ECB and Cricket Australia announce new format Women’s Ashes
13th May 2013The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA) today announced that, starting in England in August 2013, the Women’s Ashes will be decided in a new and exciting format.
The 2013 Women’s Ashes Series will comprise one Test match, three NatWest Women’s One-Day internationals and three NatWest Women’s International Twenty20 matches.
The combined results of those games will decide on the winner of the Women’s Ashes.
It will be calculated by allocating points to each format - the winners of the Test will be awarded six points; two points to the winners of each of the limited overs matches, all of which is explained in the table below. The team that accrues the most points across all three formats will win the Women’s Ashes Series.
ECB Chief Executive David Collier commented: “The Women’s Ashes Series coupled with the Mens Ashes Series will provide two exciting back to back series commencing this summer in England and continuing in Australia this winter. The innovative format for the Women’s Ashes will ensure the widest possible interest in these series and ECB looks forward to a wonderful programme of cricket played by two of the leading Women’s teams in world cricket.”
Head of England Women’s Cricket, Clare Connor said: “The women’s game has seen huge growth in interest and profile as a result of the limited overs formats in recent years. The new Women’s Ashes Series looks to combine this reality with the prestige and tradition of Test match cricket.
“We believe that this new multi-format series will gain significantly more profile and context than can be generated by playing a one-off Test match every couple of years. Re-branding the Women’s Ashes to a multi-format series is an innovative way forward for players, spectators and the media and we look forward to a hard-fought contest spanning three weeks in August.”
Cricket Australia Senior Manager – Centre of Excellence, Belinda Clark said: “Cricket contests between Australia and England have a special place in the hearts and minds of players and the public. The new Women’s Ashes Series format acknowledges the past, embraces the present and takes a bold step towards the future.
“The recent ICC Women’s World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka and the ICC Women’s World Cup in India demonstrated that the standard of women’s cricket across all competing countries is more evenly balanced than ever before, which, in part, is due to the increased focus on the shorter forms of the game. The Women’s Ashes Series in England in 2013 and the return series in Australia in 2014 will pit two highly competitive teams against each other and I for one can’t wait for the first ball to be bowled.”