The Women's Ashes

Last updated

The Women's Ashes
CountriesFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Flag of England.svg  England
Administrator International Cricket Council
FormatMixed, points based system
First edition 1934–35 (Australia)
Latest edition 2024–25 (Australia)
Tournament formatSeries
Current championFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Most successfulFlag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia (11 titles)
Most runs Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ellyse Perry (1761) [a] [1]
Most wickets Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ellyse Perry (66) [a] [2]

The Women's Ashes is the perpetual trophy in women's international cricket series between England and Australia. The name derives from the historic precedent of the Ashes in cricket and, until 2013, was similarly decided exclusively on the outcomes of Test matches.

Contents

Since the Australian tour of England in 2013, the competition is decided on a points system, taking account of One-Day Internationals and Twenty20 International matches as well as Tests. Four (previously six) points [3] are awarded for a Test victory (two points to each side in the event of a draw), and two points for a victory in a limited-overs game.

History

Heralded in 1931, [4] the first women's Test series between England and Australia—the first women's Test series anywhere—was played in 1934–35. [5] At that time, according to the English captain, Betty Archdale, women played only "for love of the game" and did not wish to be associated with the male concepts of Tests and Ashes. [6]

A total of 24 series have taken place, with 51 Test matches played (and one scheduled Test abandoned). The length of series has varied between one and five Tests. Series have been played biennially since 2001, with only one or two tests played in a series. Since the 2013 series, One Day Internationals and Twenty20 International matches have counted, as well as Tests, toward the trophy result. As of 2015, a Test victory is worth four points (two to each side for a draw), and two points are awarded for victory in a limited-overs match. [3]

Australian Beth Mooney batting in the 2017-18 Women's Ashes Test at North Sydney Oval with England's Sarah Taylor keeping wicket behind her. 2017-18 W Ashes A v E Test 17-11-10 Mooney (02).jpg
Australian Beth Mooney batting in the 2017–18 Women's Ashes Test at North Sydney Oval with England's Sarah Taylor keeping wicket behind her.

In February 2007, England Women travelled to Australia to defend the Women's Ashes, doing so successfully by winning the one-off Test in Bowral by six wickets. In July 2009, England retained the Women's Ashes after the one-off test at Worcester ended in a draw. In January 2011 Australia was victorious, winning a one-off test in Sydney. England regained the trophy on the new points system in August 2013, and successfully defended it in a series played in Australia in January–February 2014. [7] Australia succeeded in regaining the trophy during the 2015 series played in England. [8]

Since that series, Australia has retained the trophy in five consecutive series—2017–18, 2019, 2021–22, 2023 and 2024–25—making them the current holder of the trophy. [9]

Trophy

Before the ODI series in July 1998, the president of the Women's Cricket Association, Norma Izard devised a way for the women to have a trophy of their own, like the Ashes urn. The England and Australia players both signed a miniature cricket bat which was burned at Lord's in a wok alongside a copy of the Women's Cricket Association (WCA) constitution and rulebook, as the WCA had voted 4 months earlier to merge with England and Wales Cricket Board. [10] Izard had commissioned a trophy to hold them: a wooden cricket ball [11] carved from yew. [10]

The plaque commemorating the Women's Ashes trophy creation at Lord's. Women's Ashes plaque.jpg
The plaque commemorating the Women's Ashes trophy creation at Lord's.

Following the 2001 series, the Australian team took an empty replica home with them and the ball containing the ashes remained in the Lord's museum. However, in the intervening years, one of the two wooden balls went missing. [10] When the ECB and Cricket Australia commissioned a new trophy, the remaining ball became the focal point of the new trophy, inside nine stumps. [12] Because of this, it remains unclear if the modern trophy contains those original ashes or not. [10]

In July 2023, to mark the 25th anniversary of the trophy's creation, the MCC unveiled a plaque at Lord's. [13]

Results summary

PlayedWon by
Australia
Won by
England
DrawnRef
All series261169 [14]
Series in Australia13733 [14]
Series in England13436 [14]

Series

Series decided on Test results:

SeriesSeasonPlayed inFirst matchTests
played (sched)
Tests won
by Australia
Tests won
by England
Tests drawnSeries resultHolder at
series end
1 1934–35 Australia28 December 19343021EnglandEngland
2 1937 England12 June 19373111DrawnEngland
3 1948–49 Australia15 January 19493102AustraliaAustralia
4 1951 England16 June 19513111DrawnAustralia
5 1957–58 Australia7 February 19583 (4)003DrawnAustralia
6 1963 England15 June 19633012EnglandEngland
7 1968–69 Australia27 December 19683003DrawnEngland
8 1976 England19 June 19763003DrawnEngland
9 1984–85 Australia13 December 19845212AustraliaAustralia
10 1987 England1 August 19873102AustraliaAustralia
11 1991–92 Australia19 February 19921100AustraliaAustralia
12 1998 England6 August 19983003DrawnAustralia
13 2001 England24 June 20012200AustraliaAustralia
14 2002–03 Australia15 February 20032101AustraliaAustralia
15 2005 England9 August 20052011EnglandEngland
16 2007–08 Australia15 February 20081010EnglandEngland
17 2009 England10 July 20091001DrawnEngland
18 2010–11 Australia22 January 20111100AustraliaAustralia

Series decided on a points system:

