England To Play First West Indies Test Since 1979

West Indies’ Hayley Matthews in action during the Women’s Cricket T20 World Cup match against England at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Oct. 15, 2024. REUTERS/Satish Kumar

Source: Caribbean Life

England is set to play a women’s Test match in the West Indies for the first time as part of the new Future Tours Program. This will be the first time the two sides meet in the longest format of the game since 1979.

Heather Knight of England bats during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 warm-up match between Australia and England at ICC Academy on Sept. 29, 2024, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The West Indies have not played a Test match since 2004 and are scheduled to host England for one Test, three One-Day Internationals, and three T20 matches in April and May 2027. This new cycle of matches will run from 2025 to early 2029, during which England will also play Tests against India, Australia, and South Africa.

England captain Heather Knight is among those advocating for more women’s Tests. Additionally, England is scheduled to tour Pakistan for the first time in 2027. They were previously set to play in Pakistan in 2021, but that tour was canceled due to security concerns.

For the first time, Zimbabwe has been included in the Future Tours Program. The West Indies will host a Test match against Australia in 2026 and will also play South Africa in the Test format in 2028.

Johnny Grave, whose tenure as Chief Executive of Cricket West Indies recently ended, mentioned the possibility of the West Indies playing a Test match at the iconic Kensington Oval.

Barbados all-rounder Hayley Matthews is the captain of the West Indies team. Grave said, “When you have an iconic player, who will go down in the history of our game, in Hayley Matthews, it seems fitting that 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 match.

“Our philosophy has been that red-ball cricket is where you can build your technique, hone your defense, and learn to score all around the wicket.”

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