Women's Test Cricket: A History of the Longest Format in the Women's Game
Women's Test cricket has been played since 1934 and has a rich history often overshadowed by the growth of the women's ODI and T20 formats. This is the complete story of the women's longest format.
Women's Test cricket was first played in 1934, just over 50 years after men's Test cricket began in 1877. The first women's Test was between England and Australia — the same nations who played the first men's Test — in Brisbane. Women's Test cricket has since been played by England, Australia, India, New Zealand, West Indies, Pakistan, South Africa and Ireland among others, though the volume of women's Tests has always been significantly lower than the men's game. In the modern era, women's Tests are played rarely — typically only between England and Australia as part of the Women's Ashes series.
Records and Landmarks
The highest individual score in women's Test cricket is 242 by Kiran Baluch of Pakistan against West Indies in 2004. Betty Snowball of England and Mithali Raj of India have both scored multiple Test centuries in the women's game. In bowling, Mary Duggan of England took 11 wickets in a single Test in 1963. The longest partnership in women's Test cricket was set by Deepti Sharma and Punam Raut of India who added 320 runs against South Africa in 2014 — a record that reflects India's growing dominance of women's Test cricket when it is played.
The format's relative rarity means women's Test cricket has not produced the volume of statistical records that the men's game has. Most women's Test matches in the modern era are five-day matches, though some bilateral agreements have used four days. The Women's Ashes is the highest-profile women's Test series — typically played every two to four years as part of an Ashes multi-format series that includes ODIs and T20Is alongside the Test match.
The Push for More Women's Tests
The women's cricket community and many administrators have called for more women's Test cricket — arguing that the format provides a different and valuable challenge that T20s and ODIs cannot replicate. The ICC's Future Tours Programme for women's cricket has gradually included more Test matches in bilateral schedules, though the financial and logistical challenges of five-day cricket for women's teams remain significant. The ICC's push for a Women's World Test Championship, modelled on the men's WTC, would formalise women's Test cricket further.
Frequently asked questions
Who has the most Test centuries in women's cricket?
Mithali Raj of India holds the record for most Test centuries by a women's player, with seven centuries in 12 Tests — a reflection both of her quality as a batter and of how rarely women's Tests have been played relative to limited-overs cricket. Her seven centuries in 12 Tests represents an extraordinary average, comparable to the finest men's Test batters.
Have women's Tests ever been played outside England, Australia and India?
Yes. Women's Tests have been played in New Zealand, West Indies, Pakistan and South Africa. However, the vast majority of women's Test cricket played in the modern era involves England, Australia and India — the three nations with the strongest women's cricket infrastructure and the highest broadcast and sponsorship value.
Is there a women's equivalent of The Ashes in other cricket rivalries?
The Women's Ashes is the most established women's bilateral rivalry. There is no formal equivalent urn or trophy for other women's bilateral series, though series between India and Australia, India and England and other top nations carry significant prestige. The ICC has created a points-based system for women's multi-format series to give added significance to standalone matches.