MANUKA Oval has been duly compensated for the covid loss of its Australian one-day international in January, handed the only women’s Ashes Test of the summer.

It is one of two lone fixtures set down for the Canberra venue after Cricket Australia named a Trans-Tasman Twenty20 men’s battle with New Zealand in the nation’s capital days later.

The plum match on the female cricket calendar will follow Australia hosting the traditional five-Test series with England after Hobart was chosen ahead of Canberra for the inaugural Afghanistan Test that was also postponed last season.

The four-day women’s match against the English on January 27-30 will hit off the series in three formats of the game that extends to three T20 internationals and three one-dayers.

Australia’s first men’s T20 of the summer against the Kiwis will be played in the midst of the Big Bash League finals on February 8 at Manuka ahead of five more against Sri Lanka.

ACT chief executive Olivia Thornton was chuffed that Manuka Oval staging a rare Test was a sign of Canberra’s contribution to women’s cricket.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Australian women’s team to Canberra to open their Ashes campaign and the men’s team for an exciting T20 fixture against New Zealand,” she said.

“Manuka Oval has demonstrated time and time again that it is one of the best boutique cricket grounds in the country and it is fitting that it continues to attract top quality fixtures each year.

“We do not underestimate the importance of giving local fans the opportunity to watch their favourite Australian players in action in their own backyard.

“After one of our biggest summers last year, we have seen a significant increase in school participation numbers, which proves access to top-level cricket has the power to inspire the younger generation to play and love cricket.”

The dual international fixtures follows the cancellation of Australia’s opening game of the three-match women’s series in Canberra against India on January 22.

However, Manuka Oval could get that game against the Indians back in September after promises that the postponed series would be rescheduled.

Australia spearhead Megan Schutt has secretly revealed in the recent No Balls: The Cricket Podcast that the women’s national side would play India ahead of the summer, but Cricket Australia only announced the series with England would go ahead at Tuesday’s launch.

Last season’s brief Indian tour originally consisted of only one-day fixtures, but a Cricket Australia report on its website in December last year admitted additional matches is set to be rescheduled for the 2021-22 season to include three T20I internationals.

Cricket ACT is also expecting to stage its annual Prime Minister’s XI encounter confirmed in the coming months.

Manuka hosted an unprecedented number of Big Bash matches last summer after the ACT became one of the safest areas to play cricket with limited crowds that proceeded a men’s one-dayer and T20 at the ground between Australia and India.