• Young spinner adds to bowling options in Heather Knight’s squad • ‘Ashes tours don’t come around too often so it’s always a special opportunity’

England Women have announced a squad of 15 for the upcoming Ashes series, with the left‑arm off-spinner Sophie Ecclestone the only change from the group who won the World Cup this summer.

The right-arm seamer Beth Langston makes way for the 18-year-old, who made her international debut last summer aged 17, with two ODIs and two T20s against Pakistan, and three wickets in each format. Ecclestone missed the tour of Sri Lanka last winter because of school commitments but will provide the captain, Heather Knight, with a taller option on the harder Australian pitches, alongside the numerous other spin options.

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The team’s coach, Mark Robinson, said: “It’s a hugely exciting tour and one we are really looking forward to. Australia on their home soil will be a further test of the progress we have made.

“We said before the World Cup that the final at Lord’s was never going to be our destination, it was just part of the journey, and that journey continues with this tour. Sophie Ecclestone has finished school now and has had a great summer domestically. Her selection will provide another option to our attack.”

England’s 15, the squad for all three formats, leave for Brisbane on 7 October, with the multi-format series starting on 22 October. They will play three ODIs, a Test and three T20s. Teams will earn four points for a win or two for a draw in the Test, and two points for a win in the limited-overs matches.

Australia hold the Ashes, reclaiming the urn in 2015 when they secured a 10-6 win in England, with victories in two ODIs, the one-off Test and one T20. The previous tour to Australia had seen England triumph, winning the Test (worth six points at the time), one ODI and one T20 to give them a 10-8 score overall. Five of this England squad – Tammy Beaumont, Alex Hartley, Laura Marsh, Fran Wilson and Ecclestone – were not in the 2013-14 touring party.

Knight, who will captain her first series against Australia, said: “Ashes tours don’t come around all too often so it’s always a special opportunity. Australia are going to be very strong opponents on their home soil so we’ll have to be at our best, across all three formats. Winning the World Cup was a dream come true but it doesn’t get much bigger than the Ashes. We weren’t able to win in 2015 so I know that the whole group will be intent on regaining the trophy this time round.”

England squad for Women’s Ashes

H Knight (captain, Berkshire); T Beaumont (Kent), K Brunt (Yorkshire), S Ecclestone (Lancashire), G Elwiss (Sussex), J Gunn (Warwickshire), A Hartley (Lancashire), D Hazell (Yorkshire), L Marsh (Kent), A Shrubsole (Somerset), N Sciver (Surrey), S Taylor (wicketkeeper, Sussex), F Wilson (Middlesex), L Winfield (Yorkshire), D Wyatt (Sussex).

Ashes fixtures

22 October 1st ODI, Brisbane (Allan Border Field) (01:00 BST)

26 October 2nd ODI, Coffs Harbour (04:00 BST)

29 October 3rd ODI, Coffs Harbour (03:00 GMT)

9-12 November Only Test, Sydney (North Sydney Oval) (d/n) (03:00 GMT)

17 November 1st T20, Sydney (North Sydney Oval) (07:30 GMT)

19 November 2nd T20, Canberra (07:30 GMT)

21 November 3rd T20, Canberra (07:30 GMT)