Dunkley excited by England’s Test dates
England youngster Sophia Dunkley hailed the “exciting” announcement that the women’s team will begin the summer with their first Test match against India in more than seven years.
The longest format of the game has been on the periphery of the women’s cricketing landscape, with just eight Test matches in the past decade, of which six were Ashes clashes.
England and India have not playedeachotherintheformat since2014,butBristol’sCounty Groundissettohostafour-day clash on June 16.
“Obviously playing Test cricket is a very rare occurrence in the women’s game so I think it’s exciting that people wanttoseewomen’sTestcricket,” Dunkley said.
“It’s a really exciting direction. I know quite a lot of the girls have not played a lot of Testcricket,buttohavetheopportunity to play the historic game of cricket, it’s very, very exciting. Obviously the men get to play Test cricket all the time and it’s such a renowned format of cricket in the men’s game. So to get the opportunity to get some whites on and playcricketforfourorfivedays would be incredible.”
The Test match is the first of 15 matches for Lisa Keightley’s side, with India staying on forsixwhite-ballgamesbefore New Zealand arrive for three Twenty20s and five one-day internationals. With the Hundredalreadyscheduledtoopen with a women’s game, the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, andthetoursagainstIndiaand New Zealand, it will be a busy summer across the formats.
“I’m really excited. I think it really shows that there’s a lot of really good cricket around and if you’re not playing for England, you’re still getting good quality cricket and still showcasing what you can do,” Dunkley said.