LONDON (The Thursday Times) — England have dropped their planned women’s Test in the West Indies next April and will prepare for the Women’s Ashes with four red-ball matches at home instead, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Wednesday.
The Caribbean tour will now be three T20 internationals and three one-day internationals. The board said there was not enough time for a Test because the trip falls after the English domestic season has begun.
The one Test against Australia next summer, worth four points in the multi-format Ashes, will be played at Headingley from June 24 to 27. Before it, England will play a three-day match against Australia A and three intra-squad “best v best” games. A 10-day red-ball camp in Bengaluru in January comes first.
“A 10-day warm-weather red-ball camp in India followed by four further matches in English conditions will provide Charlotte Edwards and her team with the appropriate game time to be ready for that challenge,” said Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive. He said the plan would also let selectors test the squad’s depth and give chances to more players.
Short of Test cricket
Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side have played only one Test since losing to Australia by an innings in Melbourne in January 2025, and that ended in a heavy defeat by India at Lord’s. England expect to use 26 or 27 players across the camps and matches.
The decision follows suggestions that the ECB might have to help pay for the Test in the Caribbean. Chris Dehring, chief executive of Cricket West Indies, had said: “We would welcome any assistance of our much wealthier member boards. It is very expensive to host cricket in the Caribbean.” The ECB has framed the change as a cricketing decision, made with the Ashes in mind.
For West Indies, the wait goes on. They have not played a women’s Test since 2004, which was their only red-ball match in 47 years.
