England women's cricket team

The England women's cricket team represents England and Wales in international women's cricket. They are governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board and compete in Test, One Day International and Twenty20 International matches.

The team played in the first ever Women's Test match in 1934, against Australia, which they won by 9 wickets. They also took part in the first Women's Cricket World Cup in 1973, winning it on home soil, and have gone on to win the World Cup three more times.

In 2005, they played the first ever Twenty20 International against New Zealand, and won the inaugural ICC Women's World Twenty20 in 2009. Their achievements have earned them recognition, including the BBC Sports Team of the Year Award after their 2017 World Cup victory.

History

England women's cricket team has a rich history in international cricket. They were part of the first Women's Test series, touring Australia in the summer of 1934–35. Led by Betty Archdale, the team received warm responses from Australian crowds, winning the first two Tests and drawing the third. They also beat New Zealand by an innings and 337 runs, with Betty Snowball contributing a notable innings of 189.

In the following years, England faced challenges and triumphs. They suffered their first Test defeat to Australia in 1937 and later began playing women's Test cricket again in 1948–49, touring Australia. Despite initial losses, they managed to draw some matches and continued to compete strongly. In the 1960s, England went through a period without losing any of their 14 Tests, with many matches drawn.

The team also participated in the first Women's World Cup, sponsored by Sir Jack Hayward, which began in 1973. England has seen many notable players and moments since then, including victories in the 2009 World Cup and the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship. The team has experienced both successes and setbacks in various tournaments, including the 2012 World Twenty20 and the 2013 Women's Cricket World Cup.

In recent years, England has continued to build on its legacy, with professional contracts introduced for players in 2014 to support the growth of the women's game. Despite challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, the England and Wales Cricket Board has worked to expand opportunities for women cricketers.

Status of Wales

See also: Wales women's national cricket team, Cricket in Wales, and England cricket team § Status of Wales

The England women's cricket team represents both England and Wales. This means that players from Wales, like Lynne Thomas, can play for the England team. Cricket Wales works closely with the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Wales does not have its own international women's cricket team. Instead, its players join regional teams such as the Western Storm or Welsh Fire in competitions like The Hundred. In 2005, a Welsh women's team did play in the Women's European Championship because the event was held in Wales.

Tournament history

The England women's cricket team has taken part in many international tournaments. A red box around the year shows tournaments played in England.

They have had great success in the European Championship, winning in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1995, and 1999. They were runners-up in 2001 with their Under-19 team, and won again in 2005 and 2007 with their Development Squad.

Honours

The England women's cricket team has achieved great success in international competitions. They have won the Women's World Cup four times and were runners-up four times. In the Women's T20 World Cup, they have been champions once and runners-up three times. These victories show their strong performance in women's cricket over the years.

Main articles: Women's World Cup, Women's T20 World Cup

Current international rankings

The ICC (International Cricket Council) ranks teams based on their performance in One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket. However, they do not rank women's teams for Test cricket.

England's women's cricket team competes in these formats, showing their skills and strategies in international matches. Their rankings reflect how well they have performed in recent games against other countries.

Main article: ICC Women's ODI and T20I Team Rankings

Current squad

This section lists the active players who have played for the England women's cricket team in the past year, since 28 November 2025. It includes details about the forms of cricket they have played for England.

The table uses a key where "No" stands for the player's shirt number and "Con" shows the type of contract, which can be Central or Skills.

Records

See also: England women's national cricket team record by opponent

The England women's cricket team has many impressive records in Test, One Day International (ODI), and Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket. Players who are still active are shown in bold. These records include the most matches played, the highest runs scored, the highest individual scores, the most wickets taken, and the best bowling figures. The records are updated as of November 2025 for Test cricket and October 2025 for ODI and T20I cricket.