WHAT THE WOMEN'S ASHES HEROES DID NEXT

This weekend, England and Australia’s women begin a seven-match battle for supremacy Down Under.

The multi-format Women’s Ashes series comprises three One-Day Internationals and three IT20s, before concluding with a four-day Test at the MCG.

The sides last met in whites upon the Trent Bridge turf in 2023, as the visitors triumphed in a topsy-turvy battle in front of a record crowd.

As they prepare to meet again – and with England Women’s IT20 against India at Trent Bridge also on the horizon – we look at the progress of the key protagonists over the past 18 months.

England Women v India at Trent Bridge - secure your seats.

Annabel Sutherland

Still just 23 years of age, Annabel Sutherland is comfortably living up to the hype that saw her anointed as a star of Australia’s next generation.

Batting at eight, her unbeaten 137 was the star turn of Australia’s first innings at Trent Bridge two summers ago – and was her first international century.

She soon followed that with a maiden ODI ton against Ireland, and has now notched five three-figure scores in the colours of her country – including two in successive games against India and New Zealand last month.

And if the mark of a fine all-rounder is to have a higher batting than bowling average, then – with a Test batting mark of 70.50, and a bowling figure of 25.23 – Sutherland promises to be among the finest of her generation.

Her ODI record – averaging 46 with bat and 21 with ball from 27 games – is equally formidable, while her short-format pedigree saw her become the most expensive buy in the second edition of India’s WPL.

Sophie Ecclestone

Long regarded as world-class, Sophie Ecclestone continues to outshine her peers with ball in hand.

The left-arm spinner snared ten wickets on the Trent Bridge turf in 2023 – the fourth-best match figures ever returned by an Englishwoman – but it is with the white ball that she has excelled the most.

Firmly established in the ICC rankings as the best women’s bowler in ODI and IT20 cricket, Ecclestone’s fruitful summer in 2024 included a five-wicket haul in an ODI against New Zealand.

Indeed, she seldom went wicketless as she consolidated her position as England’s leading IT20 wicket-taker of all time and moved into fourth place on the ODI list – becoming the fastest woman to 100 ODI wickets in the process.

Her accuracy, economy and big-match mentality will be crucial for the contests to come.

Tammy Beaumont

Having already made Trent Bridge home as part of The Blaze, Tammy Beaumont’s double-century during the 2023 Women’s Ashes Test was the highlight of a memorable year for the opener.

That innings, an extraordinary display of slot-selection and application, showed just one of the strings to the right-hander’s bow.

A matter of weeks later, Beaumont’s skills as a white-ball batter of no little ability were on show in The Hundred, as she bludgeoned 118 from 61 for Welsh Fire in a winning cause against Trent Rockets.

And while she may currently be absent from England’s IT20 side, her prolific run-scoring continues to be on show in the ODI and Test arenas.

In September, Beaumont hit a scene-stealing 150 in a resounding win for England over Ireland, but her half-century for her country against South Africa in December was arguably more impressive.

Chasing a DLS-adjusted target after rain caused a three-hour delay, Beaumont’s perfectly-paced unbeaten 65 from 46 balls saw the visitors across the line with no fewer than four overs to spare.

Ash Gardner

While all results were possible as England and Australia entered the final day of the 2023 Test, a career-best eight-wicket haul meant that all in attendance were undoubtedly living in Ash Gardner’s world.

That performance was part of a match haul of 12/165 – and if anything, the all-rounder has gone from strength to strength since.

Earning the Belinda Clark Award in 2022 and 2024 as the outstanding Australian female cricketer of the year, Garnder has continued to be a consistent force with bat and ball in recent months.

Her half-century and five-wicket haul in the third ODI against India were crucial in securing a series whitewash for the Southern Stars, while her most recent outing in Australia colours saw her top score with 74 in a winning cause against New Zealand.