Lord's Cricket Ground will finally host a women's Test match, 142 years after staging its first men's Test, when England take on India in a four-day game starting Friday. The match marks a milestone for women's cricket at the iconic venue.
Historic Occasion at Lord's
India coach Amol Muzumdar expressed astonishment at the occasion, saying, "It just boggles my mind that it is just the first (women's) Test match here at Lord's. It is a great occasion and we are looking forward to it." The match comes just over 50 years after the first women's match of any kind at Lord's, a one-day international on August 4, 1976, where England beat Australia by eight wickets.
England's captain that day was the late Rachael Heyhoe Flint, a pioneering figure in women's cricket. At the time, players wore skirts instead of the white or colored trousers used today. Heyhoe Flint, who died in 2017, now has a gate named after her at Lord's. In 1976, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which owns Lord's, had not yet admitted women as members, and the idea of women walking through the Long Room of the pavilion before taking the field was a distant dream.
Progress Since 1976
England's No. 5 batter that day, Megan Lear, compared the experience to the moon landing, telling the Guardian: "On that day in 1976, to walk on to the hallowed turf at Lord's, it was like one small step for us women cricketers, but one giant leap towards the future of women's cricket." The contrast between then and now is stark: this Test between two professional sides will be England's second fixture at Lord's in under a week, following Sunday's defeat by Australia in the women's T20 World Cup final, which attracted a capacity crowd.
Nine of England's World Cup squad are included for the Test, including captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, who is "hoping to play" despite a nagging calf injury. England coach Charlotte Edwards said, "We've always known this has been on the calendar. A lot of our players have been doing Test match prep throughout the T20s so we're really looking forward to it." Edwards, who captained England to victory in the 2009 Women's T20 World Cup final at Lord's, added, "It's a historic Test match for us as a group and for the Indian team, and we can't wait to play in front of a lot of people again over the next four days."
Players Reflect on Significance
Teenage England spinner Tilly Corteen-Colman, 18, is well aware of the importance of the occasion. "I remember speaking to Lottie (Edwards) about when she used to play here and they weren't allowed in the Long Room," she said. "The first women's Test at Lord's is history in the making, so to be involved would be incredible. It would mean the absolute world."
The match also marks England batter Tammy Beaumont's farewell to international cricket. Beaumont has made 260 appearances for England since her debut 17 years ago and was the first English woman to score a double century in a Test, with 208 against Australia at Trent Bridge in 2023. "When I fell in love with playing cricket as a young girl, I barely knew that playing cricket for England was an option," said Beaumont. The 35-year-old, who will continue to play domestic cricket, added: "Our first ever women's Test at Lord's feels like the perfect occasion to sign off on a career that I could never have dreamt would be as special as it has been."
