England’s victory against South Africa highlights the need for more women’s Test cricket
England women’s Test triumph over South Africa was the cherry on top of a successful tour of the Rainbow Nation. After whitewashing the T20I leg, England’s only loss came in the first of three ODIs.
Despite such dominance, pressure remained high as both sides walked out for the one-off Test. This historic contest, marking the 150th women’s Test match, was the first played in South Africa in 22 years.
Given the build-up, fans couldn’t be blamed for feeling slightly underwhelmed by the display.
There were thrilling moments, especially from England, who secured their first Test win in a decade. Highlights included Maia Bouchier’s debut century, Nat Sciver-Brunt smashing the fastest ton in women’s Test history, and Player of the Match Lauren Bell achieving a career-best 4-27.
Meanwhile, Nonkululeko Mlaba stood out for South Africa. Claiming an impressive 6-67 in the second innings, she became the first South African woman to take 10 wickets in a Test. Despite her heroics, South Africa’s second innings collapse to just 64 runs – their lowest-ever Test total – sealed a comfortable victory for the visitors.
Several controversial decisions went against the hosts after Cricket South Africa made the decision to forgo the Decision Review System (DRS), opting to cut costs instead.
England captain Heather Knight was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying: “It’s probably a sign of the status of this game, maybe, that we didn’t have it, which is a bit frustrating.”
While the absence of DRS undoubtably hurt South Africa, it was far from the deciding factor in the game. England maintained control throughout.
But considering the lack of women’s Test cricket, should we really be surprised?
The last time England and South Africa met in this format was in 2022 and resulted in a draw – an all too common occurrence. Since then, both teams had played just two matches each before their clash in Bloemfontein.
Test cricket remains the pinnacle of the sport. However, as women’s cricket continues to grow, it is in danger of leaving the red-ball game behind.
Why are there so few Tests?
The first women’s Test match took place in December 1934, with England defeating Australia by nine wickets in Brisbane. In the 90 years since, the format has seen just 149 more matches – England’s clash with South Africa marking the 150th. To put that into perspective, 150 men’s Test matches have been played since May 2021 alone.
Cricket boards have prioritised shorter formats, which has created opportunities for the women’s game to grow. However, the increasing demands of franchise leagues and international white-ball matches have left little room for Tests.
As a result, when a Test match does occur, it can feel somewhat isolated or detached from the broader context.
“It’s really difficult to prepare for a Test match,” former Australia captain Meg Lanning was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“In my career, we were playing once every two years. It takes us two days to work out how to play it again, and then the Test is over.”
Historically, four-day matches have often produced draws, further devaluing the product. Australia’s 2023 Ashes Test win broke a streak of six consecutive draws and was the first positive result since 2015. Encouragingly, all five Tests since then have produced a definitive winner.
However, Test cricket remains limited to a handful of nations. While ten national women’s teams have played at least one match, only England, Australia, India, and South Africa have featured since 2007. This lack of participation has widened the gap between teams, creating a major obstacle for growth.
For example, the recent T20 World Cup demonstrated how far the women’s game has evolved. The tournament was full of surprises, with top-ranked teams falling to supposed underdogs, highlighting the growing competitiveness in shorter formats.
If Test cricket remains isolated to just four nations, this excitement will never be replicated. Teams outside the elite group will fall further behind, and the format itself risks becoming irrelevant.
Why is Test cricket important?
It’s a fair question. Test matches are expensive to organise and generate less financial return compared to shorter formats. For modern audiences who increasingly favour fast-paced entertainment, the prospect of a five-day match can seem less appealing.
Yet, Test cricket is still widely regarded as the greatest and purest format. It’s not just tradition and sentiment that gives it this status.
Test cricket demands unparalleled skill, endurance, and tactical prowess. The mental and physical resilience required to adapt to ever-changing conditions creates a competition that shorter formats, focused on rapid scoring, simply cannot replicate.
Take the women’s Ashes in 2023, for example – only the second five-day women’s Test in history. While Australia secured victory by 89 runs, the match was a thrilling contest that remained in the balance until the final day. England had their chances and perhaps should have won, but their final five wickets fell in just 90 minutes, adding only 62 runs.
In my opinion, that level of drama and tension cannot be matched by shorter formats. It’s not just my opinion – a record crowd of 23,117 turned up, underscoring the unique appeal and excitement of Test cricket when platformed correctly.
England captain Heather Knight said afterwards: “We want to get people watching Test cricket, we want to get people excited about women’s cricket, and that moment made me realise: ‘We’ve done our job here.’”
She added: “If it was four days it would have petered out and not been as entertaining as it was.”
The 2022 women’s Ashes also delivered some spectacular moments but ultimately ended in a draw. Had it gone to five days, it almost certainly would have reached a more satisfying conclusion.
The pinnacle of every cricketer’s career
It’s often said that Test cricket is ‘dying’. While that’s a conversation for another day, women’s Test cricket hasn’t even had the opportunity to establish itself yet.
Without consistent scheduling and adequate investment, it risks becoming an afterthought, overshadowed by the rapid rise of shorter formats. While white-ball cricket has driven significant growth in the women’s game, Test cricket is a distinct sport requiring different skills. We are at risk of neglecting the development of red-ball players.
Every sport has it’s pinnacle. For cricket, Test matches represent the ultimate challenge.
As India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast: “It’s a lot of fun playing T20s but Test cricket is something every cricketer wants to play.”
It’s astonishing to think that Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates, two legends of women’s cricket, have never played a Test. Between them, they’ve made over 600 appearances for New Zealand and played crucial roles in the team’s recent T20 World Cup victory. Yet, the chance to compete in the sport’s pinnacle format has eluded them.
Even those who have played have had very limited opportunities. South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt made her international debut in 2016 but has played only four Tests in her career.
When opportunities are so infrequent, preparation and team selection become incredibly challenging. Reflecting on performances becomes almost futile when the next Test is so far away – how can players improve and learn effectively?
With more teams playing Tests on a regular basis, rather than sporadic one-off matches, the quality of the product will inevitably improve. This would lead to more competitive and exciting matchups, showcasing the very best the game has to offer.
