Lauren Filer: England fast bowler who could lead them to Women’s Ashes 2025 glory against Australia | Cricket news

Eighteen months ago, Trent Bridge, the 2023 Women’s Ashes Test, England unleashed an unusual gem of bowling on Australia. It just wasn’t what we expected.

Issy Wong burst onto the scene aged 20 when she made her England debut in all three formats the year before, and just three months earlier she scored a stunning hat-trick in the inaugural Women’s Premier League in India to see Mumbai Indians through to the final.

Wong was fast becoming the face of the Ashes, her image plastered across almost every advertising campaign surrounding the 2023 series, only to be overlooked for Test match selection in favor of the relatively unheralded Lauren Filer.

And the recently turned 24-year-old now carries the weight of England’s expectations on her shoulders as they prepare for the Ashes series Down Under, which begins on January 11, hoping for a first victory over their old foe in 11 years.

“That’s definitely going to be our toughest challenge,” Filer said Sky Sports. “Australia are a very, very good side, but it’s just a matter of picking up and building on everything we’ve done over the last few months – probably since the last Ashes, to be honest.

“Obviously it’s nervous, but I think we’re in a really good place and, actually, nerves are good nerves, it’s not ‘we’re not ready’ nerves. We’re just excited to go out there and play.”

The last time Filer faced the Aussies, her first delivery in international cricket on that sunny June day in Nottingham in 2023 saw the debutant’s extra burst hit Elyse Perry on the pads – but, crucially, over an inside edge that meant lbw the decision was overturned revision.

Filer went on to take four fours in the match, including Perry twice – bowling both her and Tahlia McGrath in back-to-back overs as part of a fiery second innings burst – as she showed both the skill and temperament to succeed at the elite level.

England have carefully managed Filera’s career since then, however, with Wong perhaps serving as a cautionary tale – struggling with the latter’s run which was painfully evident during her only appearance that summer in 2023, in a T20 against Sri Lanka, restricting her to just three since then there have been appearances with the white ball, all coming against Ireland.

Filer didn’t feature again for the rest of that 2023 multi-format Ashes, despite troubling Australia so much in the Test match. It was clear that England were playing the long game.

And since then, the fast bowler has had to remain patient. She has played in 12 of England’s 18 ODIs since hosting Australia 18 months ago and just seven of their 28 T20 internationals, including being overlooked for selection at the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup, on admittedly spin-friendly surfaces of the United Arab Emirates.

But during England’s recent series win in South Africa, Filer was the mainstay of the attack, exploiting the quicker and bouncier tracks that can also be expected in Australia.

Her 3-32 in the second ODI win in Durban was the fourth time the quick has taken three in more than her 12 matches in the 50-over format – stumpers Tazmin Brits, Sune Luus and Nonkululeko Mlaba were all smashed to defeat in the performance in a performance that was overshadowed only by Charlie Dean’s hat-trick.

Such a display was far from a fluke either, with eight of Filer’s 20 ODI wickets – at an average of just 17.65 – coming ‘away’, her extra pace consistently breaking the 70mph mark regularly chasing the opposition batsmen and defeats their defenses.

“With the role I play, I know I’m not necessarily going to hit every ball because I’m trying to throw as fast as I can,” Filer said.

“I think I have the support of [head coach Jon] Lewis and [captain] Heather [Knight] means it’s actually a really healthy place to be… because maybe before I played for England I didn’t necessarily feel that way.

“Other than that, I feel like the pitches here [Australia] they suit me just fine. I’m looking forward to the series, I hope to go out on the field and have fun.”

Filer stepped up for the tour of South Africa in December, replacing the injured Kate Cross as part of a devastating new partnership with Lauren Bell as England beat the Proteas by 286 runs in the series-ending Test match.

Bell was rightly named player of the match for her stunning figures of 8-76 back in Bloemfontein, but Filer’s 3-65 should not be overlooked and, on another day, she might earn richer prizes.

And who’s to say her day won’t come in Ashes? Filer is far from the unknown she was in the summer of 2023, but she’s still just as capable of striking fear into that top Australian order – not that she’s underestimating England’s esteemed opponents.

“They are a very, very good side, have been for years,” Filer said.

“It’s in their home country and obviously everyone around us will want us to lose. Looking back at the home Ashes a few years ago, I know how much the crowd made me want to do well, so I know how they can affect everyone in a way.

“But I think for us it’s all about focusing on what we do as a team. South Africa was also a good preparation for that, we played very, very good cricket there.

“I think we’re in a good place. It’s definitely going to be a challenging couple of weeks, but as long as we keep pushing, that’s the key.”

The face of this year’s Ashes? Maybe you’re just looking at her.

Women’s Ashes 2025 schedule

All dates and times UK and Ireland

• First ODI: 11.30pm, Saturday 11th January – North Sydney Oval
• Other ODIs: 23.05, Monday 13 January – Junction Oval, Melbourne
• Third ODI: 23.05, Thursday, January 16 – Ninja Stadium, Hobart
• 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