England Women’s Cricket Team to Face West Indies in Test Match for First Time Since 1979

In their most recent Test match, held in December 2023, England suffered a significant defeat, losing to India by 347 runs. As part of the recently introduced Future Tours Programme, England’s women’s team is set to compete in a Test match in the West Indies for the inaugural time. The West Indies, having not participated in a Test match since 2004, are slated to host England for a series comprising one Test, three one-day internationals, and three T20s during April and May 2027. This encounter will mark the first time these two teams have faced each other in the longest format of the game since 1979. Within this new cycle, spanning from 2025 to early 2029, England is also scheduled to play Test matches against India, Australia, and South Africa. Heather Knight, the captain of England, is one of several individuals who have advocated for an increase in women’s Test matches. England’s team will play Test matches in South Africa and Australia this winter, concluding the present cycle. A tour to Pakistan is scheduled for them for the first time in 2027. An earlier tour planned for Pakistan in 2021 was canceled due to security concerns. Furthermore, the updated schedule incorporates a period in August largely devoid of international cricket, designed to align with The Hundred, which provides a boost for the England and Wales Cricket Board’s competition. For the first time, Zimbabwe has been included in the Future Tours Programme. The West Indies are also set to host a Test match against Australia in 2026 and will play South Africa away in this format in 2028. Johnny Grave, who concluded his term as Cricket West Indies chief executive last week, suggested the possibility of the Windies playing a Test match at the renowned Kensington Oval. The West Indies team is led by Barbados-born all-rounder Hayley Matthews. Grave, speaking on the Stumped podcast, said: “When you have an iconic player, who will go down in history of our game, in Hayley Mathews it seems right she will have the opportunity to wear a maroon Test cap and lead her team out, hopefully at her home ground of the Kensington Oval at some point in a Test.” Grave further articulated the philosophy: “Our philosophy has been that red-ball cricket is where you can build your technique, hone your defence and look to score all around the wicket. If that is what we believe for the men then it has to be the case for the women.” New Zealand currently has no Test cricket scheduled. There had been some anticipation that their T20 World Cup victory last month might result in the White Ferns playing their first Test since 2004.