Australian cricket fans were given plenty to cheer about the last time the women's Ashes were played, as the national team kept hold of the urn in a landslide victory, 12 points to 4.
English fans not so much, after the team got off to the worst possible start, losing 4-19 in the space of five overs in the first ODI in Leicester, United Kingdom.
It was a typical British summer's day in 2019 when Ellyse Perry struck early with her second ball; waving off Amy Jones (0), Tammy Beaumont (16), Sarah Taylor (1) and Heather Knight (0) with the help of swing bowler Megan Schutt.
Batting at five, Nat Sciver was forced to head out to the middle much sooner than she'd hoped, but she was able to dig in and score 64 runs to help England build a somewhat respectable total of 177 as wickets fell around her.
In reply, Australia chased down the target with seven and a half overs to spare, claiming their first win of the series in emphatic fashion and humiliating the hosts in front of their loyal fans.
This match set the tone for the rest of the multi-format tour, as the visitors went on to celebrate incredible highlights like Perry's 7-wicket haul in Canterbury and Meg Lanning's splendid unbeaten century (133* off 63 balls) in Chelmsford, where the captain dismantled England's fortress to set a record high score in women's T20 Internationals at the time.
The same was true for the hosts, who followed a similar pattern in each game to well and truly limp towards the finish line, struggling to establish partnerships, suffering multiple batting collapses and losing more confidence in their ability day by day.
In the last T20 International, England finally got their first win of the series, beating Australia by 17 runs for a desperate consolation victory.
But their performance was widely criticised and deservedly so, sparking debate about the state of England's pathways and their domestic competitions.
Since then, we've seen England cricket's governing body (ECB) invest a lot more time and energy into the game, establishing better resources, funding more than 40 domestic full-time contracts — separate from the 17 central contracts for the national team — and aligning the women's domestic circuit more closely with the men's in a brand new tournament known as The Hundred.
England has since achieved some success
England has had plenty of success on the field in that time, at home and on the road, winning bi-lateral series against Pakistan, the West Indies, New Zealand and India.
They were also very unlucky to miss out on a spot in the T20 World Cup final at the MCG back in March 2020, after rain thwarted their chances in the semi-finals, washing out their match against India before clearing to allow South Africa and Australia to play.
So the biggest question ahead of this Ashes campaign is, therefore, whether England can put up a better fight this time around?
Especially after being so disrupted in their preparations, with quarantine, a COVID-19 staff scare and back-to-back T20 losses over the weekend to their understudies in the England A side.
Australia's run of bad luck ahead of the Ashes
Speaking with the ABC, Australian wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy said the Aussies have also had a particularly disjointed preparation, with members of the team filtering into the camp in Adelaide as late as Monday night.
Their team received a blow on Tuesday when the world number one-ranked T20 batter Beth Mooney was hit in the chin while in the nets, requiring urgent surgery to repair a fracture in her jaw.
Perry did not play in Australia's game against Australia A on Tuesday after a COVID-19 scare, but will be available for Thursday's Ashes opener if selected.
"I think it's going to be a really tight contest this year, and I say that just because of the preparation both teams have had," Healy told the ABC.
"When I reflect on our success in 2019, I think what we did really well was to ensure we won those little moments in the game.
"There were patches in that series where England had us on the back foot but we continued to win those little moments and it'll likely be no different here."
Fierce match-ups will deliver an entertaining Test
Both squads are brimming with experience and all the usual names you'd expect to see in a classic women's Ashes contest.
After so many years facing each other, Healy says it does get harder to find an edge, but the history between the teams is what makes for entertaining match-ups.
As she heads into her seventh Ashes series, the cheeky character is particularly looking forward to her one-on-one battle with fast bowler Katherine Brunt.
"That's the beauty of being an elite cricketer," Healy said, "especially at the international level because you've got to keep finding ways to improve and to adapt.
"They know your game inside and out, so I already know what they're going to bowl to me and how they're going to try and get me out.
The Women's Ashes begins on Thursday night at Adelaide Oval, with the first of three T20 International matches.
The contest will then head to Canberra before finishing up in Melbourne.
You can hear the Ashes live and free on ABC local radio, ABC Sport Digital and via the ABC Listen app.
Women's Ashes schedule
January 20: 1st T20I, Adelaide Oval
January 22: 2nd T20I, Adelaide Oval
January 23: 3rd T20I, Adelaide Oval
January 27 – January 30: Test Match, Manuka Oval
February 3: 1st ODI, Manuka Oval
February 6: 2nd ODI, Junction Oval
February 8: 3rd ODI, Junction Oval
