Surrey’s Alice Capsey, Sophia Dunkley, Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Ryana MacDonald-Gay have been selected in England’s squads for January’s multi-format Women’s Ashes series in Australia
Capsey, Dunkley and Wyatt-Hodge have been included in the ODI and IT20 squads. The series kicks off with a three-match ODI series from Saturday 11 January before a three-match IT20 series begins on Monday 20 January.
Seam bowler Ryana MacDonald-Gay joins Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt-Hodge in the squad for the Test match at the end of the series (30 January – 2 February, MCG). MacDonald-Gay made her Test debut in December’s 286-run victory over South Africa in Bloemfontein.
Heather Knight will captain the groups. Each T20 and ODI match is worth two points, with the four-day Test match worth four points. During the last Ashes in England in 2023, the tourists won the Test match at Trent Bridge but England triumphed in both white ball formats resulting in an eight-all draw overall.
All-rounder Freya Kemp and spinner Linsey Smith (both T20 squad only) and wicketkeeper-batter Bess Heath (T20 and Test squad) are named in Ashes squads for the first time. Meanwhile, seamer Ryanna MacDonald-Gay who took two wickets on her Test debut in the recent tour of South Africa, is also named in the Test squad.
England travel to Sydney on 2 January and will play a warm-up match against a Governor General’s XI on Thursday 9 January.
They’ll then contest ODIs in Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart before T20s in Sydney, Canberra and Adelaide. The four-day Test, the maiden day-night test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), will also end the multi-format series for the first time since it was introduced in 2015.
Bowler Mahika Gaur will be with the group continuing her return to bowling following the injury that made her unavailable for the recent South Africa tour.
Head coach Jon Lewis said: “We have named balanced squads for this Ashes series, with a good mix of youth and experience. Ashes series’ are always special. We want to go there, play our way, and are all excited about the challenges ahead.”
England Women ODI squad: Heather Knight (captain; Somerset), Tammy Beaumont (The Blaze), Lauren Bell (Hampshire), Maia Bouchier (Hampshire), Alice Capsey (Surrey), Kate Cross (Lancashire), Charlie Dean (Somerset), Sophia Dunkley (Surrey), Sophie Ecclestone (Lancashire), Lauren Filer (Durham), Sarah Glenn (The Blaze), Amy Jones (The Blaze), Nat Sciver-Brunt (The Blaze), Danni Wyatt-Hodge (Surrey)
England Women IT20 squad: Heather Knight (captain; Somerset), Lauren Bell (Hampshire), Maia Bouchier (Hampshire), Alice Capsey (Surrey), Charlie Dean (Somerset), Sophia Dunkley (Surrey), Sophie Ecclestone (Lancashire), Lauren Filer (Durham), Danielle Gibson (Somerset), Sarah Glenn (The Blaze), Bess Heath (Durham), Amy Jones (The Blaze), Freya Kemp (Hampshire) , Linsey Smith (Hampshire), Nat Sciver-Brunt (The Blaze), Danni Wyatt-Hodge (Surrey)
England Women Test squad: Heather Knight (captain; Somerset), Tammy Beaumont (The Blaze), Lauren Bell (Hampshire), Maia Bouchier (Hampshire), Kate Cross (Lancashire), Charlie Dean (Somerset), Sophia Dunkley (Surrey), Sophie Ecclestone (Lancashire), Lauren Filer (Durham), Bess Heath (Durham), Amy Jones (The Blaze), Ryana MacDonald-Gay (Surrey), Nat Sciver-Brunt (The Blaze), Danni Wyatt-Hodge (Surrey)
2025 Women’s Ashes schedule (UK dates and times)
CommBank Women’s Ashes ODI Series
11 January: North Sydney Oval, Sydney (11.30pm UK time)
13 January: Junction Oval, Melbourne (11.05pm UK time)
16 January: Bellerive Oval, Hobart (11.05pm UK time)
CommBank Women’s Ashes IT20 Series
20 January: SCG, Sydney (8.40am UK time)
23 January: Manuka Oval, Canberra (8.40am)
25 January: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (8.10am)
CommBank Women’s Ashes Test Match
30 January-2 February: MCG, Melbourne (3.30am UK time)
