England announce men's and women's fixtures for 2023 summer, double-header Ashes in the mix

In a historic move on Wednesday, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced the England Men's and Women's fixtures side by side for the first time. The women's team is scheduled to host Australia for a five-day Test in Nottingham in 2023, which is the first Test of that length between the two sides since 1992.

Heather Knight's team will entertain the Aussies for a first-of-its-kind multi-format points-based Ashes in June next year. The series will commence on June 22 with a one-off Test at Trent Bridge and will be followed by a three-match T20I series and ODI series across several high-profile venues in the country.

The English women's side are currently engaged in a limited-overs series against India, which will see Lord's host its first bilateral ODI since 2014, later this week. The iconic venue is set to host its first-ever women's Ashes T20I next summer, along with Edgbaston and the Kia Oval.

It is worth noting that both the men's and women's Ashes will run concurrently next summer, as the women's series will begin a week after Ben Stokes' side faces Australia for the first of five matches at Edgbaston, beginning on June 16.

"I am particularly delighted that we have announced our England Men and England Women's fixtures side by side for the first time, meaning that supporters can enter the ballot or register interest for any fixture on the same day. June and July will be very special months for cricket in this country with the buzz of two Ashes series taking place simultaneously," Clare Connor, the ECB's interim CEO, said.

The Men's summer will commence with a one-off Test against Ireland at Lord's on June 1, before welcoming Australia for the Ashes, beginning on June 16 at Edgbaston. The Ashes will be followed by two white-ball series against New Zealand in late August and early September. And England will then host Ireland for a three-match ODI series before flying to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Women's cricket in England is getting a lot of positive attention

The recently concluded women's Hundred and the T20 tournament at the Commonwealth Games earlier this year show great signs for women's cricket in the country. The sold-out crowds for the women's games are indicators of its increasing popularity, which bodes well for the division.

"The women's game continues to grow and we have clearly entered another phase in terms of the demand for elite women's sport. We've seen record numbers flock to stadia for the second season of the Hundred. Now we want to give more fans the chance to watch England Women in person next summer as they compete for the Ashes on home soil," Connor added.