The dust has hardly settled in Bloemfontein with England women celebrating their first women’s Test victory in a decade, that attention immediately turns to their next one, in an Ashes series Down Under.

The Test match against South Africa was not deemed of sufficiently high profile for the financial expenditure of DRS (Decision Review System), while the Ashes clash in January will be the first women’s Test since 1949 held at the 100,000-seater Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Trent Bridge, Canberra, Bristol and Hobart have been the venues used for Ashes Test matches over the last decade, while the generation before will have played at non-first-class country grounds.

From 2025 to 2029, women’s Test cricket has been handed a significant boost, with more matches taking place than at any other point in the modern era, although New Zealand continue to spurn the opportunity to take part.

It is a tough ask for the players that every chance they get to play red-ball cricket to have to argue for their right to do so, and constantly push for more opportunities to even take to the field, never mind to play across five days.

There are so few women’s Test matches that it is hard to analyse form, but the Ashes will be a multi-format series, with the first-ever pink ball day-night women’s Test likely to be the deciding final match.

Here, Telegraph Sport looks at some of the key aspects of England’s performance in Bloemfontein, ahead of that match in January.

England’s debutants impress

Such is the scarcity of women’s Test matches that each one is usually accompanied by at least a few debutants. On this occasion, England handed out two maiden caps to Maia Bouchier and Ryana MacDonald-Gay.

Bouchier rewarded the selectors with a century at the top of the order which set the tone for the match, in an impressive 174-run stand with Nat Sciver-Brunt.

MacDonald-Gay was a last-minute selection after Kate Cross was ruled out with a back spasm sustained during the white-ball leg of the tour. But despite the lack of preparation, she bowled impressively, taking two wickets, and could challenge for a place in the final XI for the Melbourne match.

The two Lauren’s showcase their skill

Lauren Bell was player of the match, while Lauren Filer’s fiery bowling, including a bouncer that struck a South African batter on the helmet, set an aggressive tone with the ball.

This year has been a challenging one for Bell, who decided to change her technique at the age of 23 to stay more upright and give herself the opportunity to bowl outswing as well as inswing, and after difficult periods during the English summer, she finished the Test in South Africa having claimed eight wickets.

While Filer, as her captain Heather Knight describes, “just makes things happen”, as she was utilised well, in short, sharp bursts to prevent the batters from settling into a rhythm.

The pink ball and the MCG

As there has never been a women’s pink ball Test, just like the T20 World Cup in Dubai, you have to look at the men’s game to try to analyse the impact of the ball on the game. The upside for the England women’s team, however, is that Australia women have also never played a Test match with one, while their men’s team boast a formidable record.

Historically, the toss has held additional significance in pink ball cricket, and the two captains will be tested by conditions they are not familiar with, and will have to adapt quickly.

The last Ashes Test at Trent Bridge was a five-day affair and Australia ran out winners, the one at the MCG will be compacted into four long days, with 100 overs each day.

Test rookie and experienced pros deliver the runs

Bouchier’s century on debut was a composed batting performance, especially from someone who admitted she did not have a clear plan about how to go about her innings days before the Test match started.

She was well supported by Sciver-Brunt’s fluent 128, which was brought to an end only because of an unorthodox run-out at the non-striker’s end after a drive from Amy Jones deflected on to the stumps and left her stranded.

In the second innings, it was Knight and Sciver-Brunt who again stood up against a South African bowling attack who were better adapted to conditions, with the England captain striking a well-measured 90 from 191.

Runs, particularly those in the first innings, will be critical in Australia to avoid.

Lower order question marks

Aside from Bouchier’s welcome contribution, England’s runs were yet again scored by the usual suspects of Sciver-Brunt and Knight. Time and again, questions are raised concerning a middle order who can seem to get themselves in, but not go on to make big scores, with Jones’s 39 from 85 in the first innings a prime example.

Charlie Dean at seven feels too high and could leave the tail exposed, while Australia on the other hand have a plethora of all-rounders including Ashleigh Gardner and Annabel Sutherland, who average 59.03 and 70.50 from their handful of Test matches so far.