Litchfield to open as Australia bat first in ODI opener

Phoebe Litchfield will join Alyssa Healy at the top of the order as the Australian skipper opted to bat first in the opening Ashes ODI in Bristol.

Healy won the toss at the Bristol County Ground, with the tourists needing to regain momentum after suffering back-to-back T20I defeats at The Oval and Lord's – their first consecutive defeats since 2017.

England XI: Sophia Dunkley, Tammy Beaumont, Heather Knight (c), Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Alice Capsey, Danielle Wyatt, Amy Jones (wk), Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Kate Cross, Lauren Bell

Australia XI: Alyssa Healy (c, wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, Jess Jonassen, Georgia Wareham, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown

Beth Mooney, who opened alongside Litchfield in Australia's most recent one-day series in January when Healy was recovering from a calf injury, slots in at No.4 behind Ellyse Perry, who has shuffled up to first drop in the absence of regular skipper Meg Lanning.

The tourists have made just one change from the side that suffered a five-wicket loss in the third T20I at Lord’s on Saturday, with Grace Harris making way for the return of Litchfield.

England will also debut a new opening combination with Sophia Dunkley elevated to the top of the order alongside Tammy Beaumont, with the attacking right-hander tasked with replicating the scintillating starts she has produced performing the same role in England's T20I XI.

The hosts have made two changes to the XI that won at Lord's, with Beaumont returning after missing selection in the T20I squad, while Kate Cross also comes back into the side with allrounder Dani Gibson and Charlie Dean making way.

England's two quickest bowlers Issy Wong and uncapped Lauren Filer were both overlooked.

Victory at the Bristol County Ground will see England draw level with Australia at six points apiece in the multi-format Ashes with two ODIs to play.

Australia only need to win one of the remaining one-dayers to ensure they retain the Ashes, and two to win the series outright.

CommBank Ashes Tour of the UK 2023

Australia lead the multi-format series 6-4

Test: Australia won by 89 runs

First T20I: Australia won by four wickets

Second T20I: England won by three runs

Third T20I: England won by five wickets (DLS)

First ODI: July 12 at The County Ground, Bristol, 1pm (10pm AEST)

Second ODI: July 16 at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, 11am (8pm AEST)

Third ODI: July 18 at The County Ground, Taunton, 1pm (10pm AEST)

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, HGrace Harris, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

England ODI squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver-Brunt (vc), Issy Wong, Danielle Wyatt