Women's Test Cricket: History, Legends, and the Long Innings Format
Women's Test cricket has a history dating back to 1934, when England played Australia in the first women's Test match. The format has always been rarer than men's Tests due to fewer bilateral agreements and funding constraints, but has seen a significant revival since 2014. Women's Tests are typically played over 4 days (rather than 5) with slightly different playing conditions. The format has produced legendary performances including Mithali Raj's record-breaking career and England's own Heather Knight era.
Origins of women's Test cricket: the first women's Test match was played in 1934 between England and Australia in Brisbane, Australia — 57 years after the first men's Test in 1877. The Women's Cricket Association (WCA) in England was founded in 1926 and became the driver behind establishing international women's cricket. Early women's cricket was almost entirely amateur and self-funded, with players organising their own tours and accommodation. Despite these constraints, women's Test cricket developed a following in England, Australia, and parts of the Indian subcontinent. The format was 5 days initially but was reduced to 4 days in many women's bilateral series, reflecting the shorter preparation time allocated to women's teams by host boards.
Mithali Raj Career
Mithali Raj — the women's Test batting record: Mithali Raj (India, 1999-2022) is the highest run-scorer in women's international cricket across all formats. In Tests: Mithali Raj scored 699 Test runs average 43.68 across 12 Tests. Her career spanned 23 years — one of the longest international cricket careers (men's or women's) in history. She made her Test debut in January 1999 against Ireland in Milton Keynes at age 16, scoring 114 in her debut innings (first of several centurions in her career). In ODIs: Mithali Raj's ODI record is most remarkable — 7,805 ODI runs at average 50.68, the highest by any women's ODI batter in history. She captained India to consecutive ICC Women's Cricket World Cup finals (2005, 2017), losing both. Her retirement in June 2022 ended an era: she remains the benchmark for women's ODI batting in India and globally.
Women's Test Revival Since 2014
Women's Test cricket revival: from the mid-1990s to early 2010s, women's Test cricket was played infrequently — some nations went years or even decades without playing a Test. The ICC made women's Test cricket revival a priority from 2014: women's bilateral series began including a Test component more regularly; the Women's Ashes, Women's Ashes (Aus vs Eng), and India series began scheduling Tests. By 2022-2023, England, Australia, India, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the West Indies were playing Tests regularly. The Day-Night Women's Test innovation: Australia hosted a Day-Night Women's Test against England at North Sydney Oval in 2021 — becoming the first women's Day-Night Test ever played, using the pink ball. The ground was packed, the broadcast reached global audiences, and the format became a talking point for women's cricket visibility.
Current Women's Test Format
Women's Test cricket conditions and format: women's Tests use slightly different regulations than men's Tests: (1) 4-day duration — unlike men's 5-day Tests; (2) 90 overs per day — same as men's Tests; (3) Follow-on threshold: 150 runs (compared to men's 200 in 5-day Tests); (4) New ball: taken at 80 overs (men's: 80 overs also); (5) Fielding restrictions: same as men's Tests (no fixed restrictions). The women's Test match ball is the same standard leather cricket ball as men's Tests. Women's Test salaries and match fees have historically been lower than men's equivalents, but since 2022, Cricket Australia, England Cricket Board, and BCCI have made significant steps toward closing the gap — including giving contracted women's players full-time professional salaries comparable to lower-tier men's county players.
Frequently asked questions
When did women's Test cricket start?
Women's Test cricket began in 1934, when England played Australia in Brisbane, Australia — 57 years after the first men's Test match in 1877. The Women's Cricket Association (WCA) in England was founded in 1926 and was instrumental in establishing international women's cricket. The first women's Test series involved England and Australia, mirroring the men's Ashes rivalry that had existed since 1882. Women's Tests were initially played over 5 days, like men's, but were later standardised at 4 days in many series to reflect the typically smaller allocation of playing time given to women's cricket tours. Despite limited resources and amateur status (players funded much of their own travel and accommodation in the early decades), women's Test cricket developed loyal audiences in England, Australia, and India.
Who holds the women's Test cricket records?
Women's Test cricket records (as of 2026): Highest individual innings: Kiran Baluch (Pakistan) — 242 vs West Indies (2004). Most Test runs: Jan Brittin (England) — 1,935 Test runs at 49.61 across 27 Tests. Most Test wickets: Mary Duggan (England) — 77 wickets at 13.49. Most Test centuries: Betty Snowball (England) and others. In terms of modern era records: Heather Knight (England) and Beth Mooney (Australia) have the highest batting averages among active players. In ODIs: Mithali Raj holds the record for most ODI runs (7,805 runs at average 50.68). In T20Is: Beth Mooney (Australia) holds the highest T20I batting average among players with significant caps. These records are less universally tracked than men's due to the lower volume of women's Test cricket played historically.
How does the Women's Ashes work?
The Women's Ashes is a points-based multi-format series between England and Australia — the oldest rivalry in women's cricket. Format and points: one Test match (4 points for win, 2 for draw, 0 for loss); three ODIs (2 points for series win, 0 for series loss); three T20Is (2 points for series win, 0 for series loss). Total points available: 8. The series winner is the team with the most points across all formats. If the series is level (4-4), the holder retains the Ashes. The points structure means a Test win is worth the same as winning both the ODI and T20I series combined — correctly emphasising the longer format's importance. The multi-format points system was introduced in 2013 and has been adopted as the model for other women's bilateral series. The Women's Ashes has been contested since 1934 and is the premier fixture in the women's international calendar.