Proud Mott wants to create a cricket dynasty

Boasting what is potentially the perfect blend of youth and experience, Australia have their sights set on creating the next great dynasty of the green and gold – and next year’s T20 World Cup is at the forefront of their minds.

Australia could not complete an unprecedented unbeaten run in the multi-format women’s Ashes on Wednesday, losing to England by 17 runs in the final T20I in Bristol, but walk away having dominated every other game of the six-match series to win 12-4.

It’s their best result since the introduction of the multi-format, points-based Ashes in 2013. But with a hectic eight months ahead – including that T20 World Cup on home soil – Australia know their job is far from done.

"I think every team in the world thinks about the All Blacks as being the benchmark," Australia coach Matthew Mott said on Wednesday. 

"We’ve all read the (famous sporting) book Legacy and it’s something we’ve aspired to do." 

Mott pointed to Australia’s record since the start of 2018, which has seen them drop just three matches across all formats and go undefeated in every series or tournament they’ve played, as proof of the direction they are heading in.

But for Mott, the people he is leading matter as much as the players.

"We’re incredibly proud of our record albeit in a different sport," he said. 

"Certainly our high win percentage rate is something we’re very proud of over the last couple of years, this team has been a very strong team for a long time. 

"We came into the series expecting a great contest and we’ve had it at different times, but to get the result we’ve had is incredibly special for this group and not something we’ll take lightly. 

"It’s not only the calibre of players we’ve got but the calibre of the people. 

"The thing I’m most proud of is how we’ve engaged with the people at the ground, all the feedback around the way we’ve looked after the room, all the little things we do around the group, that’s what makes us so special."

Australia are no strangers to prolonged success in the women’s game; alongside nine Ashes series wins (to England’s six), they have four (of six) T20 World Cups and six (of 11) ODI World Cups to their name.

With young talent including Ashleigh Gardner, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Wareham and Tayla Vlaeminck cementing themselves in a playing group also boasting bonafide superstars including Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry, Alyssa Healy and Megan Schutt, there are currently the makings of another great Australian dynasty.

"I think we've got this perfect blend at the moment of experienced senior players and then this new wave of professional young players who have only ever known cricket as a job," player of the series Ellyse Perry said on Wednesday.

"They’ve come in attacked this environment – that blend has been brilliant for us. We’ll try and keep that group together for as long as we can."

Australia’s next challenge will be a bilateral limited-overs tour of the West Indies beginning later this month.

It’s a first for Australia, who outside of one two-Test tour of the Caribbean in the 1970s, have only contested the 2010 and 2018 World Cups in the region.

A home limited-overs series against Sri Lanka will follow in September ahead of the first standalone Rebel WBBL season – all of it leading into the start of the T20 World Cup in Australia next February. 

"The T20 World Cup is one of biggest challenges we've had in the last couple of years – all of us have had one eye on the home World T20 next year," Perry said. 

"We want to keep being successful but it’s also an incredible opportunity for our sport and for Australian cricket to make a huge mark on the game so we want to do it justice."

CommBank Ashes Tour of England

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicole Bolton, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Elyse Villani, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

England T20 squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Georgia Elwiss, Amy Jones, Laura Marsh, Nat Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Mady Villiers, Fran Wilson, Lauren Winfield, Danni Wyatt

Australia defeated England 12-4

First ODI: Australia won by two wickets

Second ODI: Australia won by four wickets

Third ODI:  Australia won by 194 runs

Only Test: Match Drawn

First T20: Australia won by 93 runs

Second T20: Australia won by seven wickets

July 31: England won by 17 runs