England take on India in the women’s Test at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground, the first of its kind at this venue.
Published July 9, 2026
England will take on India in a four-day match at the ‘home of cricket’ starting Friday, 142 years after the first men’s match was held, and Lord’s will finally host a women’s Test.
“It’s really dizzying to think that this is just the first Test match (for women) here at Lord’s,” India coach Amol Muzumdar said.
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“This is a great opportunity and we are looking forward to it.”
The match comes more than 50 years since England defeated Australia by eight wickets in a one-day international on August 4, 1976, when a women’s match was first held at the famous London venue.
England’s captain that day at Lord’s was the late Rachel Hayhoe-Flint, a pioneer in the women’s game when players still wore skirts rather than the white or colored trousers of today.
Hayhoe Flint, who passed away in 2017, now has a gate erected in her name at Rose.
But in 1976, Lord’s owners Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) were still decades away from admitting women as members, considering the idea of women walking directly into the long room of the pavilion onto the field as a distant dream.
England’s number five that day, Megan Lea, likened the experience to landing on the moon, telling the Guardian: “Stepping onto the hallowed turf at Lord’s on that day in 1976 seemed like one small step for us women cricketers, but it was one giant leap towards the future of women’s cricket.”
It will be England’s second Test between professional teams at Lord’s in less than a week, after losing to Australia in a sold-out Women’s T20 World Cup final on Sunday, showing how things have changed since their amateur days.
The test will include nine members of England’s World Cup squad, including captain Nat Silver-Blunt, who is “hoping to play” despite a long-term calf injury.
“History is being made”
England manager Charlotte Edwards said: “We always knew this was on the calendar.”
Edwards, who captained England in the 2009 Women’s T20 World Cup final at Lord’s, added: “A lot of our players have been preparing for the Test match through the T20s so I’m really looking forward to it.”
“This is a historic Test match for us as a group and for the Indian team and we can’t wait to play in front of large crowds again over the next four days.”
England’s teenage spinner Tilly Corteen-Colman knows the importance of this occasion.
“I remember talking to Lottie[Edwards]about when she used to play here and they weren’t allowed in the long room,” the 18-year-old said.
“The first women’s Test at Lord’s is history-making and it would be incredible to be a part of it. It would mean the absolute world.”
As well as a breakthrough, the match also marks a farewell to international cricket for England batsman Tammy Beaumont.
Beaumont has made 260 appearances for England since making her debut 17 years ago and became the first English woman to score a double century in Test 208 against Australia at Trent Bridge in 2023.
“When I fell in love with cricket as a youngster, little did I know that playing cricket for England would be an option,” Beaumont said.
The 35-year-old, who continues to play domestic cricket, added: “I feel that the first women’s Test at Lord’s is a great opportunity to start a career that I never dreamed would be so special.”
