It might be billed as one summer two Ashes, but the men’s and women’s editions are different, with the women taking on Australia in an innovative multi-format series.
The men’s Ashes sees England and Australia pit themselves against each other across five Test matches, each lasting up to five days.
Either team can secure victory if their wins cannot be matched by the other, for example a 3-0 lead or 3-1 with just one Test left.
The one who finishes with the win will lift the Ashes– or retain the urn if the series finishes in a draw.
The women will face each other across all three of cricket’s main disciplines. They will play one Test match, three Twenty20 internationals and three one-day internationals.
The Test match is worth 4 points if a team wins, and the points will be shared (2 apiece) if the game finishes in a draw.
Both the T20 and ODI’s are worth 2 points each, and whoever finishes with the most points will win the Ashes.
England lost the Test match at Trent Bridge, and the first T20 international, but fought back, winning at Lord’s and the Oval to keep their hopes alive going into the one-day series.
Lord’s was a key match and was played in front of a bi-lateral series record crowd for women’s cricket of more than 21,000
LV= Insurance Test Match, Women’s Ashes Series
Thu 22-26 June 2023 - Trent Bridge - Australia won (0-4)
Vitality IT20s, Women’s Ashes Series
Sat 1 July 2023 - Edgbaston - Australia won (0-6)
Wed 5 July 2023 - Kia Oval - England won (2-6)
Sat 8 July 2023 - Lord’s - England won (4-6)
One Day Internationals, Women’s Ashes Series
Wed 12 July 2023 - Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol - England won (6-6)
Sun 16 July 2023 - Ageas Bowl
Tue 18 July 2023 - Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton
The T20 series was the first defeat Australia have suffered since 2017, a big success for England against a side widely regarded as the best in the world.
The ODI’s at Bristol, Taunton and Southampton are all sold out, and if England can win the first one at Bristol, it will make the series even at 6-6.
Women’s Test cricket has been rare in recent years, and England have only just started to pull on their whites outside of the Ashes in the last few years – playing against India and South Africa in addition to the series down under in the winter of 2021-22.
If at the end of July, the points are shared, it finishes in a draw and Australia will retain the urn as they won the previous series.
