Southern Stars not praying for rain

Allrounder Jess Jonassen says the Southern Stars won't be doing a rain dance this week as they look to secure the Women's Ashes on UK soil for the first time since 2001.

England need to win all three matches of the upcoming T20 series to retain the Ashes, with a single Australian victory or a washout enough for the tourists to win the points-based series.

All you need to know: Women's Ashes T20 series

And with rain forecast in Chelmsford ahead of the opening T20 on Wednesday, the home side will be praying the wet weather clears in time for the start at 7pm local time.

Jonassen is hoping for fine conditions as well, with the Stars keen to continue the momentum from their Test victory a fortnight ago and 3-0 T20 series win over Ireland last week.

"(The weather) hasn't really come into our minds, to be honest," Jonassen said.

"I think the whole team is itching to get out there and actually play the game. If the rain ruins that then so be it, but we're prepared to play and we're ready.

Highlights of Australia's victory in the one-off Test

"We're really looking forward to getting out here tomorrow. Even though we only need one win we're looking for all three."

While rain is predicted in Essex for much of Wednesday, it is forecast to clear in the evening in time for a start at 4am Australian Eastern Standard Time.

That's good news for the sell-out crowd of 6,500 fans that are expected to pack into The County Ground, the latest solid attendance for what has been a ground-breaking series for the women's game.

The Women's Ashes has been broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK and also on the Cricket Australia Live App, while the third match of the T20 series will be shown on GEM in Australia from 9pm AEST on August 31 as part of a double-header with the men's T20 in Cardiff.

While the Australian men were unable to win their Ashes series, Jonassen says it hasn't had any impact on the coverage the women's matches have enjoyed throughout the UK summer.

"The way the ECB has presented the game has been pretty amazing. To get the women's cricket profile out there has been great," Jonassen said.

"To have that support back home as well has been really nice, particularly through the Cricket Australia Live app, so to have it on free-to-air TV live in prime-time, what more can you ask for?

What the Ashes mean to the Southern Stars

"We're getting our brand out there and the public's noticing our performances.

"It's irrelevant how the men's game has ended up. I don't think that really reflects the recognition we're getting for our series."

The Australians will need to buck the trend of history if they are to win the opening T20 with England boasting an impressive record of ten wins from ten matches in Chelmsford.

Three of those wins came against Australia, including a 15-run victory in the first T20 of the 2013 Ashes series.

"They've only played us a few times here. That record is good for them, but against us it's still relatively young," Jonassen said.

"We experienced a sell-out crowd last time we were over here and we're really looking forward to it."

After the match in Essex, the two teams will head to Hove for the second game on August 28 before the finale in Cardiff on August 31.