Women's Test cricket

Women's Test cricket is the longest format of women's cricket and is the gender equivalent to men's Test cricket. Matches comprise four-innings and are held over a maximum of four days between two of the leading cricketing nations. The rules governing the format differ little from those for the men's game, with differences generally being technicalities surrounding umpiring and pitch size. Far fewer women's Test matches are played each year than women's One Day Internationals, with the international calendar revolving around the shorter format of the game. The first women's Test match was played by England women and Australia women in December 1934, a three-day contest held in Brisbane which England won by nine wickets.^[1]

Nations

By 2007 ten teams had played women's Test matches, as follows:

•  Australia
•  England
•  India
•  Ireland
•  Netherlands
•  New Zealand
•  Pakistan
•  South Africa
•  Sri Lanka
•  West Indies

The Netherlands played their first Test in July 2007 against South Africa. The Netherlands gained Test status when it was announced by the ICC that the top ten ranked women's sides would have Test and ODI status.

Records

• Highest individual innings: 242 by Kiran Baluch for Pakistan v West Indies at Karachi, 2003/04
• Best bowling: 8-53 by Neetu David for India v England at Jamshedpur, 1995
• Hat-trick to Rene Farrell for Australia v England at Bankstown, 2011 (Scorecard)

See also

• Women's one-day international cricket

External links

• A History of Women's Cricket
• A history of Women's Test Cricket, including unofficial rankings
• Cricketwoman

Notes

1. ^ "1st Test: Australia Women v England Women at Brisbane, Dec 28-31, 1934". Cricinfo. 1934-12-28. http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/67401.html. Retrieved 2010-02-09.