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 White Heather Cricket Club is founded - the first cricket club for women on record
1890
The Original English Lady Cricketers tour the country as the first group of professional female 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
The first Test match is 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 claims 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 without losing a single match, beating England by 3 wickets in the Final at Lancaster Park, Christchurch
1988
Australia win the Women’s World Cup for the third consecutive time, beating England by 8 wickets in the Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
1993
The first ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Final is held at Lord 20 years after the first edition of the tournament in England. England win for the second time on home soil, beating New Zealand by 67 runs
1997
Australia win the Women’s World Cup for the fourth time, beating New Zealand by 5 wickets in the Final at Eden Gardens, Calcutta
1998
The Women’s Cricket Association is dissolved as administration of the women’s game in the UK and is taken over by the England & Wales Cricket Board
1998
The first women’s Ashes trophy is created when a bat is burned in the Harris Garden at Lord’s and the ashes placed inside a wooden replica cricket ball. 30 people attend the low-key ceremony
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 the Burt Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln
2004
Kiran Baluch scores 242 for Pakistan against West Indies at the National Stadium, 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 Park
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 North Sydney Oval
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 Brabourne Stadium
2013
The women’s Ashes is contested as a multi-format series for the first time, with points awarded for wins in Test, ODI and T20 matches
2014
MCC v Rest of the World women’s match is 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 beat India by nine runs
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
2025
London Spirit creates a dedicated Women’s General Manager role for the 2026 season of The Hundred, filled by former England and London Spirit captain, Heather Knight
2026
A new Group match attendance world record is set in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup, as 27,163 fans watch Australia v India at Lord's
2026
28,887 fans attend Lord's for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Final between England and Australia, making it the highest attended women's match in the UK
2026
The first women's Test match at Lord's commences between England and India, and over 50 former England Women players reunite to ring the 5 minute bell on Day One
2026
MCC unveils a significant expansion of its portrait collection, tripling the number of women featured in the Long Room, including a portrait of former Australian captain Belinda Clark
2026
A record number of young females apply for the MCC Young Female Broadcaster of the Year award and the winner, Rosa Simkin, is announced on Day Two of the historic Women's Test match at Lord's
2026
15,243 fans attend Day two of the Women's Test match between England and India, setting a new world record for a single day attendance at a women's test match
2026
37,846 fans attend Lord's across the four days of the Women's test match, setting a new attendance world record for a women's test match
2026
MCC announces that it will commission a new sculpture within the Ground depicting a female fielder, a first for a UK cricket Ground
2027
Lord's will stage a women’s One-Day International between England and Australia on 16 July 2027, as part of the Women’s Ashes Series
Until 2031
Women’s international cricket is guaranteed at Lord’s every year - the only ground to have this commitment
