England will attempt to end a miserable past few years in the Women’s Ashes and topple Australia for the first time since 2014 when the multi-format series starts on Thursday.
Here, the PA news agency assesses some of the burning issues ahead of the curtain-raising one-off Test at Trent Bridge.
The greatest show
Heather Knight recently harked back to making her England debut in Mumbai in 2010 “in front of one man and his dog” and, as a student, having to explain to her tutor why she would be absent for a month. Thankfully those days are over. The England captain was given equal billing alongside men’s counterpart Ben Stokes on a Tower Bridge projection earlier this month and ticket sales for the ‘WAshes’ sit at a combined 80,000 for the seven matches. Even if there is still just a solitary Test, it will span five days in a break from the traditional four-day affair – giving both teams a chance to claim a first Ashes win in whites since 2015. Barriers continue to be breached for Knight’s side as they will also play T20s at Edgbaston, the Kia Oval and Lord’s for the first time.
Lanning absence evens the odds?
Australia are the double world champions and have held the urn for the last eight years, beating England on their own patch twice in that time. But Rachael Haynes retired last year and totemic captain Meg Lanning withdrew from the tour due to medical issues. Are Australia more vulnerable now? Unquestionably. Lanning is an exceptional captain and batter who was in red-hot form. But her temporary successor Alyssa Healy is also a quality player, as are Ellyse Perry, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner and Jess Jonassen. Australia are therefore red-hot favourites to continue their stranglehold over England.
Spotlight on England’s bowlers
While Australia brought over a couple of unproven talents, England also have a few inexperienced players in their line-up. Katherine Sciver-Brunt may have had a peripheral role given her scaling back of commitments but the seamer’s retirement robs England of some wisdom. Kate Cross is likely to lead the attack after insisting this week she is fit and ready following a battle with a parasitic illness that has cut into her playing time domestically. The uncapped Lauren Filer might be the ace in the hole, though, after being named in the Test XI with Knight telling the PA news agency: “She’s raw but she bowls wicket-taking deliveries, which is why we’ve picked her because we want to take 20 wickets.”
‘Jonball’ faces its acid test
Since succeeding Lisa Keightley as England head coach late last year, Jon Lewis has attempted to instil a more attacking mindset into his charges. Lewis has taken his cues from working briefly as a bowling coach for the England men’s side in the early stages of the Brendon McCullum-Ben Stokes axis last summer, sensing this is the best way to break Australia’s grip on women’s cricket. ‘Jonball’ – the term coined by star all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt – has had modest returns so far with a semi-final exit at the 2023 T20 World Cup but England will keep ploughing the same furrow.
Pressure on Heather?
The decision to jettison Charlotte Edwards and promote Knight as England captain a little over seven years ago was controversial at the time. But barely 12 months into the role, Knight justified her ascension by leading England to a seminal World Cup triumph. She remains the natural leader of this England team and her authoritative presence was missed at the sharp end of last year’s Commonwealth Games, a tournament she sat out because of injury. But she has been unable to land a telling blow in the Ashes, with one drawn series and two heavy points defeats. A third this summer might draw scrutiny on her position even if Australia are one of the greatest sides of all time in women’s sport.
Jones' T20 World Cup heroics inspired by showing world cricket USA's capabilities
Aaron Jones etched his name into T20 World Cup folklore with a match-winning blitz on Sunday, but hopes his impact leaves a legacy off the field for United States cricket.
Jones crashed 94 off just 40 balls, combining in a 131-run third-wicket partnership with Andries Gous, as the USA started their World Cup campaign with a seven-wicket win over Canada.
The Dallas crowd were treated to a spectacle as the domination by Jones and Gous came at 14.29 runs per over, the highest run-rate of any century partnership in the tournament's history.
With hosts USA making their first-ever appearance at this global competition, Jones wants his scintillating performance to inspire the next generation of his country's cricketers.
He said after his heroics: "I wanted especially [to win] because America is not really a 'cricketing country', I wanted to win for our fans…and really show the world that the USA has great cricketers here."
As for his own performance, Jones crashed 10 sixes in a dominant chase as the USA cruised to a 195 target with some 14 balls to spare.
