Arizona Tribune - England women's chief admits team out-played 'in every facet' after Ashes humiliation

Australia completed an unprecedented 16-0 rout in the multi-format contest with a crushing innings and 122-run win in the one-off Test in Melbourne on Saturday.

That followed clean sweeps of the preceding three one-day internationals and three T20 matches.

During the series, England repeatedly suggested they were getting "close" to an outstanding side, but former England men's captain Alastair Cook insisted they were "at least 20 percent behind Australia in everything".

England spinner Sophie Ecclestone, meanwhile, refused to do a television interview with former England team-mate turned pundit Alex Hartley, who had accused several players of lacking fitness after the current team's shock T20 World Cup exit against the West Indies in Dubai in October.

And England women's coach Jon Lewis, having previously denied Hartley's claims, extraordinarily cited "cultural difference" as the reason why Australia are fitter, for all he is in charge of one of the best-funded teams in women's cricket.

"I walked from Bondi to Coogee (in Sydney)... Pretty much every Australian in the eastern suburbs is in the water, doing Surf Lifesaver, playing touch rugby," said Lewis.

"Our talent pool at the moment is small, and I definitely think Australia have an advantage in terms of athleticism."

England's woeful performances in Australia, however, have seen the positions of both Lewis and captain Heather Knight called into question.

Clare Connor, the England and Wales Cricket Board's manager director of women's cricket promised a comprehensive review after a "brutal" series loss to a "ruthless" Australia.

But while Connor would not speculate on the future for Lewis and Knight, she did not require a review to give a scathing initial assessment.

"We've been out-performed in every facet of the game, and we'll need to be very honest about that," said Connor, herself a former England women's captain, during a conference call. "As a team we've been out-skilled and out-played."

England have not won a major women's cricket trophy since lifting the 2017 50-over World Cup on home soil, with their ability to play under pressure a recurring problem.

Lewis and Knight have defended the team against accusations of a poor mental approach but Connor accepted it was an issue England had to address ahead of this year's World Cup in India, which starts in August.

"I think one of the main things that is evident is the ability to play under pressure," she said.

"Certain individuals have, but as a collective we have to be honest and say we've haven't handled the pressure of this series in the way that we want to."

P.Smith--AT