West Indies Hopeful of First Women's Home Test Since 2004 With England Help
West Indies would be certain to host England in a women's Test next year if England's board helps pay for it.
That is the message from Cricket West Indies chief executive Chris Dehring. His board still hopes to stage the Test during England's tour next spring, which would be West Indies Women's first at home in the longest form of the game since 2004, BBC Sport.
Money is the hurdle. Dehring told BBC Sport that staging cricket in the Caribbean is very expensive, and West Indies would welcome help from wealthier member boards to make the match happen.
ECB chair Richard Thompson has suggested England could step in to protect the red-ball element of the trip. Red-ball is the traditional term for Test cricket, named for the ball used, and it sits apart from the white-ball one-dayers and T20s.
The plan for April and May next year is a multi-format tour. That means results across different versions of the game count together. The current shape is one Test alongside three T20s, the 20-over dash, and three one-day internationals, the 50-over game.
Context matters here. West Indies cancelled a women's Test against Australia earlier this year. Tests in the women's game are rare outside a handful of teams, which is why this proposal carries weight.
England want the match to go ahead in part for their own reasons. A Test in Caribbean conditions would offer valuable preparation for next summer's Ashes, England's historic series against Australia.
For fans, this means a spring tour with real variety. Short, sharp T20s. Middle-overs chess in the one-dayers. Then the slow build of a Test, where a wearing pitch and tired legs can change everything on the final days.
