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Women's Ashes brought forward, condensed

3 minute read

COVID-19 restrictions in the lead-up to the women's World Cup in New Zealand have prompted Cricket Australia to bring forward the women's Ashes by a week.

Australia's players will enter the women's Ashes after just a three-day camp as COVID-19 restrictions forced the series to be brought forward a week.

In a raft of changes announced by Cricket Australia on Thursday, the one-day internationals will now start the multi-format series before the Test and T20s.

There will be no matches in Sydney owing to "logistical reasons", with players avoiding a visit to what has become the coronavirus hotspot of Australia.

The schedule changes were implemented to allow the Australians enough time complete a 10-day quarantine to enter New Zealand for the 50-over World Cup.

In order to ensure preparations for that remained on track, the ODIs against England will now be played between January 20 and 23 in Adelaide, rather than between February 13 and 19.

The four-day Test match will still be played in Canberra from January 27, while the T20s will follow between February 3 and 8 at Manuka Oval and in Melbourne.

It's believed England will still be able to retain intra-squad warm-up games as they prepare to arrive in Australia this weekend for a 10-day camp in Canberra.

That model is in theory similar to the one England's men had in Queensland last month, only for the matches to be washed out.

Australia's players will enter an isolation period before entering camp on January 17, just three days before the first match in Adelaide.

Several will also enter off a lack of cricket, with four 50-over games involving Victoria, Queensland, ACT and South Australia postponed due to cases within squads.

It means South Australia are yet to play a game in the WNCL, while national-based stars from Queensland and Victoria have not played a game since mid-December.

"We have needed to make changes to the schedule and we're grateful to all parties for their flexibility," Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said.

"We are looking forward to a fantastic series between probably the two best teams in the world, with each side being current T20 and ODI world champions respectively.

"Regrettably, logistical considerations have meant that we have had to move two T20 games from North Sydney Oval, which has long been the home of the women's game in Sydney."

REVISED WOMEN'S ASHES SCHEDULE

January 20: 1st T20I, 6:40pm, Adelaide Oval

January 22: 2nd T20I, 1:40pm, Adelaide Oval

January 23: 3rd T20I, 1:40pm, Adelaide Oval

January 27 - January 30: Test Match, 10am, Manuka Oval

February 3: 1st ODI, 2:10pm, Manuka Oval

February 6: 2nd ODI, 10:05am, Junction Oval

February 8: 3rd ODI, 10:05am, Junction Oval

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