Historic moments are set to unfold in women’s cricket as the Melbourne Cricket Ground readies itself to host a day and night Test for the very first time between the Australian and English women’s teams. The exhilaration among cricket enthusiasts reached a new peak on Tuesday when Cricket Australia divulged the detailed schedule for the eagerly awaited multi-format Women’s Ashes series, which also includes the lineup for the upcoming white-ball confrontations with New Zealand and India.
This forthcoming Test match at the MCG takes on monumental significance as it marks not only the first women’s pink-ball encounter at the venue but also a tribute to the 90th anniversary of the inaugural women’s Test match that took place in December 1934. This event is remarkable for another reason; the Australian women’s cricket team will make a notable return to the ‘G, playing their first Test there since 1949.
The multi-format Ashes series between Australia and England is set to commence with the One Day Internationals (ODIs) from January 12, subsequently followed by a series of T20 Internationals from January 20. The ground-breaking Test match at the MCG will light up from January 30 to February 2, serving as a celebrated juncture for women’s cricket as it is the first instance the Women’s Ashes will operate in a different season to that of the men’s since the advent of the point-based system.
Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley expressed the high expectations surrounding this summer of cricket, saying, “This is one of the most highly anticipated summers of cricket in memory, with the eyes of the cricket world focused on the extended Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series and the multi-format Women’s Ashes.”
Amidst the fervor and anticipation, Australian cricket stalwart Ellyse Perry shared her thoughts on the upcoming historic MCG Test, exalting it as the next evolutionary step for the sport. Speaking to the media, Perry said, “It’s certainly an amazing opportunity for the team to play at such an iconic Australian cricket venue and in such a big occasion like an Ashes series.”
She further shared her optimism about the game’s capacity to captivate and draw crowds, stating, “We all saw that fixture and thought ‘what an amazing opportunity’ and how much possibility that also carries in terms of what it could do for the game.”
Perry underlined the aspirations of the cricket community to see women’s contests regularly held at premier stadiums nationwide, aiming for substantial audience attendance which amplifies the spectacle and stature of the sport. She emphasized that the forthcoming MCG encounter represents a pivotal development not only for women’s cricket but for all global women’s sports which have been increasingly accommodated at prime sporting venues.
The anticipation for memorable cricket battles and historic moments is building up. The Ashes, a fiercely contested series, invokes a deep-rooted rivalry that serves as a spectacular showcase of the finesse, strength, and evolution of women’s cricket. As the stage is set for an illustrious summer, all sights are now trained on these extraordinary athletes who will step onto the renowned MCG turf, ready to inscribe new chapters in the annals of cricket history.
