... AND THE WINNER IS ...

Australia won’t have it all its own way, writes Isa Guha

WHY THEY CAN WIN

Australia is playing at home and have the advantage. A squad of players who are at the top of their game and proven cross-format whilst playing in season. With the added challenge of Covid19 they would have another set of players to call upon should anyone go down.

England come with a fresh mindset following a poor Ashes at home. Heather Knight (left) and her side took a lot of learnings from the last two Ashes . But they need to start well and by that I mean an absolute flyer.

We are also starting to see the effects of a better domestic structure and the increased competition for places which will hopefully be reflected in this series.

STARS TO WATCH

Alyssa Healy (left) not sure how many more Ashes series she will want to play in so I’m sure there will be a motivation to do well given she’s at the top of her game. Having already been hugely successful it’s also a chance to join her husband in taking the headlines this summer!

Nat Sciver (below) is due a big Ashes series - her bowling has become more reliable but it’s with the bat that she can hurt opposition teams

THE VERDICT

I just hope it’s a close contest - we’ve seen the importance of starting well in Australia. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case for England last time out and it quickly slipped away from them. Perhaps not quite as drastic as England’s men of late. Anxiety around preparation and Covid will also play a part around the series so hopefully the players are able to get through it all with a fabulous contest to speak of for years to come.