By Martin Gough

England win Women's Ashes

Wicket-keeper Jane Smit says England will continue to improve after regaining the Women's Ashes.

The side tour Sri Lanka and India later this year without captain Clare Connor, who is resting an injury, and bowler Clare Taylor, who has just retired.

"We're a really young squad at the moment," Smit told BBC Sport.

"We're still learning, we've got a lot of talented young players and hopefully will be together for a number of years and will only get better."

Smit believes losses to Australia and India during April's Women's World Cup motivated the side to reach higher levels.

First came a 1-0 Test series victory over Australia, to claim the Ashes for the first time in 42 years.

And next is a date with India, the World Cup semi-finalists who thrashed England 5-0 during the one-day series on their last visit in 2001/2.

It was a fantastic experience to share the day with the men with the parade and the open-top bus Jane Smit

"We were very disappointed at the World Cup but that made us even more determined to put up a good show," she said.

"We've got quite a lot of girls who have never been to India so that will be a challenge in itself

"They're a very good side and they will be even better on home soil."

Having clinched the Ashes a fortnight previously, England's women joined the men's side to celebrate in Trafalgar Square on Tuesday.

But Smit revealed the team had travelled to London while the fifth men's Test was still going on, unsure whether the parade would take place.

"Tuesday was one of the best days of my life. It was a fantastic experience to share the day with the men with the parade and the open-top bus," she said.

"We'd known for a week or so that it was a possibility. We travelled down on Monday but didn't know whether it was going to go ahead.

"It was quite a tense time on the train catching up on the score and not knowing what was going to happen."

Smit, who was speaking at the NatWest Coaching Clinic event in Loughborough, is at the end of her 13th season as an England player.

But at 32 she insists she has no plans to follow Taylor and strike bowler Lucy Pearson into retirement.

"I'm still enjoying playing for England. It's a brilliant time for women's cricket," she said.

"Those that have played for England for a number of years have gone through so many losses and we're just beginning to have a bit of success.