Danielle Gibson and Lauren Filer join Heather Knight in England Ashes squad
Western Storm duo Lauren Filer and Danielle Gibson have been selected alongside captain Heather Knight in England’s 15-strong Women’s Ashes Test squad.
Gibson and Filer have been top performers for Western Storm so far this season and have been rewarded for their good form with their maiden full call-ups to the national side.
Seamer Filer, who previously represented England Academy, has been a mainstay and top bowling performer in Western Storm’s last two campaigns. All-rounder Gibson is Storm’s joint-highest run scorer and top wicket taker in this season’s Charlotte Edwards Cup and in line to earn her first senior cap after travelling to the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup as a travelling reserve in February.
England Women’s Test squad will play Australia A in a three-day warm-up fixture at the Incora County Ground, Derbyshire, starting on Thursday 15 June.
Heather Knight’s side then kick off their Ashes summer with a five-day Test match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, on Thursday 22 June.
The multi-format series will consist of one LV= Insurance Test match (worth four points), three We Got Game ODIs and three Vitality IT20s (each worth two points). The Test match will be England Women’s first over five days on home soil, and their first visit to Trent Bridge since 2000.
Meanwhile, England A, captained by Northern Diamonds’ Lauren Winfield-Hill, will also play the senior Australia Women’s team in a three-day warm-up at Uptonsteel County Ground, Leicestershire, starting on Thursday 15 June.
Alice Davidson-Richards and Danielle Wyatt will represent England A in the warm-up matches and are also named in the senior Test squad.
England Women’s A squad will contest their own IT20 and ODI series against their Australian counterparts, the squads for which will be announced in due course.
Head coach Jon Lewis said: “We are looking forward to what promises to be an exciting Ashes series. We are fortunate that our talent pool is growing fast, this has enabled us to pick a nicely balanced squad.
“Dani is one of the form cricketer’s in the country, she is improving both with bat and ball and if selected in the team, offers us a dynamic cricketer who can change the momentum of the game.
“Lauren is a genuine wicket-taking threat with good pace and swing. Again, if selected in the playing 11, she offers us a point of difference in our bowling attack that could impact a Test match at any point in the game.
“Our preparations are going well and this week’s upcoming games against Australia A and Australia give us another great opportunity to rehearse for the Test match next week.
“To have two Ashes series running alongside each other is very special and we look forward to entertaining our fans and gaining some new ones along the way.”
England Women’s Ashes Test Squad
Heather Knight (captain, Western Storm)
Tammy Beaumont (The Blaze)
Lauren Bell (Southern Vipers)
Alice Capsey (South East Stars)
Kate Cross (Thunder)
Alice Davidson-Richards (South East Stars)
Sophia Dunkley (South East Stars)
Sophie Ecclestone (Thunder)
Lauren Filer (Western Storm)
Danielle Gibson (Western Storm)
Amy Jones (Central Sparks)
Emma Lamb (Thunder)
Nat Sciver-Brunt (vice-captain, The Blaze)
Issy Wong (Central Sparks)
Danielle Wyatt (Southern Brave)
England Women’s A squad to face Australia in warm-up
Lauren Winfield-Hill (captain, Northern Diamonds)
Maia Bouchier (Southern Vipers)
Alice Davidson-Richards (South East Stars)
Freya Davies (South East Stars)
Charlie Dean (vice-captain, Southern Vipers)
Sarah Glenn (The Blaze)
Kirstie Gordon (The Blaze)
Eva Gray (Sunrisers)
Bess Heath (Northern Diamonds)
Eve Jones (Central Sparks)
Paige Scholfield (South East Stars)
Grace Scrivens (Sunrisers)
Danielle Wyatt (Southern Vipers)
Warm-up fixtures
Thursday 15 June – Saturday 17 June: Three-Day Warm-Up, England Women v Australia A, Incora County Ground, Derbyshire CC, 11am. Entry is free.
Thursday 15 June-Saturday 17 June: Three-Day Warm-Up, England A v Australia Women, Uptonsteel County Ground, Leicestershire CCC, 11am Entry is free.
Women’s Ashes Fixtures
Thursday 22 June – Monday 26 June: LV= Insurance Test Match, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 11am (4 points)
Saturday 1 July: 1st Vitality IT20, Edgbaston, Birmingham 6.30pm (2 points)
Wednesday 5 July: 2nd Vitality IT20, The Kia Oval, London 6.30pm (2 points)
Saturday 8 July: 3rd Vitality IT20, Lord’s, London 9.10am (2 points)
Wednesday 12 July: 1st We Got Game ODI, Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol 1pm (2 points)
Sunday 16 July: 2nd We Got Game ODI, Ageas Bowl, Southampton, 11am (2 points)
Tuesday 18 July: 3rd We Got Game ODI, Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, 11am (2 points)
