Katherine Brunt, who worked as a coach with Worcestershire Cricket last year, will be returning to New Road later this month as part of the England Women's Ashes squad.
The pace bowler has been included in the England party for the three Royal London ODIs which form part of the Ashes programme including the game on July 26 at New Road.
Charlotte Edwards (Kent) will be aiming to lead England to a third consecutive Women’s Ashes series victory this summer, with a very experienced ODI squad named for the first three fixtures of the multi-format series.
Between the 14-players, there are 807 ODI caps, with Edwards (185), Kent team-mate Lydia Greenway (121) and Nottinghamshire’s Jenny Gunn (125) all having represented England over a hundred times in 50-over cricket.
Vice-captain, Heather Knight (Berkshire), is also in line to win her 50th ODI cap in the first Royal London ODI in Taunton on July 21.
Sussex all-rounder Georgia Elwiss will return to international duty for the first time since the ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh last year.
She has forced her way back into England contention following a series of impressive performances for the England Women’s Academy against their Australian counterparts, the “Shooting Stars”, in Dubai at the start of the year – a tour which saw her score 316 runs at an average of 63 and take five wickets in four 50-over matches and two T20s.
Left-arm spinner Rebecca Grundy (Warwickshire) is the only player named in England’s ODI squad who hasn’t previously been involved in a Women’s Ashes series. Grundy will be looking to build on her excellent introduction to international cricket, having taken 13 wickets in four ODIs and six T20Is to date.
Commenting on the squad announcement and looking ahead to the start of the series, ECB Director of England Women’s Cricket, Clare Connor, said: “I don’t think it’s too dramatic a statement to say that the 2015 Women’s Ashes contest is possibly the most eagerly anticipated series in the history of international women’s cricket.
“The pace at which the women’s game is evolving at the moment is extraordinary. This summer for the first time ever, we will see two fully professional international women’s teams in action, with live broadcast coverage of every single ball, including the Kia Women’s Test match, on Sky Sports and BBC Radio.
"It is this level of exposure and support that will ensure that the women’s game continues to grow, and that will inspire women and girls everywhere to play the game.
“England’s 14-player squad named for the first three Royal London ODIs is one of real strength and demonstrates the depth of talent currently running through the England women’s performance programme.
"I am delighted to see a return for Georgia Elwiss, who has been in superb form with both bat and ball for a while now, and thoroughly deserves her opportunity.”
The Women’s Ashes series will start on 21 July with the first Royal London ODI at the County Ground in Taunton. The players will then play the second Royal London ODI at the Bristol County Ground on 23 July, before the third and final 50-over match takes place at Worcestershire’s New Road on July 26.
The three Royal London ODIs will carry additional significance for both teams, as they will form England and Australia’s third round of fixtures in the ICC Women’s Championship, which will determine qualification for the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup in England.
The 2015 series will be the third time that the Women’s Ashes have been contested across all three formats of the game – three ODIs, one Test and three T20Is – with two points available for a win in each of the ODIs and T20Is and four points up for grabs for the winner of the Test match.
Two points will be awarded to each side in the event of a drawn Test. England will be hoping to emulate their performances from the first two multi-format Women’s Ashes contests, having won twelve points to four on home soil in 2013 and ten points to eight Down Under in 2014.
England’s Women’s Ashes Test squad will be announced following the conclusion of the Royal London ODIs.
