Australia vs England Women’s Ashes: Rivals unite in call for multi-format series to include three Tests

Australia and England’s women may be preparing to battle it out for the Ashes, but they are united in their call to make future series three Tests to avoid the one-off match become a ‘novelty’.

Australia and England’s women’s cricketers might be preparing to battle it out for the Ashes this weekend but they are united in the belief that future series should be three Tests to avoid the one-off match becoming a “novelty”.

The Ashes start on Sunday at North Sydney Oval with the first of three one-day matches, followed by three T20s and a day-night Test at the MCG.

Two points are awarded for winning a white-ball match, while four more are on offer for winning the Test.

However, given the growing demand for the longer format, players from both camps believe the goal should be three Tests in a series.

The women’s Ashes was officially launched on Wednesday at the SCG. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images for Cricket Australia

“I would love to see 3-3-3,” Australia’s Ash Gardner said. “It’s going to make the tours a lot longer.

“I’m not sure where you’re going to fit it in that time frame knowing we have to play overseas competitions as well.

“It would be interesting to see where that gets to over the next four to five years.

“I would love to play more Test cricket against England. Playing the one Test kind of feels like a bit of a novelty sometimes.

“The way that our two teams match up, I think it would be a really cool Test series to see who would come out on top for that.”

Gardner was the matchwinner the last time the two teams played a Test match. Picture: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Gardner was player of the match the last time the two teams met in a Test, at Trent Bridge in 2023, after finishing with 12 wickets.

England opener Tammy Beaumont was the biggest thorn in Australia’s side in that match with 208 in the first innings.

She agreed with Gardner that more Test cricket would be a drawcard for fans, which was the case in the just-completed Border-Gavaskar Trophy between Australia and India.

“I think the best thing about the Ashes is the narrative, the rivalry, how it builds over time,” Beaumont said.

“You saw in the India-Australia men’s Test series that the narratives build in a five-match series.

“Even in a three-match series, the kind of things with (Jasprit) Bumrah always getting the same people out … as an opening batter, part of why you love the game is that battle of trying to maybe get one up on an opening bowler.

“I think it builds even more in Test cricket. That’s why I love getting the whites on and I’d love to see more of it.”

Beaumont is one of just 10 women’s cricketers to have scored a Test match double century. Picture: Stu Forster/Getty Images

There are also concerns about the Test being the last match in the multi-format Ashes series.

If either side dominates the white-ball games, a draw in the Test at the MCG could be enough to secure the trophy.

Three Tests will limit that likelihood and encourage aggressive cricket because more points are on the line.

This year’s series is different to the one in 2023 in England, when the Test was played first at Trent Bridge.

That match was also extended to five days to help achieve a result, with this year’s pink-ball Test reverting to four days.

This summer will be the last until at least 2030 that will see women’s internationals played during the school holiday periods.

The ICC’s latest Future Tours Programme has locked in February and March for Australian home matches, with India’s Women’s Premier League to take place in January from 2026.

While it will make it harder for fans to attend games, one benefit is that it could provide room for more Tests in the future.

Outgoing Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley believes that could be “challenging” and that the focus should be on more nations playing Test cricket.

“I think spacing the calendar is a real challenge. So, I think what I’d like to see is more countries playing multi-format series regularly,” Hockley said.

“With the women’s schedule, there’s actually an opportunity to get it really perfect, not too many things crossing over each other.

“We’re really pleased that we’re playing multi-format series against more nations. I think it’s a fantastic format. I think we saw that for the last Ashes. I think we’ll see it again here, and it gives context within a series.”

Originally published as Australia vs England Women’s Ashes: Rivals unite in call for multi-format series to include three Tests