ECB today announced England Women will host India in August for a one-off Test match and three Royal London one-day internationals, before welcoming South Africa for a three-match NatWest Twenty20 international series at the start of September.
Following the successful staging of the Women’s Ashes Test match last year, Wormsley Cricket Ground will once again provide the setting for the first fixture of England women’s international summer.
The Test match against India will be played from 13-16 August and it will be the first time that the sides have played the longest format of the game against each other since 2006.
On that occasion, India won a two-Test series 1-0, securing a thrilling five-wicket victory in the second Test in Taunton with just four balls to spare on the final day.
The first two Royal London ODIs between England and India will be played on 21 and 23 August at Scarborough Cricket Club, with the ODI series culminating at Lord’s on Monday 25 August.
The honours have been shared on the last two occasions that the sides have met at Lord’s with England recording an emphatic 100-run victory eight years ago, thanks largely to a record-breaking 156 not out from Claire Taylor, while, in 2012, an unbeaten 94 from India captain Mithali Raj steered her side to a five-wicket win in the final over.
South Africa will arrive at the end of August for a short 13-day tour, during which they will play three NatWest T20 Women’s Internationals on Monday 1 September, Wednesday 3 September and Sunday 7 September.
All three fixtures will be shown live on Sky Sports, with the third match being played immediately before the men’s NatWest T20 International between England and India at Edgbaston. The Essex County Ground in Chelmsford will host the first T20I and the County Ground, Northampton, will be the venue for second game.
England will be seeking to maintain their unbeaten T20I record against South Africa women, having won seven of their previous eight encounters against them, with one match having been abandoned with no result.
Commenting on the schedule, ECB Head of England Women’s Cricket, Clare Connor, said: “We look forward to welcoming India Women and South Africa Women in the summer, and fully anticipate that both sides will provide strong opposition for England in all three formats of the game.
"This is a hugely exciting programme of women’s international cricket and it is fantastic that we will once again get to see England battle it out against one of the world’s top teams in a Test match.
“The recent Women’s Ashes Test in Perth was a wonderful demonstration of women’s cricket at its best, and I expect a similarly tight contest when England take on India at Wormsley in August.
“Last summer saw record numbers of spectators through the gates to watch England regain the Women’s Ashes, and this year’s international schedule presents a similarly exciting proposition for cricket fans up and down the country to see some of the best women’s cricketers in the world in action.”
Schedule
13-16 August - England v India, Test, Wormsley
21 August - England Women v India, ODI, Scarborough
23 August - England Women v India, ODI, Scarborough
25 August- England Women v India, ODI, Lord’s
1 September - England Women v South Africa, T20, Chelmsford
3 September- England Women v South Africa, T20, Northampton
7 September - England Women v South Africa, T20, Edgbaston