Women's Ashes Explained: The Multi-Format Series Between England and Australia

The Women's Ashes is the bilateral series between England Women and Australia Women — the oldest bilateral women's cricket rivalry, dating to 1934 (one year after the first women's international cricket match). The series uses a multi-format points system since 2013: one Test match (worth 4 points if won, 2 if drawn, 0 if lost) and white-ball series (ODIs and T20Is, each worth 2 points for winning the series, 1 for a 2-1 result, 0 for losing the series). Maximum 16 points available; the team with the most points at the end retains or wins the urn.

History and Origins

The first Women's Ashes series was played in England in 1934 — England women defeated Australia by 2-0 in a two-Test series. The series name mirrors the men's Ashes tradition; there is a specific 'ashes' urn (kept with the ECB) that the series is played for. Women's Ashes history: England dominated the series in the 1930s-1970s (England won more series than Australia in the first 40 years); the series became more competitive from the 1980s; Australia began their modern dominance period from approximately 2010. The 2013 introduction of the multi-format system (Test + ODIs + T20Is) was intended to make the series more competitive — giving teams that might lose the one-off Test a chance to level through white-ball success.

Australia's Dominance: Lanning, Perry and the 2010s-2020s

Australia Women have won every Women's Ashes series from 2015 to 2023 (4 consecutive series: 2015, 2017-18, 2019, 2022). The defining players of this era: Meg Lanning (Australia captain, 7,000+ ODI runs, 15 ODI centuries — the most by any women's cricketer, leading batsman-captain of her generation) and Ellyse Perry (genuine all-rounder — 300+ ODI wickets and 1,500+ ODI runs; one of two female cricketers on the ICC's list of greatest players alongside Lanning). England's closest challenge: the 2019 series (played in England) ended Australia 12-4 in the points system — England won the T20 series and ODI series but drew the Test, leaving Australia with enough Test points to retain the urn. The 2022 series (Australia won all three formats) was the most emphatic margin in the multi-format era.

The Women's Ashes Test Match Format

The Women's Ashes Test is a 4-day match (not 5 days) — the additional day compared to most women's internationals reflects the historical importance of the Women's Ashes. Women's Tests were historically played over 5 days but reduced to 4 to improve scheduling flexibility. The sole Test match carries 4 points — making it more valuable than either white-ball series (2 points each). This design means a team can lose both white-ball series but still retain the urn if they win the Test decisively — reflecting a design philosophy that places greater value on the longer format. Women's Tests are rarer than men's Tests (women's Test cricket has a much smaller total match count) — making each Women's Ashes Test particularly significant.