The Women's Ashes

The Women's Ashes

Countries	Australia  England
Administrator	International Cricket Council
Format	Mixed, points based system
First tournament	1934
Last tournament	2015
Next tournament	2017
Tournament format	Series
Current champion	Australia
Most successful	Australia (8 titles)
Most runs	Charlotte Edwards (1534)
Most wickets	Betty Wilson (53)

The Women's Ashes is the perpetual trophy in women's international cricket series between England and Australia. The name derives from the historic precedent of the Ashes in male cricket and, until 2013, was similarly decided exclusively on the outcomes of Test matches. Since the Australian tour of England in 2013, the competition is decided on a points system, taking account of One Day Internationals and Twenty20 International matches as well as Tests. Four (previously six) points^[1] are awarded for a Test victory (two points to each side in the event of a draw), and two points for a victory in a limited-overs game. As of 29 August 2015, the trophy is held by Australia.

History

Heralded in 1931,^[2] the first women's Test series between England and Australia—the first women's Test series anywhere—was played in 1934-35.^[3] At that time, according to the English captain, Betty Archdale, women played only "for love of the game" and did not wish to be associated with the male concepts of Tests and Ashes.^[4] The contest was not officially designated "the Women's Ashes" until the 1998 series, when an autographed bat was burned before the first Test at Lord's, some ashes then being placed inside a hollowed-out wooden cricket ball replica^[5] to manufacture a trophy.^[6] In 2013 a new Women's Ashes trophy was produced.^[5]

A total of 21 series have taken place, with 48 Test matches played (and one scheduled Test abandoned). The length of series has varied between one and five Tests. Series have been played biennially since 2001, with only one or two tests played in a series. Since the 2013 series, One Day Internationals and Twenty20 International matches have counted, as well as Tests, toward the trophy result. As of 2015, a Test victory is worth four points (two to each side for a draw), and two points are awarded for victory in a limited-overs match.^[1]

In February 2007, England Women travelled to Australia to defend the Women's Ashes, doing so successfully by winning the one-off Test in Bowral by six wickets. In July 2009, England retained the Women's Ashes after the one-off test at Worcester ended in a draw. In January 2011 Australia was victorious, winning a one-off test in Sydney. England regained the trophy on the new points system in August 2013, and successfully defended it in a series played in Australia in January–February 2014.^[7] Australia succeeded in regaining the trophy during the 2015 series played in England.^[8]

The next Women's Ashes series will be contested in Australia in October-November 2017^[9].

Results summary

Series

Series decided on Test results:

Series decided on a points system:

Player statistics

Tests (until 2010–11)

Batting

Most runs^[10]

Player	Team	Span	Matches	Runs	Average	Highest	100	50
Jan Brittin	England	1984–1998	11	1024	56.88	167	3	5
Myrtle Maclagan	England	1934–1951	12	919	43.76	119	2	6
Charlotte Edwards	England	1998–2011	10	896	56.00	114*	1	7
Karen Rolton	Australia	1998–2009	11	874	58.26	209*	2	4
Rachael Heyhoe-Flint	England	1963–1976	9	740	49.33	179	2	4

Bowling

Most wickets^[11]

Player	Team	Span	Matches	Wickets	Runs	Average	BBI	Economy	5	10
Betty Wilson	Australia	1949–1958	9	53	673	12.69	7/7	1.67	3	1
Cathryn Fitzpatrick	Australia	1998–2005	9	52	950	18.26	5/29	2.01	2	0
Myrtle Maclagan	England	1934–1951	12	51	862	16.90	7/10	1.68	2	0
Mary Duggan	England	1949–1963	11	47	694	14.76	7/6	1.88	3	0
Peggy Antonio	Australia	1934–1937	6	31	431	13.90	6/49	2.61	3	0

Multi-format (from 2013)

Batting (all matches)

Most runs^[12][13][14]

Player	Team	Matches	Runs	Average	Highest	100	50
Meg Lanning	Australia	21	768	33.39	104	1	5
Ellyse Perry	Australia	21	696	46.40	90*	0	5
Charlotte Edwards	England	21	638	29.00	92*	0	5
Sarah Taylor	England	21	621	28.23	77	0	6
Alex Blackwell	Australia	21	604	33.56	82*	0	5

Updated as per end of the 2015 Women's Ashes.

Bowling (all matches)

Most wickets^[15][16][17]

Player	Team	Matches	Wickets	Runs	Average	BBI	5
Ellyse Perry	Australia	21	30	780	26.00	6/32	2
Anya Shrubsole	England	16	28	723	25.82	4/11	0
Erin Osborne	Australia	17	25	620	24.80	4/67	0
Sarah Coyte	Australia	16	23	518	22.52	2/9	0
Katherine Brunt	England	15	20	578	28.90	3/29	0

Updated as per end of the 2015 Women's Ashes.

References