Origin (1926)

The formal organisation of women’s cricket in England began with the establishment of the Women’s Cricket Association (WCA) in 1926, founded by a group of enthusiasts following a cricket holiday in Malvern. The association grew rapidly, affiliating dozens of clubs and schools over the next few years. This foundational work by the WCA laid the groundwork for assembling England’s first national women’s cricket team.

First Match Played (1934)

England, also known as the Lionesses, played its first-ever international match during their inaugural tour of Australia and New Zealand. Captained by Betty Archdale, England faced Australia in the first-ever women’s Test match from December 28-31, 1934, at the Exhibition Ground in Brisbane. England won the historic debut match by 9 wickets, spearheaded by all-rounder Myrtle Maclagan’s remarkable bowling figures of 7/10 in the first innings.

Maiden ICC Trophy Win (1973)

England won the inaugural Women’s Cricket World Cup in 1973, a tournament they hosted. Spearheaded by captain Rachael Heyhoe Flint, England defeated Australia by 135 runs in the final match at Edgbaston on July 28, 1973, to become the first-ever World Champions of cricket, two years before the men’s tournament was established.

Building on this legacy of historic firsts, England also won the inaugural ICC Women’s T20 World Cup when the format was introduced in 2009. Playing on home soil once again, they defeated New Zealand by 6 wickets at Lord’s on June 21, 2009, capturing the first-ever global silverware for the T20 format.

Led by stars like Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, the team hosted the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, breaking attendance and viewership records and showcasing their dominance by reaching the World Cup Final before a sellout crowd at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

Present

Today, England stands as one of the premier global powerhouses in women’s cricket, consistently holding the No. 2 spot in the ICC international rankings for both ODIs and T20Is. The sport has reached unprecedented levels of professionalisation and commercial success in the UK, boosted by domestic tournaments such as The Hundred and major broadcasting initiatives from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).