Tammy Beaumont is targeting an overdue first Test win in the next week, insisting a shake-up in approach is the best way of England forging ahead in the Women’s Ashes.
Beaumont is set for her eighth Test cap when a much-anticipated multi-format series starts on Thursday, with England looking to defeat an all-conquering Australia side for the first time since 2014.
Captain Heather Knight is adamant England have to be “disruptors” to upset the odds and Beaumont feels the attacking mindset they have adopted in recent months can unsettle double world champions Australia.
She has experienced one loss and six draws in the longest format but both England and Australia have been boosted by the curtain-raiser lasting five days at Trent Bridge, as opposed to the customary four.
While this gives both sides a chance to force a positive result, Beaumont believes England must grasp the nettle in a manner similar to their male counterparts under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.
Beaumont told the PA news agency: “I’ve played seven Test matches in my career and I haven’t played in a victory. We’ve got to change something, we’ve got to do something to move the game forward quicker.
“Obviously we’ve got five days which will massively help but we’re going to have to shift the game and we’re going to have to put pressure back on the opposition.
“It’s not reckless, you can compare it to how the England men have gone about things: you watch Harry Brook – there’s no slogging there, Joe Root, there’s a few inventive shots but there isn’t slogging as such by every player.
“We can definitely do it in Test cricket and we have to if we want to force results and try and get ahead in the Ashes.”
Knight and head coach Jon Lewis have ushered in this more adventurous mindset. Lewis was briefly England men’s bowling coach under Stokes and McCullum before joining the women’s side late last year.
England have shown their hand in the warm-ups last week, with Beaumont’s 201 off 238 balls the jewel in a total of 650 in 118.2 overs at Derby against Australia A. A separate England A side, meanwhile, racked up 562 in 115.1 overs against a full-strength Australia side at Grace Road.
Ahead of the one-off Test in the series which also features three T20s and three ODIs, Beaumont said: “Australia have led the way for the last five or six years, everyone is playing catch up.
“But the way that we are playing and the way we want to play can certainly challenge them and compete with them.
“Once you put good teams under pressure, you never know how they’re going to react and you never know what can happen.”
Beaumont could face the opening ball of the series if England bat first, an occasion she has encountered in the past and one she likens to one of the most nerve-wracking of her career.
She added: “It’s probably second only to facing the first ball of a World Cup final. Normally the heart’s going pretty hard. But that’s part of the job and why I love opening the batting.
“I want to be out there setting the tone, going in first and coming up against the best bowlers with a fresh ball. Whether you win or lose in the situation, that’s the bit you live for as an opening batter.
“With it being an Ashes, there’s a bit more on it but I think you try and keep the processes and emotions the same.”
Asalanka leads Sri Lanka to ODI series win over West Indies
Sri Lanka wrapped up the ODI series against the West Indies with a five-wicket victory in Pallekele.
The hosts successfully chased down their opponents' total of 189, giving them an unassailable 2-0 in the three-match series.
Sri Lanka controlled the early powerplay - Asitha Fernando (3-35) and Maheesh Theekshana (3-25) took two wickets apiece to leave the tourists at 31-4 in the ninth over.
Wanindu Hasaranga (4-40) then claimed three of his four wickets as Roston Chase, Romario Shepherd, Hayden Walsh and Alzarri Joseph were all dismissed in the space of 14 balls.
However, Sherfane Rutherford (80 off 82 balls) and Gudakesh Motie (50 not out) steadied the ship to take the Windies from 58-8 to 189.
Although Joseph claimed Avishka Fernando (9) in the fourth over, Nishan Madushka and Sadeera Samarawickrama both chipped in with contributions of 38 to get the hosts to 112-4.
Skipper Charith Asalanka (62 not out) led the charge thereon, while Kamindu Mendis (11) comfortably got them over the line with 34 balls remaining.
Data Debrief: Rutherford-Motie historic stand proves academic for tourists
West Indies were looking to level the series, but their hopes were not aided by Sri Lanka's impressive bowling.
Rutherford and Motie did their best. Their partnership brought 119 runs, which is their nation's highest ninth-wicket stand in ODI history, breaking the previous record of 85 between Yannic Cariah and Alzarri Joseph.
However, it ultimately proved in vain as the hosts secured the series with a game to spare.
'I was a tired, grumpy old man' - Stokes apologised to England team-mates after Pakistan defeat
Ben Stokes says he apologised to his England team-mates after his frustrations were evident during the second-Test defeat by Pakistan.
The hosts levelled the three-Test series on Thursday after wrapping up a 152-run win in Multan.
However, it could have been a different story but for fielding errors at crucial stages for the visitors, Jamie Smith and Joe Root notably dropping catches to dismiss Salman Agha, whose subsequent knock of 63 helped Pakistan seal victory with a day to spare.
Stokes, who returned to action following a hamstring injury, could not hide his frustration during a difficult day for England, but insisted he would not let his emotions get the better of him again.
"No one means to drop catches, but it just proves how important catches are in these subcontinent conditions, they don't come along that often," he told Sky Sports.
"I actually apologised to the group last night. It's the first time in my captaincy that I've let my emotions and how I was feeling with the way the game was unfolding show in my body language.
"I owned up to that and was very annoyed at myself for letting that out. It's something that I don't want to do or be seen to be doing, so I apologised to the group about that.
"Poor old me, I was a tired, grumpy old man last night! You won't see that happen again."
However, England coach Brendon McCullum defended the actions of his skipper.
"We all know how passionate Ben is, how much it means for him to play for England," he said.
"We've seen that through his bloody-mindedness to get back from injury, which was significant, and to do so in a nine-week timeframe and to have his first TM [Test match] in extreme conditions, 40 degrees, and be able to give what he gave to the side.
"I think, maybe, that's where some of that frustration led to - certainly, it wasn't directed at any of the players. It was more about trying to assess the rhythm of the game, and to impact on it."
Sri Lanka breeze to series win over West Indies
Sri Lanka cruised to a nine-wicket victory over West Indies to seal a T20I series triumph.
With the series delicately poised at 1-1 heading into the final match on Thursday, Sri Lanka started with intent in Dambulla.
Maheesh Theekshana (2-19) and Wanindu Hasaranga (2-24) led the charge as Sri Lanka skittled through the Windies' top order.
Rovman Powell's stubborn 37 and a contribution of 32 from Gudakesh Motie steered West Indies to a reasonable total of 162-8, but it was one well within reach of Sri Lanka.
Pathum Nissanka clipped seven fours and one six in a 22-ball 37 to get Sri Lanka's chase rolling at pace, before he was bowled by Gudakesh Mottie (1-31).
Yet the damage was mostly done, with Kusal Mendis powering his way to an unbeaten 68 and Kusal Perera plundering 55 from 36 balls to get the job done with the minimum of fuss.
Data Debrief: Perera closing in on Sri Lanka record
Perera is now just nine runs away from surpassing Tillakaratne Dilshan (1,889) as the leading scorer in Sri Lanka's T20I history.
His efforts, combined with those of Nissanka and Mendis, saw Sri Lanka win for a fourth time in their last six T20Is at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, although this is the first time they have won at the venue in that run when batting second.
The Windies' miserable record in Asia has continued, meanwhile. They have won only one of their last 11 T20Is in Asia (L10), with that victory coming in the first match of this series. They have now lost 33 T20Is on the continent in total, with only Ireland (35) having lost more.
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