England in last-chance saloon with Women’s Ashes hopes hinging on crucial first T20 against Australia

England’s hopes of regaining the Women’s Ashes hang by a thread. Heather Knight’s side are in the last-chance saloon, but could the switch to T20 and fresh faces transform their fortunes and the series in Sydney?

No room for error for England

England have been outclassed in the 50-over leg of the multi-format series, with Friday’s thumping 86-run loss in Hobart the latest sobering setback after Melbourne and Sydney.

Australia have a 6-0 lead on the points table and, almost within an instant it seems, require just one more victory to retain The Ashes.

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

Overturning Australia’s commanding lead will be anything but straightforward given the hosts’ dominance thus far, but as long as a chance to upset the odds remains possible, England must forget what has gone before and focus solely on remaining flawless.

‘We’re still alive’ – England captain Knight fighting

England may well be toiling in Australia, but it isn’t as if this is uncharted territory, having valiantly fought back from 6-0 down on home soil to draw the 2023 series 8-8 with Australia.

That wasn’t enough to wrestle back 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,” said Knight. “It’s going to be tough, but we’ve been here before.

“The last Ashes was 6-0 and we were able to turn it around. We kept it game by game and got on a bit of a roll.

“I think the change of format is really good for us, T20 is one of our best formats and I think that little reset will do us some good. T20 is a format a lot of the girls love playing and I hope that change will do us a lot of good.”

New format, faces to improve England’s fortunes?

With the ODI leg of the multi-format series now concluded, the switch to T20s should favour England.

The format is arguably England’s strongest, with Knight’s team 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 change of format is really good for us. T20 is one of our best formats and I think that little reset will do us some good,” Knight added.

“T20 is a format a lot of the girls love playing and I hope that change will do us a lot of good.”

With the new format comes fresh faces, as England’s T20 squad picks up the baton from their ODI counterparts for Monday’s pivotal 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 stepping aside to begin preparations for the series-ending Test match at the MCG.

“I think a change of format will lift the spirits and loosen everyone,” said Nat Sciver-Brunt. “There are new recruits who will bring us energy, we look forward to going back 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
• Second ODI: Monday January 13 – Junction Oval, Melbourne – Australia won by 21 runs
• Third ODI: Thursday January 16 – Ninja Stadium, Hobart – Australia won by 86 runs
• First T20I: 8.40am, Monday January 20 – Sydney Cricket Ground
• Second T20I: 8.40am, Thursday January 23 – Manuka Oval, Canberra
• Third T20I: 8.10am, Saturday January 25 – Adelaide Oval
• Test: 3.30am, Thursday Jan 30-Sunday Feb 2 – MCG, Melbourne