England drops Test from West Indies Women tour to prioritise Ashes preparation

The ECB said the current domestic structure offers few chances for players to experience multi-day cricket, so management looked for the best way to prepare the team for four days of cricket against Australia. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

England Women’s tour of West Indies has lost its much-awaited Test match, with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) revising its April schedule to make room for a more extensive red-ball programme ahead of the Women’s Ashes.

The tour will now consist of three T20Is and three ODIs. The ECB said there was insufficient time to fit in the Test originally anticipated, because the trip takes place once the English domestic season is already under way.

The change allows England to play four red-ball matches in home conditions before the Ashes Test against Australia at Headingley, which starts on June 24. They include a three-day fixture against Australia A and three best v best matches on English soil. At least two of the intra-squad games will let selectors look at a wider pool of players in the format.

The programme begins in January with a 10-day red-ball training camp in Bengaluru, ahead of the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy.

The ECB said the current domestic structure offers few chances for players to experience multi-day cricket, so management looked for the best way to prepare the team for four days of cricket against Australia.

Dates and venues for the West Indies tour will be confirmed by Cricket West Indies in due course. It will follow the opening round of One-Day Cup matches, which will involve all England players. The ECB thanked Cricket West Indies for agreeing to its request and for its “understanding and collaborative approach”.

ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould said the Headingley Test would be “one of the highlights of the summer” and is worth four points in the multi-format series, making preparation vital.

“A 10-day warm-weather red-ball camp in India followed by four further matches in English conditions will provide Charlotte Edwards and her team with the appropriate game time to be ready for that challenge,” he said.

Gould added that best v best cricket in English conditions would help the ECB gauge its strength in depth and give more players competitive multi-day experience. “We appreciate the constructive conversations with Cricket West Indies,” he said, “that have enabled us to look forward to an exciting tour of the Caribbean before focusing our attentions back on our home summer.”