SeriesSeasonPlayed inFirst matchTestODIsTwenty20sAustralia pointsEngland pointsSeries resultHolder at series end
19 2013 England11 August 2013DrawnEng 2–1 AusEng 3–0 Aus412EnglandEngland
20 2013–14 Australia10 January 2014EngAus 2–1 EngAus 2–1 Eng810EnglandEngland
21 2015 England21 July 2015AusEng 1–2 AusEng 2–1 Aus106AustraliaAustralia
22 2017–18 Australia22 October 2017DrawnAus 2–1 EngAus 1–2 Eng88DrawnAustralia
23 2019 England2 July 2019DrawnEng 0–3 AusEng 1–2 Aus124AustraliaAustralia
24 2021–22 Australia20 January 2022DrawnAus 3–0 EngAus 1–0 Eng
(2 no results)
124AustraliaAustralia
25 2023 England22 June 2023AusEng 2−1 AusEng 2−1 Aus88DrawnAustralia
26 2024–25 Australia12 January 2025AusAus 3–0 EngAus 3-0 Eng160AustraliaAustralia

Player statistics

Tests (until 2010–11)

Batting

Most runs [20]
Runs PlayerMatchesHighest Average 10050Span
1024 Flag of England.svg Jan Brittin 1116756.88351984–1998
919 Flag of England.svg Myrtle Maclagan 1211943.76261934–1951
896 Flag of England.svg Charlotte Edwards 10114* 56.00171998–2011
874 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Karen Rolton 11209* 58.26241998–2009
740 Flag of England.svg Rachael Heyhoe Flint 917949.33241963–1976

Bowling

Most wickets [21]
Wickets PlayerMatchesBBI Average Economy 510Span
53 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Betty Wilson 97/712.691.67311949–1958
52 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Cathryn Fitzpatrick 95/2918.262.01201998–2005
51 Flag of England.svg Myrtle Maclagan 127/1016.901.68201934–1951
47 Flag of England.svg Mary Duggan 117/614.761.88301949–1963
31 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peggy Antonio 66/4913.902.61301934–1937

Multi-format (from 2013)

Player names in bold text are current international players.

Batting (all matches)

Most runs [1] [b]
Runs PlayerMatchesHighest Average 10050Span
1693 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ellyse Perry 36213* 62.72122013-2023
1182 Flag of England.svg Heather Knight 3315735.821102013-2023
1119 Flag of England.svg Nat Sciver-Brunt 3412937.30252013-2023
1033 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Meg Lanning 25133* 39.73262013-2019
774 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alyssa Healy 327125.8062013-2023

Updated to include 2023 Women's Ashes, however some matches for the 2021-22 Women's Ashes are missing from the records.

Bowling (all matches)

Most wickets [2] [b]
Wickets PlayerMatchesBBI Average Economy 5Span
59 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ellyse Perry 427/2216.292.7932013-2023
45 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Megan Schutt 284/2219.153.3602013-2023
41 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jess Jonassen 344/3826.463.8602013-2023
39 Flag of England.svg Katherine Sciver-Brunt 266/6929.033.612013-2022
37 Flag of England.svg Sophie Ecclestone 175/6325.083.5722017-2023

Updated to include 2023 Women's Ashes however some matches for the 2021-22 Women's Ashes are missing from the records..

  1. 1 2 Unfortunately, some matches from the 2021-22 series have been excluded from the record, meaning these numbers are likely an underestimation.
  2. 1 2 For any player who participated in the series prior to 2013, those scores have been subtracted to achieve their post 2013 records.

References

  1. 1 2 "Records / Women's Ashes/ All matches / Most runs". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Records / Women's Ashes/ All matches / Most wickets". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  3. 1 2 (Formerly six points were awarded for a Test victory, prior to the 2015 series.) Women's Ashes 2015: England v Australia schedule announced, BBC News, 11 November 2014.
  4. Cricket Booming Among Women in "Woman's Ways" feature, The Worker (Brisbane) , 29 April 1931, at Trove
  5. English Women's Team Kalgoorlie Miner , 12 March 1947, at Trove
  6. Women Cricketers. No Ashes or Tests. Playing for Love of Game The Sydney Morning Herald , 21 Nov 1934, at Trove
  7. England retains women's Ashes with nine-wicket Twenty20 win against Australia ABC News (Australia), 29 January 2014.
  8. Collins Adam. "Women's Ashes: Australia clinches the series with 20-run win over England in second T20 in Hove" ABC News, 29 August 2015
  9. "Aussies remain unbeaten, clinch Ashes series win as Test squad named". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Let there be Ashes". Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  11. Starting a tradition: Australia and England to play for Women's Ashes at sportsillustrated.cnn.com, 20 July 1998. Accessed 4 September 2013
  12. The Women’s Ashes Trophy Made in Kyneton Archived 2013-11-13 at the Wayback Machine Kyneton Connect , August 2013
  13. "MCC celebrate creation of Women's Ashes at Lord's ahead of England v Australia T20 clash | Lord's". www.lords.org. 7 July 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Records – Women's Ashes –All Matches- Team Records". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  15. "Statsguru Records – Women's Ashes from 2013 – Team Records". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  16. 1 2 "Records – Women's Ashes until 2011 – Team Records". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  17. "Records – Women's Ashes –All Matches- Team Records". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  18. "Records – Women's Ashes –All Matches in Australia- Team Records". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  19. "Records – Women's Ashes –All Matches in Australia- Team Records". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  20. "Records – Women's Ashes until 2011 – Most runs". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  21. "Records – Women's Ashes until 2011 – Most wickets". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 21 August 2015.

Further reading