by Our Sports Desk

ENGLAND captain Charlotte Edwards said yesterday that she believes the Women’s Ashes can reach new heights this summer.

Edwards has seen and done more than most, having made her England debut in 1996 — a time when women were still required to play in skirts and had to pay for their own kit.

Things are changing rapidly though and when the multiformat Ashes series gets under way with the first one-day international at Taunton today, the rivals will meet for the first time as fully professional outfits.

Ticket sales have also been strong as an England side look to make it a hat-trick of successful Ashes campaigns against the reigning 50 and 20-over world champions, with around 3,000 expected at Somerset.

“The 2015 Women’s Ashes is possibly the most eagerly anticipated series that I have ever been involved with during my international playing career,” said Edwards.

“The excitement throughout the England squad is tangible — we have been preparing hard for this for a long time now, and everyone is ready for the action to get under way in Taunton.

“This summer we hope that more fans than ever before will come to watch us play. The seven-match multiformat series — involving for the first time ever two fully professional international women’s teams — gives us the perfect platform to inspire women and girls everywhere to love and play cricket.”  

And playing up England’s chances against their big rivals, she said: “Australia are currently Women’s World Cup and World T20 champions, but we have won the Women’s Ashes back-to-back in 2013 and 2014, so the series is sure to be closely contested, and we will be doing everything we can to make it three in a row.”