Australia, England set for high-profile ICC women's championship series

The intense rivalry between the two teams was seen most recently in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017, when England completed a thrilling three-run victory over Australia in Bristol. But the competitiveness between the two teams was lent additional interest as England displaced Australia from the top ranking for the first time, when the annual updates were carried out earlier this month.

Australia were comfortable winners of the inaugural edition of the ICC Women’s Championship but face a fierce challenge upfront in the new cycle from 2017-2020 that runs on the same format as the first edition with all eight sides – India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the Windies being the other sides in the competition - taking on each other in a series of three ODIs on a home or away basis.

World Cup 2021 hosts New Zealand and the three other top teams from this championship will gain direct qualification for ICC’s pinnacle 50-over event while the remaining four sides will get a second chance through the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier event. In the ICC Women’s Championship, teams get two points for each win, one point for a tie or no-result and no points for a loss.

Rachael Haynes, who will lead Australia in the absence of injured captain Meg Lanning, understands that this is going to be a challenging series.

Australia captain Rachael Haynes: “England and Australia have always been pretty big traditional rivals. To have the top two ranked teams come together and play in a series like this is going to make for a great spectacle.

“We have had some close games along the way. We had a pretty good lead-in from the domestic competitions, from our perspective we are shaping up very well. One of the strengths of Australian cricket is the depth that we have.

“It’s really an exciting position to be in. It is going to be a really tough team to pick, so we would much rather be in that position than sort of wonder who is going to do what. We have a balanced team, while for England, Katherine Brunt and Any Shrubsole have a great record.”

England captain Heather Knight is expecting some close matches against their arch rivals but concedes the opposition has the home advantage.

England captain Heather Knight: “It’s always tough playing against Australia. They’re a very strong outfit with a good mix of youth and experience. Playing them on their home soil makes it a bit tougher. Our game against Australia was one of the highlights of the World Cup. It was such a memorable game and we were thrilled to get over the line. I think there will be some similarly close games in this series.

“We’re in a good place after the World Cup but we want to keep moving forward. We’ve got a nice mix of experience and younger players who will be playing in their first ashes series. Young or old, we want to keep on improving as cricketers and as a team.

“There’s nothing different from our point of view. We know we are going to have to play extremely well to win over here. There are a number of match-winners on either side and it will be a close contest. We know we need to be at our best across the board to be in with a chance of winning the Ashes.”

In the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings, Australia all-rounder Ellyse Perry is the leading batter in the absence of top-ranked Lanning, while vice-captain Alex Blackwell goes into the series ranked seventh. Among their bowlers, Jess Jonassen is ranked third while Perry is in 10th position.

For England, Natalie Sciver is the leading batter in eighth position while Sarah Taylor is ranked 10th. Among their bowlers, Katherine Brunt is ranked fifth while Anya Shrubsole is in seventh position.

As for the team rankings, which takes into account performances across formats, the winners will finish as the top ranked side at the end of the series. Presently, England and Australia are both on 128 points with England ahead on decimal points. New Zealand are third with 118 points while India are only two points behind in fourth place.

Series scenarios:

Australia win 3-0: Australia 132 points, England 125 points

Australia win 2-1: Australia 129 points, England 127 points

England win 3-0: England 132 points, Australia 125 points

England win 2-1: England 130 points, Australia 127 points

In the first series of the ICC Women’s Championship, the Windies completed a 3-0 triumph over Sri Lanka to notch a full six points. In other first round series, Pakistan host New Zealand in the United Arab Emirates (31 October to 5 November) and South Africa play at home against India (5 to 10 February 2018).

Australia v England IWC series itinerary:

22 October: 1st IWC ODI, Brisbane

26 October: 2nd IWC ODI, Coffs Harbour

29 October: 3rd IWC ODI, Coffs Harbour

Squads:

Australia: Rachael Haynes (captain), Kristen Beams, Alex Blackwell, Nicole Bolton, Lauren Cheatle, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington.

England: Heather Knight (captain), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Georgia Elwiss, Jenny Gunn, Alex Hartley, Danielle Hazell, Laura Marsh, Natalie Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Sarah Taylor, Fran Wilson, Lauren Winfield, Danni Wyatt.