England Women drop West Indies Test, plan four red-ball games for Ashes prep
Synopsis
England Women will not play a Test in the West Indies next April — the ECB has scrapped it entirely to build four red-ball matches into the Ashes warm-up. With a 10-day camp in Bengaluru in January and an Australia A fixture before the Headingley Test on 24 June, this is the most ambitious preparation England Women have attempted for a single Ashes Test, one worth four points in the multi-format series.
Key Takeaways
The ECB has cancelled the England Women's Test against West Indies , replacing it with three T20Is and three ODIs in the Caribbean.
The space freed up creates a four-match red-ball build-up ahead of the Women's Ashes Test at Headingley on 24 June .
The programme includes three intra-squad 'best versus best' red-ball matches and a three-day fixture against Australia A in England.
A 10-day red-ball warm-weather camp in Bengaluru is planned for January , before the ICC Women's Champions Trophy ( 14–28 February , Vadodara and Mumbai).
England's most recent women's Test was a 270-run loss to India at Lord's .
ECB chief executive Richard Gould cited the Test's value of four points in the multi-format Ashes series as the key driver for the enhanced preparation.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that England Women's tour of the West Indies in April 2027 will proceed without a Test match, with the fixture scrapped to free up space for an extensive red-ball preparation programme ahead of the Women's Ashes against Australia at Headingley in 2027. The revised Caribbean itinerary will now comprise three T20Is and three ODIs, following an agreement with Cricket West Indies (CWI).
What Changes to the Tour
The West Indies trip, scheduled after the English domestic season gets under way, will no longer include the Test match that had originally been pencilled in. The ECB said the calendar simply could not accommodate it. Cricket West Indies agreed to the request, and the ECB praised the board for its cooperative approach during negotiations. Dates and venues for the revised series are still to be confirmed by CWI. All England players will also feature in the first round of the One-Day Cup before the Caribbean tour departs.
The Four-Match Red-Ball Build-Up
The space created by removing the West Indies Test will be channelled into the most structured Ashes preparation England Women have undertaken in recent memory. The plan involves three intra-squad 'best versus best' red-ball matches played in English home conditions, followed by a three-day fixture against Australia A shortly before the Headingley Test begins on 24 June. At least two of the intra-squad games will also serve as selection trials, giving the national selectors a wider view of players in the longer format before the Ashes squad is named.
Red-Ball Camp in Bengaluru
Ahead of that home sequence, the red-ball squad will spend 10 days at a warm-weather red-ball camp in Bengaluru in January, immediately before the inaugural ICC Women's Champions Trophy, to be played across Vadodara and Mumbai from 14 to 28 February. The camp is designed to give players sustained red-ball exposure during the English winter, when domestic multi-day cricket is unavailable.
What the ECB Said
ECB chief executive Richard Gould explained the board's thinking in a statement on Wednesday. 'We are all hugely excited by the prospect of England Women taking on Australia Women in their Metro Bank Ashes Test at Headingley next summer,' he said. 'It will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the summer and is worth four points in the multi-format series, so it is important that our players have the right preparation leading into the match and are given the best chance to succeed.' Gould added that '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 also highlighted the squad-depth dimension: 'Best versus best in English conditions provides a valuable opportunity for the team. It also allows us to assess our strength in depth, give opportunities to more players and get a number of competitive multi-day cricket matches across a longer period into the wider group.'
The Wider Context
The decision addresses a structural gap in England Women's red-ball landscape: the domestic system currently offers players very limited opportunities to compete in multi-day cricket. England's most recent women's Test was against India at Lord's, a match they lost by 270 runs. The Headingley Test carries maximum points in the multi-format Ashes series, making adequate preparation critical. This is a notable strategic shift — prioritising a single high-stakes Test through sustained, structured preparation rather than fitting in a lower-priority tour match.
Point of View
But it underlines a deeper problem: England Women's red-ball programme is so thin that the ECB must engineer four preparation matches from scratch ahead of a single Ashes Test. The domestic system's failure to supply multi-day cricket means the board is essentially building a bespoke calendar workaround rather than fixing the structural deficit. Cricket West Indies, meanwhile, loses a potentially lucrative and profile-raising Test fixture — the ECB's praise for CWI's cooperation reads as the polite face of a lopsided negotiation. If England lose at Headingley despite all this preparation, questions about whether a wholesale red-ball reset — not just pre-series camps — is needed will only grow louder.
NationPress
11 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has England Women's Test against West Indies been cancelled?
The ECB scrapped the Test to create room in the calendar for four red-ball preparation matches ahead of the Women's Ashes Test at Headingley in 2027. The board said the schedule no longer had space for both, and prioritised preparation for the high-stakes Ashes fixture, which is worth four points in the multi-format series.
What will England Women's West Indies tour now consist of?
The revised tour will feature three T20Is and three ODIs. All England players will also play in the first round of the One-Day Cup before the Caribbean leg begins. Dates and venues are yet to be confirmed by Cricket West Indies.
What is the red-ball preparation plan for England Women ahead of the Ashes?
The plan includes a 10-day red-ball warm-weather camp in Bengaluru in January, three intra-squad 'best versus best' red-ball matches in English conditions, and a three-day fixture against Australia A shortly before the Headingley Test on 24 June. At least two intra-squad games will double as selection trials.
When and where is the Women's Ashes Test taking place?
The Women's Ashes Test between England and Australia is scheduled to begin on 24 June at Headingley. It is part of a multi-format series and carries four points — the maximum available from a single fixture in that format.
What is the ICC Women's Champions Trophy 2027 and where is it being held?
The inaugural ICC Women's Champions Trophy is scheduled to run from 14 to 28 February, with matches in Vadodara and Mumbai. England's red-ball squad will complete their Bengaluru camp in January before the squad transitions into Champions Trophy preparation.
