England Reveals Women’s Ashes Squad, Kate Cross Returns from Injury

England seamer Kate Cross has been selected for the Women’s Ashes squad, set to commence in Australia next month, following her recovery from an injury. Cross previously contributed to England’s victory over Australia in the 2014 Ashes Test in Perth. The 33-year-old player experienced a back spasm during the third one-day international against South Africa earlier in the current month, which led to her absence from the subsequent one-off Test match against the Proteas. Cross’s selection encompasses both the One-Day International (ODI) and Test squads for the upcoming series. Heather Knight is designated as captain for all formats throughout the series, which comprises three One-Day Internationals (ODIs), three Twenty20 Internationals (T20s), and a single four-day Test match. All-rounder Danielle Gibson, who was unable to participate in the South Africa tour due to a knee injury, has also been named in the squad. This Ashes squad marks a debut for all-rounder Freya Kemp, spinner Linsey Smith, and wicketkeeper-batter Bess Heath. Concurrently, Ryana MacDonald-Gay retains her position in the red-ball squad, having secured two wickets during her debut earlier this month. England head coach Jon Lewis commented, “We have named balanced squads for this Ashes with a good mix of youth and experience. Ashes series are always special.” He further added, “We want to go there, play our way and are all excited about the challenges ahead.” Players selected to participate across all three formats include Maia Bouchier, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Lauren Bell, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Amy Jones, and Danni Wyatt-Hodge. Both Bouchier and Sciver-Brunt recently achieved Test centuries against South Africa. The England tour is scheduled to commence on 9 January with a 50-over warm-up fixture against the Governor General’s XI, preceding the One-Day Internationals slated for Sydney, Melbourne, and Hobart. The T20 series is set to begin on 20 January, with matches taking place in Sydney, Canberra, and Adelaide. This will be succeeded by the Test match at Melbourne Cricket Ground, which is scheduled to start on 30 January. The previous Ashes series in 2023 concluded in a draw, with England securing victories in both white-ball series despite a loss in the Test match. Coverage for the 2025 series will include ball-by-ball commentary on BBC Sounds, alongside video highlights accessible via the BBC Sport website and app. ODI squad: Heather Knight (captain), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge T20 squad: Heather Knight (captain), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp, Linsey Smith, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge Test squad: Heather Knight (captain), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge 11 January: First ODI, Sydney (23:30 GMT) 13 January: Second ODI, Melbourne (23:05 GMT) 16 January: Third ODI, Hobart (23:05 GMT) 20 January: First T20, Sydney (08:40 GMT) 23 January: Second T20, Canberra (08:40 GMT) 25 January: Third T20, Adelaide (08:10 GMT) 30 January-2 February: One-off Test, Melbourne (03:30 GMT)