England boosted by Kate Cross' return in Ashes squad reveal

Kate Cross has been named in England's ODI and Test squads for next month's multi-format Ashes, in a relief for the tourists after she was ruled out of their recent Test against South Africa due to a back injury.

The key pace bowler left the field mid-over during a one-dayer against the Proteas due to back spasms, but has been included in the two longer formats as England revealed settled squads for each of the three formats.

England ODI squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

England T20I squad: Heather Knight (c), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp, Linsey Smith, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

England Test squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

There were no surprises in the 14-player group for the three-game ODI leg beginning in Sydney on January 12, with England sticking to the group that claimed a 2-1 victory over South Africa, barring the exclusion of allrounder Freya Kemp, who only features in the T20 squad.

Bess Heath has recovered from the fractured thumb that saw her sent home during the South Africa tour to be named in England's bumper 16-player group for the three T20Is.

Alice Capsey has been included in the T20I squad after being dropped from the shortest format for that South Africa tour – although she was later called back in as injury cover.

Seamer Ryanna MacDonald-Gay, who took two wickets on her Test debut against the Proteas, has kept her spot in the 14-strong Test squad.

Bowler Mahika Gaur will be with the group continuing her return to bowling following the injury that made her unavailable for the recent South Africa tour.

"We have named balanced squads for this Ashes series, with a good mix of youth and experience," England coach Jon Lewis said.

"Ashes series are always special.

"We want to go there, play our way, and are all excited about the challenges ahead."

England capped off a dominant tour of South Africa with a 286-run victory in the one-off Test earlier this month.

It followed their 3-0 sweep of the T20Is and their 2-1 win in the ODI leg.

Speaking after the Test, captain Heather Knight said their performances would fill them with confidence heading into the Ashes, as they look to claim back the trophy they lost in 2015.

"I think we'll take great confidence from it," Knight said of the Test victory.

"I think whenever we play Test cricket, because we play it so scarcely, you're always learning about how you go about it, the different tactics, the different periods of the game that you have to manage, and how that that varies as conditions change.

"I think we (ticked a lot of boxes ahead of the Ashes).

"It was a really important tour for us, coming off the back of that disappointment at the World Cup, I think we had a lot of really good conversations about how we wanted to move forward, and how we wanted to not rip up trees, but go back to that freedom, particularly in the white-ball stuff, that we want to play with as a side."

England travel to Sydney on 2 January and will play a warm-up match against a Governor General's XI on Thursday 9 January.

The rivalry resumes with a blockbuster series in Australia from Jan 12 - Feb 2. Learn about the remarkable 90-year history at the Women's Ashes Hub