Association | England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) |
---|---|
ICC status | Full member (1909) |
ICC region | Europe |
Coach | Mark Robinson |
Captain | Heather Knight |
First Test | |
England vs. Australia (Brisbane; 28 December 1934) |
|
First ODI | |
England vs. International XI (Hove; 23 June 1973) |
|
First T20I | |
England vs. New Zealand (Hove; 5 August 2004) |
|
World Cup | |
Appearances | 10 (first in 1973) |
Best result | Champion (1973, 1993, 2009) |
World Twenty20 | |
Appearances | 5 (first in 2009) |
Best result | Champion (2009) |
as of 30 March 2016 |
The England women's cricket team is the team that represents England and Wales in international women's cricket. The team is administrated by England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), they played their first Tests in 1934–35, when they beat Australia 2–0 in a three-Test series. Their current captain is Heather Knight, and their current coach is Mark Robinson. There is also an England Women's Academy team, consisting of players just below the full England squad.
England were a part of the first Women's Test series, as their team led by Betty Archdale touring Australia in the summer of 1934–35, three years after the Bodyline tour by the men. The team and their captain received "warm" responses from the Australian crowds. Winning both the first two Tests and drawing the third, England took the first series, and also beat New Zealand by an innings and 337 runs on the way home, where Betty Snowball contributed an innings of 189, which was to remain a women's Test record for half a century. However, their leading player, and one of the best-known women cricketers of the era, was the allrounder Myrtle Maclagan. She scored the first ever century in a woman's Test match on 7 January 1935.
Two years later, England suffered their first Test defeat, at the hands of Australia at Northampton. As Australia made their inaugural tour, an England team including seven debutantes conceded 300 on the first day, and despite bowling Australia out for 102 in the second innings they lost by 31 runs. England recovered to take the second Test after a first-innings 115 from Myrtle Maclagan, who also took five wickets opening the bowling, and the third Test was drawn to ensure a 1–1 series tie.