Women’s Ashes: The data behind Australia’s 16-0 clean sweep over England

We’ve heard it a lot this winter – that England aren’t as athletic as their opponents – and could be fitter.

The first thing to say is that it’s nothing to do with seniority or youth – Australia had an average age of 28 in this series, compared to England’s 27.

And while much has been made of England’s catching abilities – they dropped seven catches in one day of the Test – their catching efficiency of 63% was only just behind Australia’s 68. In fact, the Aussies dropped more chances in the series – 20 to 19.

Yellow and green butterfingers? Nah…

What the raw numbers don’t show is that a drop is only registered when a fielder goes for the catch.

So while Australia were plucking outrageous grabs out of the sky – displaying athleticism never before seen so consistently in women’s cricket – England were dropping simple opportunities.

So many of those Australian drops were difficult chances which England would not have attempted.

And while there’s no data for runs saved in the field, the naked eye would suggest Australia saved 20-30 more per game than England.

One other measure of fitness is the ability to bat time and in doing so, run more singles than the opposition and turns ones into twos etc.

Across the series, England soaked up almost 200 dot balls more than Australia (some probably down to the afore-mentioned exceptional fielding), while Alyssa Healy’s side scored 111 more singles and 17 more twos.

Given there wasn’t much difference in terms of sixes hit – Australia smiting 17 to England’s 12 – it’s that ability to turn over the strike and keep the scoreboard ticking which the hosts excelled in.