England Women vs Australia Women – Test Match Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is England Women vs Australia Women taking place? Thursday, 18th July, 11:00
Where England Women vs Australia Women taking place? Taunton
What is the expected weather for England Women vs Australia Women? Rain expected on day two and three but should otherwise be cloudy and playable
What channel is England Women vs Australia Women on? The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Cricket
Where can I stream England Women vs Australia Women? England Women vs Australia Women will be streamed live on the Sky Go app
Are tickets still available for England Women vs Australia Women? Tickets are still available for purchase here!
LAST MEETING
Match drawn
THE TEAM NEWS
ENGLAND WOMEN
- England Women come into this one-off Test match knowing they have to win to keep the Ashes series alive after they lost the one-day series 3-0 and they currently sit 6-0 behind their rivals in the series.
- Pace bowler Katherine Brunt and left-arm spinner Kirstie Gordon have both recovered from injuries to take their places in the squad for this match while Fran Wilson and Alex Hartley are on standby outside of the squad of 13.
- In what is a must-win match to stay alive in the series, England will look to skipper Heather Knight and key players such as Tammy Beaumont, Nat Sciver, Anya Shrubsole and Sarah Taylor for inspiration to bounce back after the poor ODI series.
AUSTRALIA WOMEN
- Australia come into this Test match flying in confidence as they hammered England in the ODI series and they know that a draw or a victory at Taunton will be enough for them to retain the Ashes here.
- Star all-rounder Ellyse Perry has been the standout figure in the ODI matches as she took seven wickets in the final match which saw England bowled out for just 75, and she will take more confidence from the fact that she hit an unbeaten double century the last time Australia faced England in a Test match in 2017.
- Vice-captain Rachael Haynes has passed a fitness test and she will be able to play here while talented spinning all-rounder Sophie Molineux did her chances of a Test spot no harm whatsoever with a strong performance in the warm-up match against the England Academy.
THE PREDICTION
The pressure is entirely on England coming into this game after suffering a 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series and anything other than a win for them will see opponents Australia retain the Ashes. That will force them to be aggressive but they will still have to be cautious to a degree against this talented Aussie line-up. The very fact Australia only need a draw in a Test match at Taunton that is likely to be affected by rain to a degree on the second and third days will give them greater confidence. It is difficult to see the tourists being beaten given their quality, but this could very well play out as a draw with both batting line-ups having sufficient quality to spend long spells at the crease.
