Clare Connor has given short shrift to anyone who thinks the England and Australia women’s teams should not compete for the ‘Ashes’.
The two sides have competed against each other since the 1930s but it was not until 1998 that they adopted the Ashes moniker that the men’s side have used since the 1880s.
Ahead of a special event at Lord’s to commemorate the creation of the Women’s Ashes 25 years ago, the former England captain was asked to respond to those who believe the Ashes title should solely be used in men’s cricket.
“Then it shouldn’t be the men’s World Cup because we played it first,” Connor said. “Women played the first-ever World Cup in 1973 – another one of the amazing things pioneering Rachael Heyhoe-Flint did – and the first men’s World Cup was played in 1975.
“It shouldn’t be the Ashes and the women’s Ashes, it should be the Men’s Ashes and Women’s Ashes in the same way all the other tournaments are.”
“We’ve worked hard on references so it’s not the Cricket World Cup and the Women’s Cricket World Cup, it’s the Men’s Cricket World Cup and Women’s Cricket World Cup.”
The Women’s Ashes were created the day before a one-day international between the two teams in the Harris Garden at Lord’s, when a mini cricket bat signed by both Australia and England players was burnt along with a copy of the Women’s Cricket Association constitution. Then the ashes were put into a hollow wooden cricket ball, which formed the first trophy.
Since the Women’s Ashes became a multi-format series ten years ago, the same ball has been repurposed in a rather grander trophy and is surrounded by nine golden stumps.
Ahead of Saturday’s third T20 match of this Women’s Ashes series at Lord’s, MCC president Stephen Fry will unveil a plaque in the Harris Garden to honour that moment in cricket history.
Connor, who is now the managing director of England Women at the ECB, was part of the ceremony in 1998 and said: “It’s really special to have that place marked with a plaque, a brilliant moment in time etched in that part of Lord’s forever.”
England trail 6-2 in the multi-format series and must win the final T20 at Lord’s on Saturday evening to keep alive their hopes of regaining the Ashes going into the three one-day internationals.
How does the Women’s Ashes work?
The Women’s Ashes is a multi-format series, combining 20-over, 50-over, and Test cricket. The women play a single five-day Test – a change from previous years where a four-day Test was played – as well as three one-day internationals and three T20s.
The series uses a points system, with a Test victory worth four points (two points each in the event of a draw), and each ODI and T20 win worth two points (one point each if drawn).
England are bidding to reclaim the Women’s Ashes after Australia’s resounding 12-4 victory in 2022.
Women’s Ashes fixtures and full schedule
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Test match, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, June 22-26 (Australia won by 89 runs)
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1st T20I, Edgbaston, Birmingham, July 1, 6.35pm (Australia won by four wickets)
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2nd T20I, The Oval, London, July 5, 6pm (England won by three runs)
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3rd T20I, Lord’s, London, July 8, 6.35pm
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1st ODI, The Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol, July 12, 1pm
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2nd ODI – The Ageas Bowl, Southampton, July 16, 11am
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3rd ODI – The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, July 18, 1pm
No grounds in the north of England have been selected, with Headingley and Old Trafford (which both host men’s Ashes Tests) missing out.
Tickets for the women’s Ashes are still available and can be purchased direct from the England and Wales Cricket Board by clicking here.
What UK TV channel is the Women’s Ashes on?
Live coverage
Every match of the Women’s Ashes series is being broadcast live on Sky Sports, on its Cricket and Main Event channels, apart from the first T20 International on July 1 which will be on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer
Sky’s pundits include Nick Knight, Isa Guha, Mel Jones, Simon Doull, Mark Butcher, Charlotte Edwards, Lydia Greenway, Lauren Winfield-Hill and Charles Dagnall.
TV highlights
Highlights of all matches are available on Today at the Test on BBC 2 and BBC iPlayer, starting at 7pm after each day of play.
Radio coverage
Test Match Special has ball-by-ball coverage of the entire series on 5 Live Sports Extra and the BBC Sounds app. The BBC is using the commentary and punditry team engaged for the the men’s Ashes – Jonathan Agnew, Isa Guha, Simon Mann, Alison Mitchell, Daniel Norcross and Jim Maxwell, with summarisers Michael Vaughan, Sir Alastair Cook, Phil Tufnell, Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Ebony Rainford Brent, Vic Marks, Moeen Ali and Alex Hartley, with Andy Zaltzman returning as scorer – complemented by Melinda Farrell, Henry Moeran, Melissa Story, Emily Windsor, Anya Shrubsole, Georgia Elwiss and Alex Blackwell.
What is the history of the Women’s Ashes?
There were 18 Test-only series of the Women’s Ashes, held sporadically, from 1934 to 2011, Australia winning seven, England four and the rest being drawn.
The multi-format aspect was introduced in 2013, with England winning the first Ashes to use the new points system.
The series has been squeezed into a shorter time period so as not to clash with The Hundred, which begins on August 1.
What is England’s record in the Women’s Ashes?
Australia have the better record in the Women’s Ashes over both guises, recording 10 victories to England’s six. Eight of the 24 series have ended in a draw, although only one of these ties has happened after the expansion to all three formats.
England have won just one of the three Ashes series played on home soil since 2013, and have won just three of the 12 series hosted in England overall – one fewer than Australia.
The last four Women’s Ashes have produced three wins for Australia and one draw, with England last tasting victory during their 2013-14 tour when they triumphed 10-8. England endured a miserable trip Down Under for the last Ashes series in 2022 when they were well beaten, failing to record a single win across the three formats and amassing just four points, two from the drawn Test and two by virtue of washouts.
Who is in the squads?
England
Heather Knight (captain), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Eccclestone, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver-Brunt (vice captain), Issy Wong, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danielle Wyatt
Australia
Alyssa Healy (captain), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham.
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