Australia all-rounder Ash Gardner and England opener Tammy Beaumont have called on cricket’s administrators to schedule three Tests in future women’s Ashes series in a bid to avoid the “novelty” factor of a one-off red ball fixture.
Cricket’s greatest rivalry resumes on Sunday at North Sydney Oval with Australia and England squaring off in the first of three T20s.
The Women’s Ashes are played as a multi-format series, with three T20s (Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart), three 50-over matches (Sydney, Canberra and Adelaide), and a Test at the MCG from January 30 to February 2.
Cricket Australia is hoping for a strong crowd at the four-day women’s Test – Australia’s first against England since an 89-run victory in Nottingham in June 2023.
T20 and ODI wins are worth two points – draws and ties are worth one point each – while the winner of the Test picks up four points.
The last time Australia’s women played back-to-back Tests was against England in the UK in 2005.
Ash Gardner of Australia and Tammy Beaumont of England pose for a photo on Wednesday at the SCG ahead of the Women’s Ashes. Credit: Getty Images
“I would love to see three-three-three (T20s, ODIs and Tests),” Gardner said at the SCG on Wednesday. “It’s obviously going to make the tours a lot longer. I’m not sure where you’re going to fit it in … knowing we have to play overseas competitions as well.
“It would be interesting to see where, over the next four to five years, that gets to. Personally, I would love to play more Test cricket against England. Playing the one Test kind of feels like a bit of a novelty sometimes.
“Being able to kind of fight out for more of a Test championship [would be great]. We obviously have some really good white-ball games against England and other nations around the world, but I think the way that our two teams match up. I think it would be a really cool Test series to see who would come out on top.
“I don’t think that’s probably going to change anytime soon.”
Women’s Ashes fixtures (all local times)
ODIs
- January 12: North Sydney Oval, Sydney (10:30am)
- January 14: Junction Oval, Melbourne (10:05am)
- January 17: Bellerive Oval, Hobart (10:05am)
T20s
- January 20: SCG, Sydney (7:15pm)
- January 23: Manuka Oval, Canberra (7:15pm)
- January 25: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (6:45pm)
Women’s Test
- January 30 to February 2: MCG, Melbourne (2:30pm)
Beaumont, who has played 10 Tests for England since 2013, says Australia’s recent men’s series against India showed the value of scheduling more matches.
“I completely agree with Ash. I think I’d love to see three-three-three,” Beaumont said. “The best thing about the Ashes is the narrative, the rivalry, and how it builds over time. You saw in the Australian men’s Test series, the narratives build in a five-match series.”
Outgoing Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley wants to see Australia play more nations in multi-format series but acknowledged that the condensed cricket calendar made it difficult.
“I think the opportunities and the international opportunities for women’s players are bigger than they’ve ever been before,” Hockley said.
“Scheduling is a real challenge. I’d love to see us play against a broader range of countries in that [multi-format series]. The challenge, as it remains, is the space in the calendar.”
Australia has not lost an Ashes series against England since 2013–14. The most recent series, in 2023 in the UK, ended in a tie at 8-8, meaning Australia retained the trophy.
“The Ashes in general is such a big series,” Gardner said. “It’s pretty much just behind the World Cup for us, in my opinion.”
With rain forecast across the week in Sydney, players could be greeted with a lively pitch for the 50-over match at North Sydney Oval on Sunday.
Beaumont was asked if light rain and the presence of a red double-decker bus at a media event made her feel more at home.
“Well actually, I’ve had more games rained off in Sydney in my career than most of the time in England,” Beaumont said with a laugh. “I am feeling pretty at home.”
