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Alyssa Healy expecting lively Women's Ashes atmosphere

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Heather Knight's England Women will take dead aim at Australia in this summer's Ashes. Watch every ball on Sky Sports

Alyssa Healy is expecting the Australian team to be faced by a lively atmosphere during the Women's Ashes this summer.

England begin their multi-format Ashes series against Australia with the first of three one-day internationals on Tuesday at Leicester, before the teams face off against each other at the venue for the second ODI on Thursday,

While the Southern Stars wicketkeeper Healy is looking forward to playing in front of full crowds - she expects the team to be reminded of the ball-tampering incident that the Australia men's team were drawn into during their away tour to South Africa in 2018.

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"Hopefully there will be no sandpaper thrown at us but it is probably going to happen," she joked with Sky Sports.

"We're excited, we've heard a lot of the game are almost sold out. It's great to see the English public getting behind their women's team and the Ashes is a really big series for both sides so it's good to see everyone getting behind it."

Healy, who was named women's T20I Player of the Year by the International Cricket Committee for 2018, admitted that Australia were keen to win the Women's Ashes outright after they retained the trophy with an 8-8 points all series draw.

During the 2017 series Down Under, Meg Lanning's side won the opening two ODIs, and drew the Test match before victory in the first T20I ensured the Women's Ashes would remain with Australia.

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Australia wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy is hoping they can retain the Women's Ashes and is expecting some sandpaper-based banter at matches!

However, England fought back - winning the final two T20Is as Danni Wyatt struck her maiden international century, ensuring the series was drawn.

"We probably didn't finish the last Ashes at home quite as we wanted," Healy explained. "We would have liked to have won the Ashes outright rather than just to have retained it.

"We're hungry to win them outright again. I know the English team are hungry to win the Ashes back so to do it on English soil it is going to be incredibly difficult for us.

"They are comfortable in their home conditions and are on a bit of a roll winning a lot of games. It is going to be tough for us and one we're looking forward to it."

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Tammy Beaumont is glad England captain Heather Knight is fit to lead the side as they look to win back the Women's Ashes.

Meanwhile, England opener Tammy Beaumont admitted she was relieved captain Heather Knight will be fit for the start of the series - having picked up a hamstring niggle during the second T20I against the West Indies.

Beaumont captained England to a comprehensive warm-up victory over Australia A on Saturday and admitted it gave her added appreciation for the job Knight does as skipper.

"Heather is hugely important, not only with the bat but also as captain," Knight told Sky Sports. "Standing in yesterday in the warm-up game against Australia A, you realise how seamlessly she does it and how great she is as a leader.

"She is one of the biggest fighters in the team but also one of the calmest head and great under pressure and she is certainly someone we need in that middle order, to lead us and keep everyone calm."

Watch every match of the Women's Ashes live on Sky Sports Mix (channel 121) and Sky Sports Cricket.

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