2021–22 Women's Ashes series

The England women's cricket team played against Australia women's cricket team in January and February 2022 to contest the Women's Ashes.[1][2] The tour consisted of one Women's Test match, three Women's One Day Internationals (WODIs), and three Women's Twenty20 Internationals (WT20Is).[3][4] A points-based system was used across all three formats of the tour.[5] Australia were the defending champions, after they won the previous series 12–4 in the points-based system.[6] On 17 January 2022, it was announced that the Decision Review System (DRS) would be used for the first time in the Women's Ashes.[7]

	Australia women	England women
Dates	20 January – 8 February 2022
Captains	Meg Lanning	Heather Knight
Player of the series	Tahlia McGrath (Aus)
Test series
Result	1-match series drawn 0–0
Most runs	Meg Lanning (105)	Heather Knight (216)
Most wickets	Annabel Sutherland (5)	Katherine Brunt (8)
One Day International series
Results	Australia women won the 3-match series 3–0
Most runs	Alyssa Healy (91)	Nat Sciver (99)
Most wickets	Tahlia McGrath (6)	Kate Cross (5)
Twenty20 International series
Results	Australia women won the 3-match series 1–0
Most runs	Tahlia McGrath (91)	Danni Wyatt (84)
Most wickets	Tahlia McGrath (3)	Sophie Ecclestone (1)
Total Ashes points
Australia women 12, England women 4

As well as the international matches, the respective A teams also played three 20-over and three limited overs matches against each other.[8] On 21 July 2021, Cricket Australia confirmed the fixtures for the A team matches.[9][10] It was the first time that the England A women's team toured Australia with the England women's team.[11] On 6 January 2022, the tour schedule was brought forward by one week,[12] due to the quarantine requirements in New Zealand for the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup.[13]

Australia won the opening WT20I match by nine wickets, with Tahlia McGrath making an unbeaten 91 runs and taking three wickets.[14] The next two WT20I matches were both impacted by the weather, with only 4.1 overs being bowled in the second match,[15] and no play at all taking place in the third.[16] Therefore, Australia took a 4–2 lead in the points-based system going into the one-off Women's Test match.[17]

The one-off Test match was drawn, after England were set a target of 257 from 48 overs to win on the final day.[18] Described as one of the best Test matches in women's cricket,[19][20] England required 45 runs to win from ten overs with seven wickets remaining.[21] England finished the match with 245 runs for the loss of nine wickets, just twelve runs short of victory.[22] England captain Heather Knight was named the player of the match for her century in the first innings and match aggregate of 216 runs,[23] with Australia leading the points-based system 6–4 heading into the WODI matches.[24]

Australia won the first WODI match by 27 runs, taking an unassailable lead in the points-based system and retaining the Women's Ashes.[25] Australia won the final two WODI matches, to remain unbeaten during the series,[26] and finished the tour 12–4 winners on points.[27] Australia's Tahlia McGrath was named the Player of the Series,[28] after scoring 225 runs and taking 11 wickets.[29]