England and India ready for ground-breaking first women's test at Lord's

LONDON: Lord's, the Home of Cricket since 1814, will mark another ​milestone on Friday when England ​and India step out for the first women's test ​match at the sport's most famous venue.

The four-day test comes 50 years on from Rachael Heyhoe-Flint leading England out for the first women's match at Lord's.

"It's a huge ‌honour and a ⁠privilege ⁠to be walking out there tomorrow," said England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt on Thursday.


"I think we ​are pretty deserved of being here and we'll relish the opportunity.

"We are looking forward ​to such a special week here at Lord's, doing something that we dreamt of as kids growing up playing cricket."

Women were not allowed to ​join the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) or enter the ⁠Lord's pavilion ‌until 1999, when the club founded in 1787 announced ​its first ​10 female honorary members.

Lord's has hosted 150 men's tests ⁠to date, most recently against New Zealand last month.

The ​ground in north-west London will be the country's 20th ​venue since the 1930s to host an England women's test.

More than 30,000 tickets have been sold for England's 103rd women's test, with a special opening ceremony on Friday featuring 50 England players past and present including Enid Bakewell who featured in the 1976 international.

Heyhoe-Flint, who died in 2017 ‌and was in 2004 the first woman to join the MCC committee, has a gate named in her honour at ​the ground.

The ​test will be the ⁠first against India on home soil since 2021 and also a farewell for England batter Tammy Beaumont, who missed out on the World Cup squad ​and announced on Wednesday her retirement from international cricket at the age of 35.

England and India have played 15 women's tests previously, 11 ending in a draw and England winning only once.

England lost to Australia by seven wickets at Lord's last Sunday in the women's Twenty20 World Cup final.