England have cancelled their scheduled Test match in the West Indies in April and will instead prepare for the Women’s Ashes with several red-ball matches in the UK. Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side have played only one Test—a heavy defeat by India at Lord’s—since their last four-day meeting with Australia in January 2025, which ended in an innings defeat in Melbourne.
Ashes Preparation and Schedule Changes
The upcoming Test against Australia, which carries four points in the multi-format series, will take place at Headingley from June 24-27. England’s preparation will include four red-ball matches, consisting of a three-day fixture against Australia A followed by three intra-squad “best v best” matches. Furthermore, the squad will hold a dedicated red-ball training camp in Bangalore in January.
England anticipate utilizing 26 or 27 players across the various training camps and matches. Consequently, England’s tour of the West Indies has been revised to feature strictly three T20 internationals and three one-day internationals.
Financial Discussions and Performance Focus
The alteration follows previous suggestions that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) might need to provide financial support to Cricket West Indies (CWI) to facilitate the Test match. CWI chief executive Chris Dehring previously told BBC Sport that hosting cricket in the Caribbean is very expensive and that they would welcome assistance from wealthier member boards.
However, BBC Sport understands that the ECB’s decision is unrelated to those financial discussions, with the schedule adjustment regarded strictly as a performance choice aimed at giving England the optimal chance to defeat Australia. The West Indies have not contested a women’s Test since 2004, marking their sole red-ball appearance in 47 years.
ECB chief executive Richard Gould stated that a 10-day warm-weather red-ball camp in India, complemented by four additional matches in English conditions, will grant head coach Charlotte Edwards and her team adequate playing time to prepare for the Australian challenge. Gould added that the intra-squad matches in English conditions offer a valuable chance to evaluate squad depth, provide opportunities to more players, and secure multiple competitive multi-day fixtures over an extended duration for the broader group.
