ECB eyes financial support for West Indies women’s Test to aid Ashes prep

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is considering the unusual step of funding a women’s Test in the West Indies next year to help prepare for the Ashes series.

The match is part of a multi‑format series scheduled for the Caribbean in spring 2027, announced in 2024, and is intended as a warm‑up before England attempts to reclaim the Ashes from Australia.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) recently announced cost‑cutting measures, including reductions in player contracts, citing financial pressures.

A previously scheduled women’s Test between West Indies and Australia was cancelled in March 2024, while the limited‑overs portion of that tour proceeded.

No discussions have taken place between the ECB and CWI about cancelling the 2027 fixture, and the tour as a whole – comprising three T20s and three ODIs in April and May – remains on schedule, though exact dates and venues are still to be finalised.

When asked by the BBC whether the Test was at risk, ECB chair Richard Thompson said he hoped it would go ahead, adding that his board would “look at” providing funding if the need arose.

Normally, visiting teams’ travel and accommodation costs are covered by the host board, but in the Caribbean these expenses can be especially high because players often need to fly between islands. CWI reported spending over $80 million on domestic air travel in the past 15 years.

Thompson referenced a similar situation when Zimbabwe toured England for a Test last year, with the ECB paying a touring fee to the visitors.

“We want that Test match to happen,” Thompson said. “It’s very important for us because our first women’s Ashes match will be the Headingley Test, so we need a solid red‑ball warm‑up. Playing in the West Indies is our preferred option.”

He added that the ECB has “huge sympathy” for the West Indies’ challenges and expressed hope that the ICC and other bodies could help find a solution.

The Test will be the sole red‑ball fixture in the upcoming multi‑format women’s Ashes series, with the Headingley match in June being the only Test north of Nottingham next summer.

England have played only one Test since their Ashes defeat in Australia in early 2025, a loss to India at Lord’s earlier this year. They have not faced the West Indies in women’s Test cricket since 1979, and the Caribbean side have not played any Test since a tour of Pakistan in 2004.

The West Indies fixture forms part of England’s broader Ashes preparation. In January, the squad will undertake a ten‑day red‑ball training camp in India, and options such as playing Australia A and England A as warm‑up matches – similar to those used in 2023 – are being explored for 2027. Plans are also underway to involve domestic players in early‑season red‑ball cricket.

Thompson was speaking at Lord’s as the ECB launched programmes to introduce cricket to more than 1,700 state secondary schools and over 3,500 teachers. Initiatives named “Cricket for Teachers” and “Secondary Countdown Cricket” aim to reach half of all state secondary schools in England and Wales by the end of 2028.

He highlighted the sport’s elite reputation, noting a Sutton Trust report earlier this year that found cricket to be one of the most privileged occupations, with a majority of male professionals and a large proportion of female professionals having received private education.

“We really want teachers to upskill and be able to coach,” Thompson said. “The second part is to be able to do something no other team sport can do, which is bring boys and girls together until the age of 16. This adds to the pathway, providing a stepping stone for late developers or an opportunity for those who want to play the game properly with a hardball.

“It’s meaningful that we want to reach one and a half million children who have never played cricket before. That’s a significant programme and the ambition that sits behind this.”

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