Women’s Ashes: Heather Knight promises England will ‘be bold’ as they look for victory in Australia | Cricket News

England captain Heather Knight backs players to behave responsibly amid rising Covid cases ahead of flight out to Australia after Christmas; skipper confident she has squad at her disposal to regain The Ashes and vows that England will ‘punch first’ against Meg Lanning’s side this winter

Heather Knight says England will not take a backward step as they look to regain the Women’s Ashes

Heather Knight has vowed that England will “be bold” as they look to regain the Women’s Ashes in Australia – and has backed her players to behave responsibly ahead of the flight out as they try to prevent Covid-19 hampering their preparations.

England have lost their previous two home Ashes series – 12-4 in 2019 and 10-6 in 2015 – while they drew 8-8 in Australia in 2017.

Captain Knight says the heavy reverse two years ago has been a big driver for her side to win the Ashes for the first time since 2014 when this winter’s series, which comprises a Test match, three T20 internationals and three ODIs, starts with the red-ball fixture in Canberra on January 27.

Knight skippered England to the 2017 50-over World Cup title and believes success against Australia – who top the ODI and T20I rankings – would rank alongside that triumph.

Meg Lanning’s Australia are Ashes holders

Knight said: “I am really excited for the challenge of going to Australia and trying to get the Ashes back. The way we performed in 2019 has created real motivation – we didn’t perform in that series.

“As a captain, it is the ultimate winning the Ashes away from home. It would probably be one of the biggest achievements of my captaincy if we are able to do that.

“We want to do something special but it’s going to be tough – Australia are a very good side, the best team in the world at the moment, so we are going to have to be at our best to beat them.

“We are going to have to be bold, play out of our skins, stand up the Australians and the aggression they bring and win some key moments. Any side that has been successful against them has gone at them and met fire with fire almost.

“Australia are at their best when they are on top of you and trying to exploit weakness, so we have to make sure we are trying to punch first and win those key battles early.

Spinner Sophie Ecclestone could be key to England’s Ashes hopes

“We feel in a really good place to do that as we have improved as a team. We have more leaders in the side since 2019 and world-class players who can win us games.

“The thing for me in the summer was how we built a wider squad, with youngsters adding to the side and real competition for places that has pushed us forward. It feels like a huge opportunity and we are seeing it like that.”

On the rising number of coronavirus cases in the UK, Knight said: “I think the main thing is to avoid it after Christmas before we got on that plane as if we do contract it, we are not going to be able to fly.

“The main strategy for us is personal responsibility and I think the girls will take it seriously to make sure we have all the squad out there.

England will face Australia in a Test match, three T20s and three ODIs

“The girls are very responsible. We tend to be more on the boring side of things as a social team and we know the consequences if we are to catch it too late.

“We are going to be away for three-and-a-bit months [with the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand following The Ashes] and you want to spend as much time with family as you can. We just have to try and mitigate as much risk as we can.

“If we do get it, it doesn’t mean you are out of the whole trip, just that you have to potentially fly in a little bit later. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that and we can get on that plane unscathed.

“We are used to restrictions over the last couple of years, probably more used to it than the Australians with all the quarantine we have had to do and what we have had to live under.

[When we are out there], maybe we can use it to our advantage. We know how tough things can be and how to pull together as a side to get through.”