Spinner Charlie Dean believes the level of experience within the England Women’s squad means there are fewer ‘scars’ from previous Women’s Ashes defeats.
Dean made her Test and IT20 debuts in England’s previous tour Down Under, taking just two wickets in her five matches in the series as the visitors were beaten 12-4.
But with three more years of international cricket under her belt, Dean is now one in the top 10 of the ICC rankings for both IT20 and ODIs, with 45 wickets to her name in 2024.
“Going back to the last Ashes trip, I was really fresh faced on the international scene. I think I was quite daunted by the Aussies,” she said.
“I think this time, there are a few more of us who are a bit more experienced. We’ve lost a few players, but a lot of us have got some games under our belts.
“It feels like we don’t have as many scars in the group from games in previous series. We’re coming through with a bit more of a fresh attitude towards the challenge the Aussies bring. With every challenge there’s opportunities for success.”
While Dean acknowledges the potential for the partisan support in the stadiums to prove intimidating for the England players, she says the familiarity with Australia’s players has made this trip less daunting than her last.
With England stars playing alongside Australia’s best players in competitions such as The Hundred and WPL there are fewer unknown factors going into this series.
Another known factor is the importance of strong seam bowling in Australian conditions, as the recent Test series between Australia and India’s men’s sides showed.
And while Dean is well aware of the challengers she and her fellow spinners will face, the Somerset player is hoping the slower bowlers can help influence proceedings in the white-ball matches especially.
“Spin can be quite difficult to bowl in Australia, but in knowing that we do have strength in our spin department,” she said.“It’s going to be a big part of the series, trying to get as much from the surface as possible. If we can control the middle phase of the game, like we have done in the past in white ball, we should be in the games.
“We’ve got the best spinner in the world with Eccles [Sophie Ecclestone], so partnering with her always makes my life easier.”
The 2025 Women’s Ashes starts with the 1st ODI on Saturday 11 January. Visit our Ashes Hub for full coverage, and find out how to follow the series here.