Heather Knight has called on England supporters to play their part in the Metro Bank Women’s Ashes series, with her side seeking to claim the trophy for the first time since 2013/14.
An attendance of over 20,000 is expected for the series opener, the LV = Insurance Women’s Test Match against Australia at Trent Bridge, and the England captain believes that home support could play a crucial role in making the Three Lions successful.
Tickets for the Test, from £10 for adults and £2 for juniors, are available here...
“The fact that the series has been put in prime venues at the right time for people to watch has attracted people to come, and it is a great sign,” she said.
“We want to maximise home advantage as much as we can and hopefully get the crowd on side with how we play our cricket.
“We are going to need that crowd behind us. To beat this very good Australian side, we are going to need all the help we can get.”
She is acutely aware, too, of the role this fixture can play in championing cricket, with England set to ride the wave of growth in women’s sport more generally.
“We have got an opportunity to do something special, and part of that is bringing the country with us on a journey,” Knight continued.
“It is one of our mantras as a group; we want to entertain and inspire.
“Particularly in the women’s game; we feel a personal responsibility to promote the game and get people behind us, and ultimately we do that by how we play on the pitch.
“If we do our jobs well, that will look after itself. It is a super special opportunity and it is set up to be the most visible series, outside of World Cups, that we have ever had.”
Knight also revealed that she has been in communication with Nottinghamshire and England bowler Stuart Broad regarding the conditions at Trent Bridge.
Like her Australian counterpart Healy, the England all-rounder is yet to play a match at the venue, and has reached out to England’s second highest wicket-taker for pearls of wisdom.
“[Stuart] has played a lot of cricket here, while this is my first game,” she said.
“It is quite an unknown for me; I got lost at lunch earlier, I’m not used to not knowing my way around a cricket ground!”
“He mentioned a lot of useful stuff about how to bowl on this pitch and how it changes over the course of the game.
“We’ve had a lot of interaction with the guys, and they have really supported us.”
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Women's Ashes at Trent Bridge
England and Australia will lock horns at our home over five days from Thursday 22 to Monday 26 June, with the fixture set to break records for women's Test attendances in this country.