DRS receives green light for women's Ashes

Cricket Australia has confirmed the Decision Review System will be available in the women's Ashes despite the late changes to the schedule, in what will be a first for a women's bilateral series in the country.

The multi-format, points-based CommBank Ashes will begin with the first of three T20Is at Adelaide Oval on Thursday, with the series brought forward due to a change in the quarantine requirements for the upcoming ODI World Cup in New Zealand.

CA confirmed to cricket.com.au there would be two unsuccessful reviews per team, per innings across the six limited-overs matches, and three unsuccessful reviews per team per innings for the one-off Test at Manuka Oval.

It had been intended the technology would be available for the multi-format series against India in September-October last year, but the late relocation of all matches to Mackay and the Gold Coast, and logistical problems including border closures, made it impossible.

It meant while the third umpire could use broadcast replays to make decisions on umpire reviews, including run-outs, stumpings, clean catches and no-balls, there had been no avenue for players to challenge an on-field decision.

While the DRS has been part of men's internationals for more than a decade, it was used in the women's game for the first time during the 2017 ODI World Cup, where it was available for the 10 broadcast matches.

Since then, it has been a feature of every match of the last two ICC Women's T20 World Cups but has rarely been employed in bilateral women's series.

New Zealand have used it on occasions, including a home series against India in 2019, while it was introduced for England women's matches for the first time for a T20I series against the West Indies in 2019, with the ECB making an ongoing commitment to using the technology.

Last October, wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy said she would love to see the technology available for women's series in Australia.

"Obviously there were a few logistical nightmares to be able to have it (for the India series) but I'd love to see it in every Test match," she said. "It makes it nice and fair and even.

"The umpires don't mean to make mistakes. We're out there as players, we make mistakes on the regular.

"But to take out the howler would be a nice thing."

Under the ICC's playing conditions for women's T20Is and ODIs, use of the DRS is at the discretion of participating boards, mirroring the position in men's playing conditions for both limited-overs formats.

Both boards can agree to use the DRS if the minimum requirements for its use – approved ball-tracking technology, and approved sound-based edge detection technology – are satisfied.

The ICC does not cover the considerable cost of these technologies, which instead fall to either host broadcasters or host boards.

The pandemic has provided additional challenges to the use of the technology around the world; Real-Time Snicko was unavailable for much of the first men's Ashes Test in Brisbane with COVID restrictions making it impossible to fix a glitch in the system, while CA abandoned plans to bring the DRS into the Big Bash this summer due to the complexities of getting technology operators across international and state borders.

Last year's planned series between Pakistan's and New Zealand's men's teams, which was ultimately cancelled due to security issues, would not have featured the DRS as Pakistan officials and the home broadcaster were unable to find an ICC-approved technology provider.

Commonwealth Bank Women's Ashes v England

Jan 20: First T20, Adelaide Oval

Jan 22: Second T20, Adelaide Oval

Jan 23: Third T20, Adelaide Oval

Jan 27-30: Test match, Manuka Oval

Feb 3: First ODI, Manuka Oval

Feb 6: Second ODI, Junction Oval

Feb 8: Third ODI, Junction Oval

Australia A v England A

Jan 20: First T20, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide

Jan 21: Second T20, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide

Jan 23: Third T20, Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide

Jan 28: First OD, Philip Oval, Canberra

Jan 30: Second OD, Philip Oval, Canberra

Feb 2: Third OD, Philip Oval, Canberra