redmayne, QLD
Molly Strano, VIC
Annabel Sutherland, VIC
Rachel Trenaman, NSW
Belinda Vakarewa, TAS
Amanda-Jade Wellington, SA
"This tour is a terrific opportunity for these players to test themselves in notoriously tricky English conditions, with most of the squad also part of the Australia A tour to India last year," Flegler said.
"We have a really strong pathway in place for our female cricketers and this group represents the next generation of Australian players, so to be able to invest and give them this experience is incredibly valuable."
The Australian squad will assemble in Brisbane on June 13 for a pre-series camp including two warm-up matches against the Women's National Performance Squad on June 17 and 19, before departing for England on June 21.
Women's Ashes Fixtures
Warm-up matches
26 June – England Women's Academy v Australia, Loughborough
28 June – England Women's Academy v Australia, Loughborough
11-13 July – England Women's Academy v Australia, Marlborough College, Swindon
One-Day Internationals
2 July – 1st ODI, England v Australia, Grace Road, Leicester
4 July – 2nd ODI, England v Australia, Grace Road, Leicester
7 July – 3rd ODI, England v Australia, St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury
Test Match
18-21 July – England v Australia, The County Ground, Taunton
T20 Internationals
26 July – 1st T20I, England v Australia, County Ground, Chelmsford
28 July – 2nd T20I, England v Australia, The County Ground, Hove
31 July – 3rd T20I, England v Australia, Bristol County Ground, Bristol
Australia A Fixtures
Warm-up matches
29 June, England v Australia A, Loughborough
50-over matches
3 July, England Women's Academy v Australia, Loughborough
5 July, England Women's Academy v Australia, Loughborough
8 July, England Women's Academy v Australia, Loughborough
Three-day tour match
12-14 July, England v Australia A, Millfield School, Street
T20's
17 July, England Women's Academy v Australia, Millfield School, Street
19 July, England Women's Academy v Australia, Millfield School, Street
