Captain Charlotte Edwards believes England’s women can win all three T20s against Australia to retain the Ashes.

Speaking ahead of the first at Chelmsford today, Edwards said that her side can produce an unlikely recovery from 8-2 down to draw the multiformat series.

Two points are available to the winner of each T20 match, including fixtures at Hove on Friday and Cardiff on Monday, with Australia needing just a win, tie or no result to secure the Ashes.

England won the urn back in Australia 18 months ago, primarily due to winning the Test match, then worth six points.

This time the Southern Stars inflicted a 161-run defeat on England in the Test, though Edwards has far from given up.

“As far as we believe in our dressing room we truly believe we can win these three games.

“We’ve got to play a lot better than we’ve played over the series so far; we need to just completely go out there and express ourselves.

“I think that if there’s one form of the game that we can turn things around in it is T20 cricket.

“Every game we play for England we want to win. In effect it doesn’t change our mindset. We just know that we need to put in a strong performance here.”

Edwards can call on the top-ranked bowler in Women’s T20 cricket Danielle Hazell, and fellow spinner Danielle Wyett, in their 14-strong squad.

Kent are the only county to provide three players — Laura Marsh, Lydia Greenway and Edwards — while Kate Cross and Fran Wilson miss out.

England won the first one-day international series at Taunton by four wickets in a close finish, but Australia triumphed in the following ODI matches at Bristol and Worcester by 63 and 89 runs.

The visitors then comfortably defeated their hosts in the Test at Canterbury to extent their lead, leaving skipper Meg Lanning naturally keen to seal the series win at Chelmsford.

“If England come out and play really well and win the three games I think they deserve to win the series,” she said.

“I’m certainly glad that we’re in the position that we are; it just means that we need to come out as hard as we can in the first game and hopefully get the win in Chelmsford.”

Australia are currently on a 16-game winning run in the T20 format, though they have lost their last five T20 matches in England.

Edwards is seeking three successive wins to end this summer with the Ashes, which would enable her side to emulate their male colleagues, who won their five-test series 3-2.

The England men’s team now face Australia in a sole T20 at Cardiff, followed by five ODI matches starting at Southampton on September 3.

Batsman Joe Root, who was England’s man of the series and top run-scorer, in the recent Ashes win, has been rested for both limited-overs series.

Jonny Bairstow is an unexpected omission from both sides, despite hitting a match-winning unbeaten 83 to give England a pulsating 3-2 ODI series win over New Zealend in June.

Left-arm pace bowler Reece Topley could make his international debut after being named in the 13-man T20 squad, with Hampshire batsman James Vince also included.

All-rounders Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali both return to the T20 and ODI formats after previously missing out through injury and rest respectively.