England Women Prepare for Historic Lord's Test Match

It has not even been a week since England women made history at Lord's, and yet they are already preparing for round two.

Something about London buses, and all that.

More than 28,000 people filled the ground on Sunday for the Women's T20 World Cup final, which Nat Sciver-Brunt's England lost to Australia, and she is now preparing to lead the side the first women's Test match at the Home of Cricket.

Such is the disparity between genders that Lord's celebrated its 150th men's Test earlier this summer. Heather Knight, an international cricketer since 2010, will play her 15th overall.

The timing, straight after such a significant and record-breaking World Cup, and the fact that the match is not part of a multi-format series as most women's Tests are, leaves it scrambling for relevance.

Despite all of those caveats, this is progress. The Test was put in England's calendar in 2024, a year after the Independent Commission for Equity Cricket (ICEC) described it as "appalling" that England women had never played a Test at the venue.

"I played my my first Test match in a skirt, and paid for my own blazer," head coach and legendary former captain Charlotte Edwards told BBC Woman's Hour.

"I am just absolutely blown away. Sometimes I sit in the dugout or sit on the balcony and I'm just so proud of where the game is at because 30 years ago, probably 10 people were watching England play and we're now playing in front of packed houses and at Lord's.

"When I first played at Lord's, women weren't allowed in. I am immensely proud, just as much as the players are enjoying it, I am just loving being a part of this England team and we're so, so lucky to have these opportunities."

Sciver-Brunt will be leading England for the first time in a Test match, as England's last home Test was during the 2023 Ashes series.

In the past few months, she has struggled with a calf injury which ruled her out of the start of the summer and three World Cup group games. She played a match-winning knock in the semi-final against South Africa, and then suffered more heartbreak at the hands of the Aussies last weekend.

Such is the nature of women's Tests being so infrequent, she has had four days to both digest that defeat and get ready for the red ball.

"It could have happened in the past three or four years," Sciver-Brunt said when asked about whether the Lord's Test could have come sooner.

"We are pretty deserving of being here and we'll relish the opportunity of it."