Englands hopes of regaining Womens Ashes on the ropes after successive defeats in Australia; Heather Knights side travel to Hobart for final ODI in desperate need of victory to transform their fortunes in the multi-format series;

Alyssa Healy’s stated ambition on the eve of this Women’s Ashes was to “throw the first punch”. Mission very much accomplished. England limped away from North Sydney on Sunday evening with a bloody nose,

England already playing catch up in the Womens Ashes after losing the first two points of the series in the first of three ODIs; multi-format series, which also features three T20s and one Test, continues in Melbourne on Monday night;

There is a striking difference between England’s and Australia’s XI – and that difference told as the hosts were the first to put points on the board in the 2025 Women’s Ashes when winning the opening one-day international by four wickets in Sydney.