The England Women’s Cricket Team is having a very successful time of it having held The Ashes by virtue of drawing with the Australian Women’s team in a one-off  Ashes Test at Worcester this week.

With the match finely balanced and Australia going into the last day with a 169 overnight lead, the weather played it’s part.  After 30 overs and with the fall of the last Australian wicket, and a new lead of 272 the heavens opened and 5 overs were docked from the days total leaving England chasing 273 from 76 overs to win the match and Australia looking for ten wickets.

After 11 balls Caroline Atkins was out and rain again interrupted play and wiped 19 overs off the day’s total.  England now had to survive a possible 48 overs against a determined Australian attack and after another 2 overs were lost to rain Australia took 2 wickets from 8 balls.  Claire Taylor, normally England’s batting mainstay, going out for 12 and Lydia Greenway for 23 leaving England on 39-3.

With 34 overs left to defend, England turned to their captain, Charlotte Edwards who together with Beth Morgan made 106-3 to survive the day and gain a draw.

There seems to be no stopping this Women’s team as they add The Ashes to their burgeoning Trophy Cabinet this year having won the 50 Over World Cup in March, and adding the Twenty20 World Cup last month both final having been played against New Zealand’s Silver Ferns.

So can the success of the England Women rub off onto the men and a repeat of the golden summer of 2005 when both the Men’s and the Women’s team won The Ashes. and had their victory parades