Only Chris Gayle, with 11 against England in 2016 at Wankhede, has ever cleared the ropes more times in a single World Cup innings.
"Sometimes when you play an innings like this, you go home, you sleep, and then you wake up and go 'woah, I don't even know how I batted like that'," Jones added.
"It's happened to me two or three times in the past and I think tomorrow is going to be like that as well."
Teetering on the brink at 42-2 in the second innings, Jones and Gous – the latter bludgeoning 65 off 46 balls – stepped up to power the USA to an unlikely victory.
"To be honest with you, from a young age, I've always been put in positions where I needed to be the man," he continued.
"To save the team and to help the team win. I think it brings out the best in me."
The USA face a tougher test when they meet Pakistan on Thursday, aiming to make it two wins from as many games in the limited-overs tournament.
Jones makes mockery of Canada as USA dominate T20 World Cup opener
The United States recorded a statement victory over rivals Canada in their first-ever T20 World Cup outing, as Aaron Jones and Andries Gous stole the show in a seven-wicket triumph.
Canada opener Navneet Dhaliwal powered 61 off just 44 balls, while Nicholas Kirton's 51 and an unbeaten 32 from Shreyas Movva helped their side set a target of 195 in Dallas.
The USA responded by losing Steven Taylor for a two-ball duck and slipped to 42-2 after the powerplay when Dilon Heyliger had captain Monank Patel caught behind for 16.
Yet that set the stage for an eye-catching partnership between Jones and Gous, who combined for a 131-run blitz at a whirlwind run rate of 14.3 for the third wicket.
Number three Gous bludgeoned 65 from only 46 deliveries but was somehow overshadowed by the impressive Jones, who finished 94 not out after facing just 40 balls.
Gous holed out off the bowling of Nikhil Dutta but Jones fittingly finished the chase with 14 balls to spare, securing USA's fifth straight win over Canada in the pair's first-ever World Cup appearance.
Data Debrief: Jones almost matches Gayle record
Jones cleared the ropes 10 times during his destructive performance, with only West Indies' Chris Gayle hitting more sixes in one World Cup innings (11 against England in 2016 at Wankhede).
USA vice-captain Jones had only reached 50 once in this format before this innings, but announced his arrival on the world stage with an emphatic performance.
West Indies can rekindle magic of 2012 and 2016 at T20 World Cup, says Pooran
Nicholas Pooran says West Indies are desperate to recapture the magic of 2012 and 2016 at this year's T20 World Cup, as they target a third title at the tournament.
The Windies are one of only two teams, alongside England (2010 and 2022) to win multiple 20-over world crowns, having gone back-to-back when now-head coach Daren Sammy was captain in 2012 and 2016.
They will co-host this year's tournament alongside the United States, with Papua New Guinea their opponents for their opening Group C match on Sunday.
West Indies failed to advance beyond the first round when Pooran was skipper at the 2022 tournament, finishing bottom of a group containing Zimbabwe, Ireland and Scotland.
Pooran is no longer captain, having passed that honour onto Rovman Powell, but he is determined to play a part in bringing back the feel-good factor.
"Coming back in here after two years, everybody wants to get that special feeling we had when we won those two T20 World Cups," Pooran told ESPNcricinfo.
"I feel like everybody wants that moment again. They want to be a part of that winning feeling. Doing it in front of our fans is even more special."
Pooran's 1,848 T20I runs are the most accumulated by any player to make the Windies' squad for this year's World Cup, as are his 88 T20I matches played.
He is certain they have improved since the last edition of the tournament, adding: "We all have grown as players, as team-mates as well.
"When we played in Australia where we didn't qualify, everyone was hurt. I resigned from captaincy after that. Everyone was hurt, but we are no longer that group of guys.
"We all know what's at stake here. We all know that we have an opportunity to redeem ourselves, to make our cricket fans in the Caribbean and our cricket fans all over the world proud of us.
"This time around we are much better players as well. Most of our guys that play franchise cricket, they understand what is needed to be a professional."
Pooran enters the tournament after scoring 499 runs in this season's Indian Premier League for Lucknow Super Giants.
He scored those runs at a superb average of 62.37, which was the best mark achieved by any player, and had a strike-rate of 178.21, helped by smashing 36 sixes.
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