Lane treads familiar path

Beth Morgan's stubborn 58 from 262 balls at Worcester last summer ensured England kept hold of the Ashes

Mark Lane is pleased to be welcoming back the experienced triumvirate of Katherine Brunt, Holly Colvin and Beth Morgan for the tour of Australia.

The trio missed the recent trip to Sri Lanka, which allowed Lane to blood some younger players who excelled in tough conditions.

However, Lane conceded that the returning three will be vital if England are to be successful Down Under and had no hesitation in naming them in his squad earlier this week.

“We have some senior players coming back and their experience will be vital in Australia,” he told ecb.co.uk.

“Selecting squads is always tough. It's always hard on the ones who are missing out though. We are selecting from around 20 players, which is what we want.”

While experience will count for much during the tour – England will play three ODIs, five Twenty20s and an Ashes Test – Lane hopes the youthful enthusiasm of Susie Rowe, Fran Wilson and Lauren Griffiths will add some zest to an established squad.

Those three all performed well in Sri Lanka, which prompted Lane to hand them plane tickets to Australia.

“Despite the weather in Sri Lanka we managed to get all our games in and that gave us the opportunity to look at some younger players and they did well,” he said.

“You want them to do well as it justifies your decision to select them. They bring energy, enthusiasm and don't feel the pressure of international sport.

“We are excited about the new players coming through. We are seeing the benefits of players going from the Super 4s into the Academy where Paul Shaw is doing a great job.”

Holly Colvin will have happy memories of Australia - she hit the winning runs when England won the World Cup

A tour of Australia is arguably the toughest in world cricket. Searing heat, rock hard pitches and a fiercely competitive opponent – you have to be on top of your game to win there.

But England can take solace from succeeding Down Under in recent years. In 2008 they retained the Ashes by winning at Bowral and a year later lifted the World Cup on a glorious March afternoon in Sydney.

“It's going to be a big challenge but we will embrace it,” said Lane. “We want to put on a show and I am confident we will.

“Australia is a fantastic tour. It's got to be the pinnacle of anyone's career - player or coach. To get to play at the WACA, Adelaide Oval and the MCG is a fantastic opportunity.”

England’s two T20 games in Adelaide and Melbourne will be played before the men in a double-header format. They will also be screened live on Sky Sports.

“We will relish those occasions," Lane added. "It's a chance for us to show what we can do.”

For Lane, returning to Australia will evoke happy memories of when he first took over as England coach in early 2008.

Thrust into the deep end at short notice initially as assistant coach before being promoted, Lane oversaw a 2-2 draw in the one-day series - England have never one an ODI series in Australia - then watched as Isa Guha bowled the tourists to a famous Test win at Bowral.

“It all began for me in Australia almost three years ago,” he recalled.

“This time around will be extremely tough. Both teams have some key players who can have a massive impact in all formats.”