Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey
Women’s Ashes Test Preview Dream11: England v Australia. ENG Women vs AUS Women Ashes Test Preview.
Preview written by Aaron Murphy. Twitter: @AaronMurphyFS
England face an unenviable uphill battle to save The Ashes: they must find just their second Test win in over a decade (W1, D3, L3 since) to remain any hope of rescuing their prospects of winning this series. The preparation since the end of the ODI series has been ideal, with key players enjoying plenty of exposure to the red ball in tour games.
Australia, regardless of the XI they will settle on, possess a bowling attack that will likely turn said uphill battle into a treacherous mountain climb – 141 of a potential 150 ODI wickets since the last 50-over World Cup is all you need to know to grasp the task that the hosts face on this occasion. Any forecasted rain will be more than welcomed by the Australians, given a draw is enough for them to retain the trophy.
Also read: CricBlog’s WC team of the tournament! Do you agree with it?
Key to an England win
Sadly for England, this game could be lost at the coin toss, with some remarkable numbers to ponder: not only have just one of the last 13 Tests in England been won by the team to have had the coin land the wrong way (and that was England against a very weak South African opposition in 2003), but Australia have not lost a single Test after winning the coin toss in the last 85 years!
Should they be granted the opportunity to bat first, England’s top order have every reason to approach this game in a confident and fearless manner after a brutal domination of Australia A across the weekend: Australia A were able to claim just three wickets combined across two innings of 85 and 78 overs, with Amy Jones, Tammy Beaumont and Natalie Sciver all compiling unbeaten centuries before retiring. After a very lean ODI series, captain Heather Knight would also be pleased with two unbeaten scores in the sixties.
Key to an Australia win
Ten first-innings wickets. Australia’s bowlers were able to make light work of a 14-player English Academy side that boasted ten players with international experience, ranging all the way from Freya Davies’ three T20Is against Sri Lanka, all the way up to Danielle Wyatt who is approaching her second decade of international cricket. Perhaps most pleasingly, five separate bowlers were able to snag two or more across the 240-run victory. With only a draw required in the grand scheme of things, bowling England out in their first dig should give them enough control to manufacture either of the two results that favour them.
With 16 of the last 23 Ashes Tests resulting in a draw, recent history suggests Australia have all the advantages going into this fixture: the incumbency of trophy holders, the potential for extended showers across the second and third days, and a potentially friendly wicket for ODI world number one bowler Megan Schutt who can’t wait to “bring the (red) ball back to life” as well as the feisty and quick Tayla Vlaeminck – the pick of the Aussie bowlers during the tour match against the Academy (match figures of 5/50).
Possible Playing 11
Sarah Taylor and Georgia Elwiss look set to return from injury for England, while Stars’ vice-captain Rachael Haynes expects to recover from quad tightness sustained in the tour match and could join as many as three Australian debutants.
England: 1. Amy Jones, 2. Tammy Beaumont, 3. Heather Knight (c), 4. Georgia Elwiss, 5. Sarah Taylor (wk), 6. Natalie Sciver, 7. Danielle Wyatt, 8. Anya Shrubsole, 9. Laura Marsh, 10. Sophie Ecclestone, 11. Kate Cross
Australia: 1. Nicole Bolton, 2. Beth Mooney, 3. Ellyse Perry, 4. Meg Lanning (c), 5. Alyssa Healy (wk), 6. Rachael Haynes, 7. Sophie Molineux, 8. Alyssa Gardner, 9. Nicola Carey, 10. Megan Schutt, 11. Tayla Vlaeminck
Dream11 Prediction
Option 1:
Option 2:
Also read: CricBlog WC team of the tournament! Do you agree with it?
Stats and Facts
- Tammy Beaumont is one of just two players in the world to have compiled over 1000 ODI runs since the last 50-over World Cup in 2017.
- The average first innings Test score in the UK this century is 233.
- Just two of 14 tests played in the UK this decade have been won by the team to have lost the toss.
Match Prediction
Australia are flying high off the back of 12 consecutive ODI victories (just five short of their own world record of 17 from 1997-99) and, despite six uncapped Test players in their squad, have the right kind of selection headache.
Unfortunately, the weather might have a bit to say about this one. England will need to pull out an incredible performance to win in spite of any potential rain and an ODI whitewash.
Preview written by Aaron Murphy. Twitter: @AaronMurphyFS
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