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The England and Wales Cricket Board has made the decision to cancel a Test match against West Indies women scheduled for April, redirecting resources toward preparation for next summer’s Women’s Ashes series, according to reporting from the Trinidad Guardian.
Under the revised arrangement, England Women will still face the Windies in limited-overs cricket, playing three T20 internationals and three one-day internationals. However, the four-day Test format match has been removed from the itinerary. The ECB’s strategic pivot reflects the organisation’s emphasis on readying the team for the high-stakes Ashes Test, which will take place at Headingley from June 24 to 27 and carries four points in the multi-format series.
To prepare for the Australian challenge, England has structured an intensive preparation schedule. A dedicated 10-day red-ball training camp will be held in Bangalore in January, followed by four competitive matches in English conditions. These include a three-day fixture against Australia ‘A’ and three intra-squad "best versus best" matches designed to assess squad depth and provide competitive game time across multiple days.
ECB chief executive Richard Gould explained the rationale behind the approach, noting that the combination of warm-weather training in India and matches in English conditions would give captain Charlotte Edwards and her squad the necessary preparation for the Ashes challenge. Gould also highlighted that the intra-squad format allows the team to evaluate player strength in depth and provide opportunities to a broader group of competitors.
The cancellation underscores the relative priority placed on the Ashes, particularly given England Women’s recent Test record. The team has played only one Test since their last four-day meeting with Australia in January 2025—a heavy defeat to India at Lord’s—and lost that Australian encounter by an innings in Melbourne.
West Indies women have not played a Test match since 2004, which was their only red-ball match in 47 years, according to the source. This reflects the broader challenges facing women’s cricket in the region and the limited opportunities for the Windies to compete in the longest format.
This decision directly impacts the West Indies women’s cricket programme, removing a rare opportunity for the team to play Test cricket. Given that the Windies have not contested a women’s Test since 2004, the cancellation represents a lost chance for the regional team to gain valuable experience in the four-day format and maintain competitive engagement with a major cricket nation.
Sources and attribution
- Trinidad Guardian
- Women's Ashes: England to prepare with red-ball matches at home
- England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) – The Official Website …
- England women scrap West Indies Test to prioritise Ashes preparation
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