Why women's Test cricket must become more regular and widespread

My strongest memories of growing up and falling in love with cricket are watching the men’s team play Test matches. We never had women’s cricket on TV in those days, so they were who I wanted to emulate. Glenn McGrath, in particular, was my hero. And I’ll never forget as a kid watching Mike Hussey hit the winning runs in the “Amazing Adelaide” Test of 2006.

There is an honour associated to Tests due to the history it brings. As much as I enjoy playing T20 cricket, there is something about the culture around playing with a red ball in whites which has always gripped me as both a fan and now as an Australian player. It makes it pretty frustrating that my baggy green sits in its holder in my cupboard for two years at a time. It’s also why this week means so much to me, as we prepare for our Women’s Ashes Test.

To be honest, it’s a bit daunting playing a format that we don’t get to experience at all outside of these standalone clashes against England. It’s impossible to be as prepared as you would want to be, which is the last thing you want to feel when trying to pay a debt of gratitude to many other players who don’t get this chance. Every Test we play is special and we’re pumped up, but I strongly believe there should be more to it than a one-off.

This week is about earning another win and making sure that we take the trophy back to Australia with us again. But it is also an opportunity to prove to decision makers that we should be given the chance to not only do this more often but do it in a much more organised way. I understand and respect the view that T20 cricket is the most accessible format for growing the game with new audiences, but at the expense of denying the traditional form almost entirely?

That doesn’t sit right with me and it doesn’t sit right in either dressing room. You could ask any player involved in this Test and they will say that they want to experience more red-ball multi-day cricket to improve the standard when we do play for our country to make it more of an exciting spectacle. We will be holding up our end of the bargain this week by going out from ball one trying to get a win, even though a draw is enough to retain the Ashes. It is not in the DNA of this team to play any other way, which is a great thing.

Of course, we want pitches that help with that, which we did not get at North Sydney the last time around. I still have no idea what they were thinking there. When two of the deliveries I bowled in the very first over of that match didn’t make it through to Alyssa Healy, the colour drained from my face. It was clear from that moment we were not going to get a result. It’s a bit insulting that we are on a used pitch again this week but hopefully, like it was in Canterbury four years ago, the rain we are likely to get will help spice things up a bit.

I’m not just coming to this with complaints, I should add. I have a constructive idea for use in Australia. Each summer in the WNCL, our 50-over competition, the six states and the ACT play against each other in one game each. So, if you don’t make the grand final, that’s only six games all season. How about a second round of three-day games? That would help make all the training that we do across the year for our states as professionals and semi-professionals worth it. I’m sure every player would be behind something like that.

By setting that example, other countries would surely want to take that next step. Take New Zealand. Their star player, Suzie Bates, has never had the chance to play a Test in over a decade as a matchwinner. It is not right that only Australia and England are considered special enough. And we already know how well the multi-format system works.

My fingers are crossed that the ball will swing around and I’ll have another Test match like I did in Canterbury four years ago. I’m also very much looking forward to seeing some raw pace if Tayla Vlaeminck is given the chance. She deserves it after the way she bowled in our warm-up game last week, bashing away at a hard length to put batters on the back foot. She’s ready to go. It will be a great thrill to add another member to the Test match club. May there be many more women who get this honour around the world sooner rather than later.