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Women's Cricket

Explore the History of Women's Cricket

1745
1747
1777
1811
1887
1890
1894
1905
1926
1931
1934
1935
1937
1958
1973
1976
1978
1982
1988
1993
1997
1998
2000
2004
2005
2009
2013
2014
2016
2017
2018
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Until 2031

1745

The first recorded women’s match takes place near Guildford, Surrey, between the villages of Bramley and Hambledon.

1747

A match at the Artillery Ground between two women’s teams from Sussex is abandoned after a large crowd of spectators invades the pitch

1777

The Countess of Derby, with several other ‘Ladies of Quality and Fashion’, plays a match at the Oaks in Surrey

1811

A report of a match between Hampshire and Surrey women at Ball’s Pond, Middlesex, includes the names of the players for the first time.

1887

The foundation of the White Heather Cricket Club; the first women’s cricket club

1890

The Original English Lady Cricketers tours the country as the first group of professional women cricket players

1894

A women’s cricket league is formed in Australia

1905

The foundation of the Victoria Women’s Cricket Association

1926

The foundation of the Women’s Cricket Association

1931

The foundation of Australian Women’s Cricket Association

1934

Australia host England at Brisbane in the first women’s Test match

1935

Myrtle Maclagan scores the first century in a Women’s Test match, for England v Australia at Sydney

1937

First Test match played in England, against Australia at the County Ground, Northampton

1958

Australia’s Betty Wilson scores 100 and takes 11 for 16 against England, becoming the first woman to score a century and take ten wickets in a Test match. She claimed the first hat-trick in a women’s Test in the process

1958

The foundation of the International Women’s Cricket Council

1973

The first Women’s World Cup is held in England following the initiative of Rachael Heyhoe Flint and Sir Jack Hayward. England claim the title.

1976

England and Australia contest the first Women’s One Day International to be played at Lord’s

1978

Australia win the second Women’s World Cup, held in India

1982

Australia win the Women’s World Cup for the second time, beating England by 3 wickets in the Final at Christchurch

1988

Australia win the Women’s World Cup for the third time, beating England by 8 wickets in the Final at Melbourne

1993

England win the Women’s World Cup for the second time, beating New Zealand by 67 runs in the Final at Lord’s

1997

Australia win the Women’s World Cup for the fourth time, beating New Zealand by 5 wickets in the Final at Calcutta

1998

The Women’s Cricket Association is dissolved as administration of the women’s game in the UK is taken over by the England & Wales Cricket Board

1998

The first women’s Ashes trophy is created when a bat is burned at Lord’s and the ashes placed inside a wooden replica cricket ball

1998

MCC Members vote to admit women Members to the Club

2000

New Zealand win the Women’s World Cup for the first time, beating Australia by 4 runs in the Final at Lincoln

2004

Kiran Baluch scores 242 for Pakistan against West Indies at Karachi, the highest ever score in a women’s Test match

2004

England and New Zealand play the first international women’s Twenty20 match at Hove

2005

Australia win the Women’s World Cup for the fifth time, beating India by 98 runs in the Final at Centurion

2005

The ICC Women’s Cricket Committee takes over responsibility for international women’s cricket worldwide

2009

England win the ICC Women’s World Cup for the third time, beating New Zealand by 4 wickets in the Final at Sydney

2009

Claire Taylor becomes the first woman to be named as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year

2013

Australia win the ICC Women’s World Cup for the sixth time, beating West Indies by 114 runs in the Final at Mumbai

2013

The women’s Ashes is contested as a multi-format series, with points awarded for wins in Test, ODI and T20 matches, for the first time

2014

MCC v Rest of the World women’s match held at Lord’s to celebrate the Ground’s bicentenary

2016

Inaugural season of Women’s Cricket Super League in England

2017

The ICC Women’s World Cup Final is held at Lord’s for the second time. England win

2018

Women’s Cricket Plan launched, resulting in more opportunities for MCC Members and more women’s matches on the fixture list

2018

The inaugural MCC Women’s Cricket Day held, with Middlesex women playing on the Main Ground for the first time

2021

Clare Connor becomes the Club’s first ever female President

2021

The launch of The Hundred, resulting in increasing visibility for the women’s game

2022

MCC renames the East Gate the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Gate and unveils a bas relief in her honour

2022

The home bilateral attendance record is set for an England One-Day International with 15,187 watching against India

2023

A plaque commemorating the creating of the Women’s Ashes in 1998 is unveiled in the Harris Garden

2023

21,610 watch England play Australia at Lord’s in a T20 as part of the Ashes series, a record for a home England bilateral T20

2024

MCC Young Female Broadcaster of the Year competition launched to widen the access for women in the media

2024

London Spirit win the Women’s Hundred for the first time on home turf at Lord’s

2025

A portrait of Charlotte Edwards by artist Hero Johnson is unveiled in the Long Room, joining Rachael Heyhoe Flint

2025

The 22,542 who watched the women’s Hundred Final at Lord’s in 2025 becomes a new competition record

2026

UK women’s Test attendance record broken at the first ever women’s Test at Lord’s between England and India

Until 2031

Women’s international cricket is guaranteed at Lord’s every year - the only ground to have this commitment