Lauren Filer will make her England debut in the Women’s Ashes Test match at Trent Bridge on Thursday, being named in the starting XI ahead of fellow seamer Issy Wong.
Danielle Wyatt has also been selected, earning a maiden Test cap after making 245 international white-ball appearances and scoring in excess of 4,000 runs in the shorter formats.
There is no place in the XI for 21-year-old fast bowler Wong, who impressed for Mumbai Indians while winning the Women’s Premier League in India earlier this year, taking a hat-trick in the semi-final.
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Check out Issy Wong’s incredible hat-trick as Mumbai Indians secured a place in the Women’s Premier League final
Wong made her debut for England in all three formats over the course of a month last summer, taking three wickets in the drawn Test match against South Africa at Taunton.
Knight ready for ‘pressure moments’ as England target Ashes upsetThe Ashes: Meet the England women’s squadLive cricket on Sky Sports | Watch with NOW | Get Sky Sports
Filer gets the nod over Wong, with the 22-year-old having taken eight wickets in four matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in 2023 and five in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.
“She’s a real impact bowler, I guess she’s a bit of an unknown, but she bowls wicket-taking deliveries and for me she’s one of the quickest, if not the quickest bowler in the country,” said England captain Heather Knight.
“She’s got skills, can move the ball both ways and ultimately we need a team that’s going to take 20 wickets.”
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Lauren Filer was Western Storm’s leading wicket-taker at last year’s Racheal Heyhoe Flint trophy.
Filer was one of two uncapped players named in England’s Test squad with head coach Jon Lewis also praising her as a “genuine wicket-taking threat with good pace and swing” and offering a “point of difference”.
Of the 13-player squad selected for the Test match, all-rounder Danielle Gibson is the other one to miss out. The 22-year-old is yet to be capped at senior level.
Alice Capsey and Alice Davidson-Richards were named in an initial 15-player squad but were both released in order to play the first T20 for England Women A on Wednesday.
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Alice Capsey was released from the squad to play for England A in the first T20 against Australia A on Wednesday
England Women’s Team for Ashes Test: 1) Tammy Beaumont, 2) Emma Lamb, 3) Heather Knight (c), 4) Nat Sciver-Brunt, 5) Sophia Dunkley, 6) Danielle Wyatt, 7) Amy Jones (wkt), 8) Sophie Ecclestone, 9) Kate Cross, 10) Lauren Filer, 11) Lauren Bell
Knight ready for ‘pressure moments’ as England target Ashes upset
England captain Heather Knight has called on her team to realise their potential and win “the real pressure moments” as they aim to upset Australia and win the Women’s Ashes for the first time since 2014.
Australia have won three of the last four multi-format Ashes series, including two emphatic victories in 2019 and 18 months ago Down Under, as well as being T20 and 50-over world champions and Commonwealth gold medallists.
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Australia won the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year, beating South Africa in the final
In contrast, England’s recent history has been characterised by a number of near misses and spurned opportunities – beaten by India in the Commonwealth semi-final before an emphatic defeat to New Zealand in the bronze-medal match, and then a heart-breaking defeat to hosts South Africa in the World T20 semi-final in February.
“If we’re really honest with ourselves as a team we’ve had the talent but we haven’t quite won those real pressure moments,” Knight told Sky Sports News.
“I think cricket wise we’re not too far away from the Australians but it’s about winning those really big moments when you’re under the pump.”
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Heather Knight and Sophia Dunkley joined Mel Jones and Nasser Hussain to look ahead to the Women’s Ashes series
The England captain added: “I think there’s certainly a real belief not just in the younger girls but in the whole squad about how we want to do things and how we want to play.
“We’ve got to show respect to the Australians, they’re a very good side they’ve won a hell of a lot of things and we feel like we’ve got to be the disruptors, the people who have to do things a little bit differently and challenge things and find a way to win against them.
“They’re a super side they’ve got a lot of depth in their side and we’re chasing a little bit and they’re setting the standard that hopefully we can catch up to and go ahead but there’s confidence throughout the team that we’re good enough to be successful and we’ve got the mentality to challenge them and get some success.”
Women’s Ashes schedule (all games live on Sky Sports)
Test match (Trent Bridge) – Thursday June 22 – Monday June 26 (11am start)First T20 international (Edgbaston) – Saturday July 1 (6.35pm start)Second T20 international (The Kia Oval) – Wednesday July 5 (6.35pm start)Third T20 international (Lord’s) – Saturday July 8 (6.35pm start)First one-day international (Unique Stadium, Bristol) – Wednesday, July 12 (1pm start)Second one-day international (The Ageas Bowl) – Sunday July 16 (11am start)Third one-day international (Taunton) – Tuesday July 18 (1pm start)
How does the scoring system work for the Women’s Ashes?
The winners of the Test match earn four points, with the teams taking two points each in the event of a draw. Two points are awarded for victories in each of the white-ball games, with sides picking up a point apiece in the event of a tie or no result.
Watch the Women’s Ashes live on Sky Sports Cricket from this Thursday. Coverage of the Test match, at Trent Bridge, begins at 10am ahead of the first ball at 11am.
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