Is New Zealand Cricket Holding Back Women’s Test Cricket?
As Australia prepares for the 2027 Ashes, questions surround New Zealand Cricket's refusal to play women's Test matches due to financial constraints and a focus on limited-overs formats.
For years, fans and players have voiced a strong desire for more women’s Test cricket, yet scheduling gaps and reluctant governing bodies continue to limit the format. By the time Australia’s women take the field at Headingley to begin the 2027 Ashes, 15 months will have passed since their last red-ball match. Much of this stagnation comes down to limited opposition, as just four of the top-ranked women’s teams currently have cricket boards willing to commit to Test matches. Australia, England, India, and South Africa have pushed the format forward over the past five years, playing 13 Tests since 2021.
This represents a notable improvement from the five-year prior period when only two Tests were played worldwide, both during the 2017 and 2019 Ashes series. The biennial contest has safeguarded tradition for England and Australia at a time when governing bodies have largely prioritized growing the women’s game through shorter formats. Tacking a four-year Test match onto a tour featuring six white-ball fixtures appears logical to many, but two countries declined that idea over the past year. Australia missed out on facing the West Indies in a Test for the first time in 50 years when a March multi-format series fell through, and New Zealand subsequently declined to play a Test against Australia later in the year.
As close neighbors, the White Ferns would be ideal opponents for regular Test cricket given their proximity and frequent meetings in the Rose Bowl series. Sadly, New Zealand Cricket does not share that view, and the team has not played a Test match since 2004. After the governance of the men’s and women’s sides amalgamated, the frequency of Tests for the White Ferns gradually decreased until they vanished entirely over the last 22 years. New Zealand Cricket previously stated that limited-overs formats have proven very effective in attracting and retaining young players, making global events and World Cups their primary preference for now.
This stance means retiring Kiwi legends Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates, and Lea Tahuhu never experienced red-ball cricket internationally before finishing their careers. Various Australian players described the situation as an atrocity and a real shame after 15 to 20 years of international service. Financial factors also play a major role in the decision, particularly following New Zealand Cricket’s landmark 2022 pay deal that granted men and women equal match fees. While the five-year agreement was a positive step, it required a fee of NZ$10,250 per player for a Test, pushing the format out of reach amid a predicted NZ$7.3 million budget deficit for the past financial year.
Former White Ferns head coach Ben Sawyer highlighted the severe financial burden, noting that equal match payments make a Test cost upwards of NZ$150,000. Because New Zealand’s top players are only contracted part-time from October to March, the organization seemingly concluded that funds could be better utilized elsewhere. If New Zealand Cricket were to ever change its stance, Sawyer believes the team should begin against a lower-ranked opponent with a similar part-time domestic structure rather than immediately facing Australia.
