As the longest format in women’s cricket, women’s Test cricket falls in line with men’s Test cricket. Between two of the leading cricketing nations, matches are composed of four innings and last for four days at most. The rules for the women’s game are similar to the men’s; the main differences revolve around umpires and pitches.
One Day Internationals for women are played less frequently than Test matches, as their schedule revolves around this shorter format. In December 1934, England women played Australian women in the first women’s Test match, which England won by a margin of nine wickets in Brisbane.
Aspects of the game
Cricket’s Laws of Cricket apply to women’s Test cricket, with a few variations, detailed in the “Playing conditions for women’s Test matches” document. There are many similarities between these conditions and the ones set for men’s Test cricket. During a match, two eleven-player teams face off against each other over four innings. It is possible to tie a cricket test, draw a test, or win a test.
One of the most noticeable differences between women’s and men’s test matches is their length – four instead of five days.
A smaller field and a lighter ball are other differences between women and men in cricket. Women are required to use a ball weighing 139.98 to 150.61 grams according to the laws of cricket; the ball used by men could weigh up to 23.03 grams less. In women’s Test matches, the UDRS isn’t available, but third umpires can often be asked to review televised replays.
Nations
The women’s national teams of 10 countries have played Test cricket. In the 1934–35 season, the England team toured Australia and New Zealand, and these three sides have competed in Test cricket most frequently; each side has played at least 45 matches. In 1960, South Africa became the next nation to compete in the format.
Although they have played only eleven Test matches, less than India and the West Indies, they have been largely excluded from the international sport due to their apartheid policy. There are four teams that have played fewer than five Tests: Pakistan, Netherlands Ireland, and Sri Lanka.
Nevertheless, women rarely get a chance to play the long version of the game, unlike men, who are in high demand everywhere. There are few or no women’s tests organized by most cricket playing countries.