Cricket - ICC Women’s Cricket T20 World Cup - England v Pakistan - Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town, South Africa - February 21, 2023 England's Sophie Ecclestone celebrates with teammates at the end of play REUTERS/Nic Bothma/File Photo
(Reuters) - Seamer Lauren Filer and all-rounder Danielle Gibson have earned their maiden international call-ups as England Women announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming Ashes series against Australia.
Filer has been a consistent performer for Western Storm in the last two seasons and has 27 wickets in 27 matches in List A cricket, while Gibson is Storm's joint-highest run scorer and top wicket-taker this season's Charlotte Edwards Cup.
"We are fortunate that our talent pool is growing fast, this has enabled us to pick a nicely balanced squad," head coach Jon Lewis said in a statement.
"Dani is one of the form cricketers in the country. She is improving both with bat and ball and, if selected in the team, offers us a dynamic cricketer who can change the momentum of the game.
"Lauren is a genuine wicket-taking threat with good pace and swing. Again, if selected in the playing 11, she offers us a point of difference in our bowling attack that could impact a test match at any point in the game."
England will face Australia A in a three-day warm-up fixture at Derbyshire from June 15-17 before facing Alyssa Healy-led Australia in the Ashes.
The Ashes will begin with a test match at Trent Bridge in Nottingham from June 22-26. The multi-format series will include one test match, three One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20s.
The test match will mark England's first five-day game on home soil and their return to Trent Bridge after 23 years.
Squad: Heather Knight (captain), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Alice Davidson-Richards, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Amy Jones, Emma Lamb, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Issy Wong, Danielle Wyatt.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
