Women’s Ashes: Australia v England – first ODI – BBC.com

Australia win toss and bowl first
England missing injured Cross
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by Timothy Abraham
Ffion Wynne
BBC Sport cricket writer in Sydney
The commentary box here at the North Sydney Oval isn't exactly perfectly positioned.
Don't get me wrong, the view is stunning, but I'm not going to be much help with lbw appeals or judging whether the ball is swinging.
It's also up quite a high, wobbly tower which isn't exactly helpful for my motion sickness.
The England and Australia teams are pictured above, receiving a traditional Welcome to Country as the game is being played on the land of the Gamaragal people.
Alex Hartley
Former England bowler on No Balls podcast
It is guaranteed to be exciting – both teams are probably the most equal they have been for the past 15 years in terms of talent and potential. Last year, England proved they are as good as Australia which we weren’t expecting.
England captain Heather Knight: "I would’ve bowled as well. I think it’s going to be a really good wicket and quite hard to defend here. But if we can put on a good score hopefully that will put them under pressure.
"The Ashes are the biggest challenge you will face as an England cricketer. We are excited to come over here again. The 2023 Ashes was the best series I have ever been involved in, the tightness of the contest and the level of cricket on show. I think this series will be exactly the same. Hopefully we can bring our best and entertain the crowds that come to watch.
"Kate Cross hasn’t been able to get over her back issue unfortunately. We hope things will change quickly but we’ve got two exciting young fast bowlers in Lauren Bell and Lauren Filer. We’ll miss Kate but I’m excited to watch that pair bowl."
Ffion Wynne
BBC Sport cricket writer in Sydney
Kate Cross' absence is a huge blow for England. She is so experienced and her consistency from one end is invaluable for allowing Heather Knight to unleash Lauren Filer and Lauren Bell from the other end, who are the exciting young talents but can often lack control.
For Australia, they had a big selection decision to make regarding 21-year-old batter Georgia Voll, who has been in sparkling form. We saw her bat during the 28.2 overs that were played in the only warm-up match earlier this week and she looked incredible for her 57 from 42 balls.
But they've kept the faith with their enviable array of all-rounders. The difficulty was where on earth they could find a spot for Voll in the XI, showcasing the ominous strength in depth that they possess.
The big team news from an England perspective is bowler Kate Cross being ruled out with a back problem which has been troubling her since the tour of South Africa.
Australia: Alyssa Healy (captain & wicketkeeper), Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ash Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown.
England: Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Heather Knight (captain), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Amy Jones (wicketkeeper), Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Lauren Bell.
Australia captain Alyssa Healy: "At the end of the day just another day of cricket but the Ashes series is huge.
"There is always a little in it [the pitch] early. It is hard to defend here. Hopefully we can get the job done early on, take wickets and restrict them to something chase-able."
Ffion Wynne
BBC Sport cricket writer in Sydney
Having been so excited to escape the temperatures of -5 Celsius in the UK, all we've had since landing in Sydney is rain.
Thankfully, the weather has switched itself on just in time for the first game and we were able to enjoy a delightful walk up to the North Sydney Oval this morning.
The factor 50 and sunglasses are going to be essential today, and I've already got my eye on the ice cream van that is stationed opposite our commentary box.
There may be a shower or two this afternoon but for now, we're all set to start on time – let's hope we're in for a cracker!
Alyssa Healy gave the coin a toss a few moments ago, and England skipper Heather Knight called "heads". It came down a tail.
Australia have won the toss and bowl first.
In case you are not completely clear the women's Ashes is played a little differently compared to the men's contest.
The men's Ashes series usually consists of a best out of five Test matches.
The women's edition of the contest is played across three formats: a one-off Test match, three T20s and three one-day internationals.
There are points awarded in each game, with the winning team having the highest points.
There have been 25 Women's Ashes in total, with Australia winning 10 and England six. The other nine ended in draws.
Hello there, nice to have your company at this hour.
Australia v England. The old enemies going at hammer and tongs again.
Are you ready? Then let's do this!
Welcome to our coverage of the first one-day international in the 2025 Women's Ashes from the North Sydney Oval.
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