England and Australia cricketers pose ahead of women's Ashes 2025

The 2025 Women’s Ashes kicks off tomorrow (January 11) in Sydney, with the highly anticipated series set to be a blockbuster.

Both sides have had significant successes and challenges over the last year. Australia were knocked out of the T20 World Cup in the semi-final, while England crashed out after a disastrous fielding performance against West Indies. While England clean-swept their home summer, Australia have found new stars to compliment their experienced collective of world-beaters, Georgia Voll the newest addition to their ranks.

The series will take place across three weeks and three formats with little room for rest or slip ups. Here’s where it will be won and lost.

Survival of the fittest

The crammed schedule has been the subject of debate going into the series, with England head coach Jon Lewis the most vocal about the challenges it presents. Several of the white-ball games in the series will have only one day in between, with internal flights also presenting a recovery challenge to players. “My preference would be that there’s more space between the games, the players’ preference would be as well,” said Lewis. “I’m pretty sure we would have requested more space between the white ball [games] and the Test match, but the schedule came back as it was… I don’t think you’ll see consistent selection across the board from either side.”

The difficulties this present will be most sharply felt by the fast bowlers for both sides, although England’s crop of pacers are coming to the series carrying more injuries than Australia’s. Kate Cross sat out England’s only warm-up game suffering with a bulging disc in her back, while Dani Gibson and Freya Kemp are also returning from injury. How well each squad can maintain their players’ fitness to be ready for the Test at the end of the series will be a key area of concern.

Quicks to lead the way

Much of England’s hopes for an improvement this time around from their disappointing series in 2021/22 rests on the first Ashes tour down under for their exciting pace attack. Lauren Filer and Lauren Bell have yet to play an Ashes series in Australia, and the height of the former and the pace of the latter are significant points of difference. They will go up against Australia’s attack in Darcie Brown, Megan Schutt and Annabel Sutherland, who are experienced in using the bouncier conditions in Australia to their advantage.

Filer struggled in the shortened warm-up game England were able to fit in before the series, repeatedly losing her footing in her delivery stride, though wet conditions played a part. If Filer can overcome those early difficulties and adapt to the lengths required on Australian pitches, she could be a key player. The same applied to Bell in controlling the movement she gets on the ball on faster pitches.

Key players to the fore

Australia go into this series with an element of uncertainty over the role their captain will play. Alyssa Healy has struggled with a knee injury over the last four months and has yet to return to keeping on a full-time basis. She is likely to play at least the first match as a specialist batter, giving the gloves to Beth Mooney. Equally, Healy’s returns with the bat haven’t put Australia on the front foot as much as they did during her peak of 2018-2022. At her best, Healy comes out at the top of the order and sets the tone, uncompromising and destructive, she will need to find that gear again to keep England out of contention.

For England, Nat Sciver-Brunt, as ever, is their lynchpin. In 2023, in her own words she was able to do “crazy” things, as she dragged England back into contention after they went 4-0 down from the Test match. She will have to be at her best again to help England find that consistency they’ve lacked across the past year, and to outdo her ever rising opposite number, Sutherland.

Ultimate spin face-off

The two spin attacks on display are the best in the world, Ash Gardner and Sophie Ecclestone the two leaders of the pack. The Test in 2023 saw those two go up against each other as the two best in the business, both leaving records in their wake as they spun through the batting line-ups. Gardner eventually came out on top in that game, taking eight wickets in the final innings. Who manages to get the upper-hand this time will also be crucial.

Australia were dealt a blow before the series started when Sophie Molineux was ruled out of contention with a knee injury. That leaves Alana King and Georgia Wareham as the support acts, up against Charlie Dean and Sarah Glenn. If England’s spin attack can fire in the way it has over the last year, it could be a key area in gaining them the upper-hand.

Can England’s volatility settle to match Australia’s consistency?

Much of England’s difficulties over the last six months have stemmed from volatility on the field. Outside of their senior batters, their newer and returning faces have struggled to find consistency, while pushing through the fast-paced gameplay which took them two steps forward in 2023. Since then, their progress has stagnated, with players unable to find what’s been required in key moments.

If they are finally to win an Ashes in Australia, those players who have come in over the last couple of years must take a step up. Maia Bouchier will be key in this regard, as will Sophia Dunkley, Dani Gibson and Alice Capsey in the games they play. England have always had the star power to match Australia, what they’ve lacked is the secondary quality to provide the steel underneath. Those players have the stage to show that’s who they can be, and if they make that step, they will be able to go toe to toe with Australia again.

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