How King edged out Wellington in Ashes battle

Alana King's similarities to the injured Georgia Wareham gave her the crucial edge in the battle for the vacant leg-spin position in Australia's Ashes squad, national selector Shawn Flegler has revealed.

The decision to opt for the uncapped 26-year-old King over former international Wellington in the 15-player squad for the multi-format series raised eyebrows, given Wellington was the WBBL|07's leading wicket-taker with 23 in 17 matches at 16.26 across the tournament.

While Wellington has the edge when it comes to international experience – she played Australia's last home Ashes Test in 2017 and has represented Australia on 27 occasions, most recently in 2018 – King also enjoyed a standout WBBL campaign season with ball in hand.

She took 16 scalps in 14 games at 18.25 for champions Perth Scorchers, and with a superior economy rate of 5.84, compared to Wellington's 6.56.

"We've had Georgia Wareham playing a certain role in the Australian team over the last couple of years … we've had a lot of success with that and we feel like Alana can play that similar type of role," Flegler told reporters on Wednesday.

"We just felt Alana plays that role a little better than Amanda would.

"We looked at all the different match-ups we want to do, the conditions and the role they're going to play in the team itself.

"They're slightly different bowlers. Alana is a little bit quicker through the air and attacks the stumps more, while Amanda is what you'd probably say a genuine leg-spinner, where she gives the ball a lot of air and spins the ball hard.

"She would play a different role if she played in the Australian team again.

"We're not closing the door on Amanda, but Alana has got the nod this time around.

"Alana's numbers stack up very well, she's good in the field and she provides a late-order hitting option as well."

In recent seasons, King has worked on those key skills called out by Flegler, first at the Melbourne Stars, then Western Australia and the Perth Scorchers, aiming to attack the stumps to become a more aggressive T20 wicket-taker, and adding pace and control to her natural ability to find big turn.

Those differences between the two were analysed by former Australia leg-spinner Kristen Beams in a cricket.com.au column late last year, describing King's ability to bowl with an economy rate under six as "incredible" while noting either bowler would be a strong addition to the national side.

King joins left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen and off-spinner Ashleigh Gardner in the Ashes contingent, while Wellington was named in the Australia A squad alongside off-spinner Molly Strano.

While the Western Australian won the Ashes selection battle, both leg-spinners still have the chance to prove their cases for the ODI World Cup group, to be confirmed later this month.

A squad of 15 plus several reserves will be taken, and injured left-armer Sophie Molineux is expected to recover from a stress fracture in her foot in time for the tournament.

Molineux has time on her side despite missing the Ashes; Australia must submit their World Cup squad to the ICC by January 25 but can tweak it until their departure for New Zealand in the second week of February.

There is also no guarantee the 15 players in the Ashes squad will be the same 15 taken to the World Cup, given the Ashes group aims to cover three formats.

It gives 'A' squad members including Wellington, Georgia Redmayne, Stella Campbell and Elyse Villani time to make their bid to be included, if not in the main squad, as one of the two or three travelling reserves.

With mixing between the Ashes and Australia A groups to be kept to a minimum, splitting the squads at 15 players apiece was partly aimed at making sure the likes of Redmayne and Campbell were given game time, rather than risking them carrying drinks through the Ashes if they were unable to break into the strong Australia XI.

"We want to make sure that we can get game time into all of our players," Flegler said.

"We will try and provide some playing opportunities for those in the senior squad to play in A games (as well) … but we've got a pretty tight bubble around them, so if they play in those A games we're going to have to have some strict protocols around what it looks like on game day."

Australia Ashes squad: Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Rachael Haynes (vc), Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Meg Lanning (c), Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck

England Ashes squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver (vc), Anya Shrubsole, Mady Villiers, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt

Australia A squad: Georgia Redmayne (c), Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Stella Campbell, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Phoebe Litchfield, Katie Mack, Courtney Sippel, Molly Strano, Elyse Villani, Georgia Voll, Amanda-Jade Wellington

England A squad: Emily Arlott, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Alice Davidson-Richards, Georgia Elwiss, Kirstie Gordon, Eve Jones, Beth Langston, Emma Lamb, Bryony Smith, Ellie Threlkeld, Issy Wong

Commonwealth Bank Women's Ashes v England

Jan 20: First T20, Adelaide Oval

Jan 22: Second T20, Adelaide Oval

Jan 23: Third T20, Adelaide Oval

Jan 27-30: Test match, Manuka Oval

Feb 3: First ODI, Manuka Oval

Feb 6: Second ODI, Junction Oval

Feb 8: Third ODI, Junction Oval

Australia A v England A

Jan 20: First T20, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide

Jan 21: Second T20, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide

Jan 23: Third T20, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide

Jan 28: First OD, Philip Oval, Canberra

Jan 30: Second OD, Philip Oval, Canberra

Feb 2: Third OD, Philip Oval, Canberra