Women's Ashes 2017: Sophie Ecclestone in England squad

Sophie Ecclestone won her first cap for England on 3 July 2016

England have included 18-year-old spinner Sophie Ecclestone in their squad for the Women's Ashes in the only change from the World Cup winning side.

Left-armer Ecclestone replaces pace bowler Beth Langston in the party of 15 to tour Australia.

Heather Knight's team will look to regain the Ashes in the multi-format series that begins on 22 October.

Points are awarded across three one-day internationals, one Test and three Twenty20s.

• Women's Ashes 2017: England in Australia

"Sophie Ecclestone has finished school now and has had a great summer domestically. Her selection will provide another option to our attack," said coach Mark Robinson.

"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."

Lancashire's Ecclestone, who is not among the 18 centrally contracted England players, has played two ODIs and two T20 internationals but has not featured for her country since the tour of the West Indies in October 2016.

Langston, 25, was an unused member of the squad for the World Cup, which England won with a dramatic final victory over India at Lord's in July.

As well as the touring party, England will have seam bowler Kate Cross and wicketkeeper Amy Jones in Australia, with both playing domestic cricket for Western Fury in Perth.

And it will be the first time Knight has led her side into an Ashes series.

"I'm so excited to captain the team out there. What a 2017 it will be if we can lift the Ashes trophy as well," the 26-year-old told BBC Sport.

"Sophie is a brilliant young cricketer and she adds something a bit different. She's very tall, has a lovely action and gets flight and dip on the ball.

"She's a confident girl, far from shy and I'm really excited to see how she goes."

Cross, Jones, Langston and left-arm seamer Natasha Farrant are the only centrally contracted players not in England's squad.

Australia will be captained by Rachael Haynes after regular skipper Meg Lanning was ruled out with a shoulder injury.

Full squad:

Heather Knight (captain, Berkshire), Tammy Beaumont (Kent), Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire), Sophie Ecclestone (Lancashire), Georgia Elwiss (Sussex), Jenny Gunn (Warwickshire), Alex Hartley (Lancashire), Danielle Hazell (Yorkshire), Laura Marsh (Kent), Nat Sciver (Surrey), Anya Shrubsole (Somerset), Sarah Taylor (wk, Sussex), Fran Wilson (Middlesex), Lauren Winfield (Yorkshire), Danni Wyatt (Sussex).