All-out spin? England look to strengths to flip Ashes fortunes

Heather Knight has teased the possibility of playing a four-pronged spin attack in the opening T20I as England look to get their Commbank Ashes campaign back on track.

Speaking to reporters at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday, the English skipper confirmed leg-spinner Sarah Glenn will play, most likely alongside regular tweakers Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean.  

Knight also floated the idea of the visitors adding a fourth spinner to their playing XI, in left-arm finger spinner Linsey Smith.

England have shown they aren't afraid to play four spinners, doing it twice during the recent T20 World Cup in the middle east, winning both matches against Bangladesh and eventual runners up South Africa.

In those matches, the pace overs were bowled exclusively by Nat Sciver-Brunt.

Knight expressed her excitement at having Glenn return to the team, who went unused in the ODI leg of the Ashes, to partner left-arm off-spinner Ecclestone and right-arm off-spinner Dean.

"They've played in our T20I team for the last couple of years, all together, and they've been a real strength of ours, those three bowlers, with the different attributes they bring, the different types of spin and the different roles that they play as well," Knight said.

"Sarah (Glenn) is definitely coming in.

"She's one of the best spinners in the world. She's been outstanding for us, particularly in those middle overs, taking wickets and then really squeezing oppositions, it's been a big part of our tactics against opposition team.

"Obviously, we've got Lindsay Smith as well as an option to play four spinners if we feel that's appropriate.

"(It) might not be the conditions to do that, but she's someone that has a huge amount of experience, has played really well out here, can bowl in all three phases as well.

"So we've certainly got a lot of options."

Spin has been a huge factor already in this series, with Australian leg-spinner Alana King dominating with 11 wickets in the three ODIs.

It leaves Australia with a spin quandary of their own: do they play King alongside fellow leggie Georgia Wareham or lean on allrounder Ashleigh Gardner if they need more overs of spin?

Incredibly, King hasn't played a T20I in almost two years, with a T20 World Cup group match against South Africa in early 2023 her most recent outing in the format.

Since then, it's been Wareham and Sophie Molineux favoured for the spinning positions, but with Molineux currently out of action with a knee injury, there is a potential opening for King.

And Knight admitted she would be "surprised" if King wasn't selected by Australia for the 20-over matches. 

Given England's dire beginning to the multi-format series, a fourth-straight loss would see the Ashes conceded at the earliest possible time.

An 8-0 lead on points for Australia would put the hosts in an unassailable position, given they currently hold the trophy.

Knight also confirmed dynamic batter Sophia Dunkley would resume her role at No.3 in the batting order after missing selection for the ODIs.

Dunkley played only one match at October's T20 World Cup, but wasn't required to bat as England won by 10 wickets.

She was then installed as the team's first-drop in November's three-match series against South Africa, returning scores of 4, 0 and 24.

Allrounders Freya Kemp and Danielle Gibson have both been dealing with injuries but the England captain confirmed that both are fit and available for selection.

Commbank Women's Ashes 2025

Australia lead the multi-format series 6-0

First ODI: Australia won by six wickets

Second ODI: Australia won by 21 runs

Third ODI: Australia won by 86 runs

First T20I: January 20: SCG, Sydney, 7.15pm AEDT

Second T20I: January 23: Manuka Oval, Canberra, 7.15pm AEDT

Third T20I: January 25: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, 6.45pm ACDT (7.15pm AEDT)

Australia squad (ODI/T20Is): Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris+, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (vc), Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham

England squad (ODI/T20Is): Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross*, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson+, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath+, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp+, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith+, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

* ODIs only; + T20Is only

Day-night Test: January 30 - February 2: MCG, Melbourne, 2.30pm AEDT

Australia Test squad: TBC

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

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