England women vs Australia: Charlotte Edwards stands firm despite defeat

There have been glimpses of that potential intermittently during the series

Charlotte Edwards has spoken of her “disappointment” after England surrendered the Ashes on Friday with a 20-run defeat by Australia in the T20 at Hove, but remained adamant that she will stay on as captain.

“I’m bitterly disappointed in the manner that we lost,” she conceded, confirming that it was probably her “most disappointing moment” as England captain. While Edwards, visibly exhausted, stated she will remain as skipper – “this is not the time to walk away from English cricket” – the inquest has already begun.

There have been glimpses of that potential intermittently during the series but Australia, in strength and in depth, were better cricketers. A malaise wider than a failure to perform on the day has been brewing under the top tier of England cricket for some years.

An inferior domestic set-up, a constrained coaching mind-set and an unwillingness to step away from the status-quo mean that Australia, bar something extraordinary, will likely dominate women’s cricket for the foreseeable future.

To acknowledge is the first step to overcoming the shortcomings. A remodelling of the domestic structure with the introduction of a new Super League and the suggestion that a change in players, coaching, management and administration is not out of the question, mean that England, who have seen record-breaking attendances and coverage in this series, may once again be on the verge of something new.