England, India ready for ground-breaking first women's test at Lord's

Lord's, the Home of Cricket since 1814, will mark another milestone on Friday when England and India step out for the first women's test match at the sport's most famous venue.

The four-day test comes 50 years on from Rachael Heyhoe-Flint leading England out for the first women's match at Lord's.

"It's a huge honour and a privilege to be walking out there tomorrow," said England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt on Thursday.

"I think we are pretty deserved of being here and we'll relish the opportunity.

"We are looking forward to such a special week here at Lord's, doing something that we dreamt of as kids growing up playing cricket."

Women were not allowed to join the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) or enter the Lord's pavilion until 1999, when the club founded in 1787 announced its first 10 female honorary members.

Lord's has hosted 150 men's tests to date, most recently against New Zealand last month.

The ground in north-west London will be the country's 20th venue since the 1930s to host an England women's test.

More than 30,000 tickets have been sold for England's 103rd women's test, with a special opening ceremony on Friday featuring 50 England players past and present including Enid Bakewell who featured in the 1976 international.

Heyhoe-Flint, who died in 2017 and was in 2004 the first woman to join the MCC committee, has a gate named in her honour at the ground.

The test will be the first against India on home soil since 2021 and also a farewell for England batter Tammy Beaumont, who missed out on the World Cup squad and announced on Wednesday her retirement from international cricket at the age of 35.

England and India have played 15 women's tests previously, 11 ending in a draw and England winning only once.

England lost to Australia by seven wickets at Lord's last Sunday in the women's Twenty20 World Cup final.