England in last-chance lounge as Women’s Ashes hopes hinge on crucial first T20 against Australia | Cricket news

England’s hopes of reclaiming the Women’s Ashes hang in the balance. Heather Knight’s side are in a last-chance saloon, but can the switch to T20s and new faces change their fortunes and the Sydney series?

There is no room for error for England

England have been outplayed in the 50-over stage of the multi-format series, with Friday’s massive 86-run defeat in Hobart the latest sobering setback after Melbourne and Sydney.

Australia have a 6-0 lead in the points table and, it seems almost instantly, need just one more win to retain The Ashes.

For England, the equation is simple. Only a clean sweep of three T20s and a series-concluding Test match will do if their decade-long wait for Ashes glory is to end.

Overturning Australia’s convincing lead will be anything but easy given the hosts’ dominance so far, but as long as there is an opportunity to upset the odds, England must forget what has gone before and focus solely on remaining unblemished.

‘We are still alive’ – English captain Knight is fighting

England may be struggling in Australia, but it’s not as if this is uncharted territory, having bravely fought back from 6-0 down on home soil to draw the 2023 series 8-8 with Australia.

It wasn’t enough to fight The Ashes then, and it won’t be enough this time either, but with her team on the brink of defeat, England captain Knight remains defiant.

“We’re still alive, we’re still in it. We’ve got to keep believing,” Knight said. “It will be difficult, but we have been here before.

“The last Ashes it was 6-0 and we managed to turn it around. We took it game by game and turned it around a bit.

“I think the change of format is really good for us, T20 is one of our best formats and I think that bit of a reset will help us. T20 is a format that a lot of girls like to play and I hope that change will benefit us a lot. “

New format, faces to improve England’s fortunes?

With the ODI leg of the multi-format series now over, the switch to T20s should work in England’s favour.

The format is arguably England’s strongest, with Knight’s side winning seven of their eight T20s ahead of The Ashes, including a 3-0 T20 whitewash on their recent tour of South Africa.

“I think the format change is really good for us. T20 is one of our best formats and I think that bit of a reset will be beneficial for us,” Knight added.

“T20 is a format that a lot of girls like to play and I hope this change will do us a lot of good.”

With the new format comes fresh faces as England’s T20 team takes over from their ODI counterparts for Monday’s crucial clash in Sydney.

All-rounder Freya Kemp, spinner Linsey Smith and wicketkeeper Bess Heath will join the squad for the T20 leg, with Tammy Beaumont, Kate Cross and Ryana MacDonald-Gay dropped to begin preparations for the final Test match at the MCG.

“I think the change of format will lift the mood and relax everyone,” said Nat Sciver-Brunt. “There are new recruits who will bring us energy, we are looking forward to returning to Sydney.”

Women’s Ashes 2025 schedule

All dates and times UK and Ireland

• First ODI: Saturday, January 11 – North Sydney Oval – Australia won by four wickets
• Other ODIs: Monday 13 January – Junction Oval, Melbourne – Australia won by 21 runs
• Third ODI: Thursday 16 January – Ninja Stadium, Hobart – Australia won by 86 runs
• First T20I: 8.40am Monday 20th January – Sydney Cricket Ground
• Second T20I: 8.40am Thursday 23 January – Manuka Oval, Canberra
• Third T20I: 8.10am Saturday January 25 – Adelaide Oval
• Test: 3.30am Thursday 30 January – Sunday 2 February – MCG, Melbourne