More Women’s Test Matches?

[SillyCowCorner1]

The idea for this thread comes as a result of reading the news of a ‘one-off’ test match later year between India and England.

I, for one would love to see more women’s test matches being played.

This leads to my question: why can’t we have test series featuring the women?
Is it not financially viable? Lack of ‘rivalry’?

Or is ICC okay with promoting the game via the white ball formats?

#testcricketisthebestcricket

 

[_Ed_]

There used to be more - the NZ team have played 45 tests in our history, but none since 2004. And obviously it's just been Australia and England that have played them in recent times. I'd love to see more of them.

 

[cnerd123]

Is it not financially viable?

I think that's probably the main issue.

Hopefully things change soon. Women's cricket has grown a lot in the past few years, and as you mentioned there is a Test coming up.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Afaik women's cricket always is a negative net financially at this stage, Test matches woukd magnify those losses

 

[Dendarii]

I think everyone (players, fans, officials) would like to see more women's test matches, so it's really a question as to whether there's a way of making it work. Test series might not be viable at the moment, but maybe there's the possibility of adding a test match when teams go on tour for an ODI/T20 series.

 

[tony p]

I think the players need to push their particular cricket boards more if they want to play tests.

I for one would love to see Laura Wolvaardt play a test innings, her innings against India a couple of days ago was outstanding.
Likewise with Amelia Kerr, would love to see how she would bowl in a long game, not just limited overs.

I think the best chances of Women's Tests is when the men's team tour, the Women should tour around the same time or just after, money permitting.

 

[sledger]

The answer is "yes"

 

[TheJediBrah]

The way to make it work would be selling it as an investment. It seems like the boards are not brave enough to give it a chance though, which is disappointing. Hard to prove that Womens Test cricket has potential to be a success without scheduling matches to test it out.

 

[honestbharani]

Maybe they can do 4 day test matches there with 100 overs per day or whatever? Trial out the format? And day-night tests?

 

[TheJediBrah]

Maybe they can do 4 day test matches there with 100 overs per day or whatever? Trial out the format? And day-night tests?

Pretty sure Womens Tests have always been 4 days anyway. Making them Day-night tests would probably lose even more money.

 

[SteveNZ]

If they're tacked on to the end of ODI/T20 series, why not? Obviously they become massively hard to justify as standalone matches with cost etc.

Look, I have two young girls and I want them to have all the opportunities in the world with sport. I'll be pushing incredibly hard for that. But it's hard to imagine that there will be a market for women's Test cricket any time soon. It's just not marketable. Until the game gets quicker in all aspects, no matter how much we say women deserve equal x/y/z, no one can be forced to watch it and the game as a whole can't afford to carry it as a loss-making exercise.

 

[TheJediBrah]

If they're tacked on to the end of ODI/T20 series, why not? Obviously they become massively hard to justify as standalone matches with cost etc.

Tacking a Test on the end of a LO series wouldn't make it a whole lot cheaper than if it was standalone. They would never be standalone anyway, they would always be part of a tour.

 

[SteveNZ]

Tacking a Test on the end of a LO series wouldn't make it a whole lot cheaper than if it was standalone. They would never be standalone anyway, they would always be part of a tour.

I guess I meant in terms of travelling exclusively for a Test tour, but yeah that wouldn't ever be happening (ie England to NZ men's last year, would never happen in the women's game)

 

[Himannv]

Can the costs be covered by exclusive television deals or something like that?