England coach John Lewis said his team was in a “really good position” for the Ashes series in Australia, which he described as cricket’s “toughest challenge”.
Lewis’ side bounced back from their T20 World Cup disappointment with a dominant multi-format series win in South Africa.
The Women’s Ashes begins with three ODIs on January 11, followed by three T20s and a single Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on January 30.
It’s going to be a huge year ahead.
Lewis said: “We had a really good preparation after a really successful tour of South Africa.
“We’re in a really good place. We’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on what happened at the World Cup and we’re in a better place now than when we boarded the plane to South Africa.
“It is a difficult and difficult challenge. Is this your most difficult challenge? Yes, probably.
“2025 is a huge year for us because winning the 50-over World Cup in India is also a big challenge. We have two very different challenges that we are really excited about.”
Heather Knight’s side are looking to win the Ashes for the first time in a decade, with Australia maintaining a thrilling winless series in England in 2023.
Australia also bounced back from the T20 World Cup disappointment of beating India 3-0 in a one-day international series and losing to South Africa in the semi-finals.
a tough challenge
Lewis added: “Their record should be respected and they should be respected as a team. We know how difficult it is to play top cricket in Australia.
“I think what we will focus on more than our opponents will be ourselves and how we want to play.
“If we play our best cricket it will be a competitive series. We hope everyone will have a thoroughly enjoyable time, just like we did a few years ago in England.
“We’re pretty confident, but we also know how big of a challenge it is for any team to play against Australia.”
ash squad
England have named four potential Ashes debutants in their squad.
All-rounder Freya Kemp and spinner Linsey Smith have both been named in the T20 squad, while wicketkeeper Bess Heath has been included in the T20 and Test squads, with the trio competing to make their Ashes debut.
Seamer Ryana MacDonald-Gay has also been included in the Test squad after impressing on her debut on the recent tour of South Africa.
Nat Sciver-Brunt will be a key figure in England’s pursuit of the Ashes after a superb year that culminated in her scoring the fastest century in a women’s Test against South Africa off just 96 balls.
Read more: England name four potential Women’s Ashes debutants in series squad
