WOMEN’S TOUR

ENGLAND women, captained by Charlotte Edwards, fly from Heathrow today to begin their tour of Australia, needing only to draw their one Test to retain the Ashes. The impact of women’s Test cricket has been diminished by slow scoring and dull matches among the main nations., so that one-dayers are elbowing the four-day version aside, even in Australia.

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Devaluation of the female Ashes has been the main price. England are due to play a five-match one-day series, including games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Sydney Cricket Ground, plus a Twenty20 game at the MCG.
 
After their tour of Australia, the players head to New Zealand for a five-match one-day series, with all games played at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval at Lincoln University, an isolated spot outside Christchurch.
 
Nine players travelled today, and the remaining members of the squad, who are already playing state cricket in Australia, join the tour party on arrival. Edwards said: “It’s going to be a tough tour as both Australia and New Zealand are two of the best sides in world cricket, but we’re taking a young talented squad with lots of potential, and we’re fully prepared for it.”
 

Australia schedule:
Jan 25:  Victoria (Wesley College)
Jan 28:  Australia Under-21 (Albert Ground)
Jan 30:  Australia Under-21  (Geelong).
Feb 1:   Australia Twenty20 (MCG)
Feb 3:   1st ODI  Australia  (MCG)
Feb 4:   2nd ODI  Australia  (MCG)
Feb 7:   3rd ODI  Australia  (Drummoyne Oval)      
Feb 10:  4th ODI  Australia  (Sydney Cricket Ground)
Feb 11:  5th ODI  Australia  (Sydney Cricket Ground)
Feb 15-18:  Test Match Australia (Bradman Oval, Bowral)
Feb 20:  Depart for New Zealand

New Zealand schedule
Feb 22: New Zealand A (Lincoln University, Christchurch)
Feb 24: 1st ODI New Zealand (Lincoln)
Feb 25: 2nd ODI New Zealand (Lincoln)
Feb 28: 3rd ODI New Zealand (Lincoln)
March 2: 4th ODI New Zealand (Lincoln)
March 3: 5th ODI New Zealand (Lincoln)
March 5: England depart
 
England squad:
Charlotte Edwards (capt, Kent)
Caroline Atkins     (Sussex)
Rosalie Birch        (Sussex)
Steph Davies       (Somerset)
Lydia Greenway    (Kent)
Isa Guha             (Berkshire)
Jenny Gunn         (Notts)
Laura Marsh        (Sussex)
Beth Morgan       (Middlesex)
Nicky Shaw         (Notts)
Jane Smit           (Notts)
Claire Taylor       (Berkshire)
Sarah Taylor       (Sussex)
Australia only:
Holly Colvin         (Sussex)
NZ only:
Charlotte Russell  (Sussex)