Women’s Test cricket: History of the format

No other nation has played more than Pakistan’s three, with Sri Lanka alongside Ireland and Holland in playing a solitary Test. Among Test-playing nations in men’s cricket, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan have never played a women’s Test.

The case for five days

There has been an increasing push in recent months, intensifying since the thrilling drawn Test in the Women’s Ashes, for women’s Test cricket to be played over five days as in men’s cricket, rather than four.

When that match ended after four days with all four results possible until the closing overs, it concluded a fifth successive drawn women’s Test – a figure which accounts for all fixtures since Australia’s win over England in August 2015.

That is not a new problem, as 64 per cent of all women’s Test matches excluding the two abandonments have been drawn – 92, compared to only 51 producing a positive result.

New Zealand and India lead the way with draw percentages in the 70s, with the White Ferns drawing 33 out of 45 Tests and India 27 out of 38.

Australia’s win ratio of 26 per cent is the highest in the format, at least among those to play more than once, while they are alongside England on a record 20 wins with no other nation managing more than five.

One encouraging sign for June’s match is that six of South Africa’s previous 12 Tests have ended in a result, albeit with a solitary win and five defeats.

The International Cricket Council’s laws state that the duration of women’s Test matches is four days. They do allow for the possibility of a reserve day if an entire day’s play is lost but play cannot take place on more than four days.

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