Test remains crucial despite points change

Adapting to the rigours of Test cricket will be the key to winning the women’s Ashes, according to former Southern Stars Lisa Sthalekar and Mel Jones.

The Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars will attempt to win back the trophy for the first time since 2011, and on English soil for the first time since 2001, when the seven-match series begins in mid-July.

The Women's Ashes works on a points system – this year victory in the sole Test match will be worth four points, with two points on offer in each of the three ODIs and three Twenty20s.

While a Test win is worth less than during the last series in 2013-14, when six points were available, whichever team triumphs in the four-day match in Canterbury will still put themselves in the box seat to claim the Ashes.

“It’s going to be a quality tussle, the two best teams in the world meeting on English soil will be pretty special,” Sthalekar told cricket.com.au.

With women’s cricket dominated by limited-overs matches, the Test is a rare chance for the Southern Stars to don the Baggy Green and play the longest form of the game.

Test matches have also been the team’s downfall during the last two Ashes series – in 2013 the match ended in a draw, while in Perth in 2013-14 England won by 61 runs.

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Meg Lanning will be crucial to the Stars' chances

While the Southern Stars won more matches in that series, taking points in two ODIs and two T20s, the six points England received from winning the one-off Test plus one ODI and one T20 was enough to claim the series 10-8.

“I think generally the Test match defines the series,” Jones said.

“There’s just so much weighting and I think there’ll generally be a result in a women’s Test match because of the fact they don’t play a lot of long format cricket.

“You won’t get long spells of one team dominating, so I think it will come down to the amount of sessions you can win.”

Sthalekar agreed, saying being able to adapt to the mental and physical demands of four-day cricket would be crucial for the Australia players.

“It’s just down to mental application and the fact you have to concentrate for four days straight,” Sthalekar said.

“You have the breaks of lunch and afternoon tea where if you’re in your stride batting, you have to come off, have a break, then go out and start again which is something we just don’t do often in women’s cricket.

“It’s about being able to switch on and switch off and making sure you keep some energy in reserve, because if you try and concentrate on every single ball you’ll be burnt out by the end of day one.

“It will be a great challenge for our predominately young side, who have played a lot of international cricket but haven’t necessarily played a lot in this type of format.”

Jones said she believed the Southern Stars had the right mix to turn the tables on England, with the introduction of 19-year-old fats bowler Holly Ferling to add a sting to the Australia bowling attack.

“It will be the most anticipated game for this series,” Jones said.

“You need to take 20 wickets and when it comes down to it, I think our batting line-up is strong enough to put together a competitive total so it will come down to a battle between bowling attacks. I think ours is a little more potent.

“We’ve got a few spin options between Kristen Beams, Erin Osborne and Jess Jonassen which will be really crucial as well.”

The experience of veteran vice-captain Alex Blackwell – who has played 10 Tests –will be an advantage for her Southern Stars teammates, while Sthalekar tipped star allrounder Ellyse Perry as the player to watch in the longer form of the game.

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Alex Blackwell in action during the last Ashes series

“She’s probably one of the only players who has been conditioned to play Test cricket,” she said.

“If you ever have a training session with Pez, she’ll bat for an hour or two. She will literally be there for hours and just bat and bat, whereas the rest of us would probably get over it and move on.

“She loves it and I expect a big score from her when it comes to red-ball cricket.”

The experience of Australia’s players in English conditions will also be important. Blackwell and allrounder Erin Osborne have headed to the British Isles early to play county cricket, while other players including leg-spinner Beams have previously played domestic cricket in England.

“They are going to be match fit and used to the conditions so that will be a definite advantage,” Sthalekar said.

And while the Test match will be important for Australia, the fact it will only offer four points to the winner instead of six means the ODIs and T20 Internationals will be more important than ever.

“The Ashes are unlike any other tournament in that sense,” Sthalekar said.

“It goes over three different formats and you’re playing same opponent again and again and again.

“So if England figure out any weaknesses, they have to work out how to adjust, whereas in a World Cup Australia are always playing different teams so they don’t have the chance to form tactics and execute them again and again.”

Both Jones and Sthalekar nominated England captain Charlotte Edwards – who has played 22 Tests since her international debut 1996 – as one of the biggest threats, alongside batters Heather Knight and Sarah Taylor.

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Charlotte Edwards will be keen to hold off Australia's challenge

“Charlotte has a wealth of experience and she drives her side really well, so she’s one they need to get on top of straight away,” Sthalekar said.

“Taylor is in a very similar mould to a lot of the Australia top order, she is very attacking and can take game away from you without you blinking an eyelid.

“Their fast bowlers Anya Shrubsole and Katherine Brunt are two weapons Edwards uses regularly and strategically. I’ve seen Brunt rip through our top order a number of times.

“It’s on English soil so you don’t take that lightly, but I think the fact that all the Southern Stars will go in as favourites.

“They’ve won the ICC Women’s World Cup and the Women’s World Twenty20, this is their last hurdle and they can basically say they’re the number one ranked side.”