England Women are leaving nothing to chance for the 2027 Ashes. The England and Wales Cricket Board has confirmed a wide-ranging programme of red-ball cricket for 2027, designed to give more players experience in the format before the Ashes Test against Australia at Headingley — and fitting it in has cost their tour of the West Indies its Test match.

The ECB announced the plans on Wednesday, 11 November, with a 10-day red-ball training camp in Bangalore in January and four red-ball matches in the build-up to the Headingley Test, which starts on 24 June 2027.

The plan in full

The programme starts early in the year. Ahead of the inaugural ICC Women's Champions Trophy, England Women will spend 10 days at a red-ball specific training camp in Bangalore in January, getting warm-weather time in the format before the home summer.

Then, before the Ashes Test, they will play four red-ball matches in English conditions: three intra-squad best-versus-best matches on home soil, plus a three-day game against Australia A in the run-up to the Test itself. At least two of the intra-squad matches will give England's selectors a chance to assess a wider group of players in the format, with the Ashes squad very much in mind.

ECB chief executive Richard Gould said the preparation was essential for a match that carries four points in the multi-format series.

We are all hugely excited by the prospect of England Women taking on Australia Women in their Metro Bank Ashes Test at Headingley next summer.

It will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the summer and is worth four points in the multi-format series, so it is important that our players have the right preparation leading into the match and are given the best chance to succeed.

The West Indies tour loses its Test

Fitting the red-ball programme in has meant revising England Women's tour of the West Indies in April. The tour will now feature three IT20s and three ODIs only, as there is insufficient time to accommodate the Test match which had originally been anticipated.

The ECB thanked Cricket West Indies for agreeing to the change, and for the understanding and collaborative approach taken in the discussions. Dates and venues for the tour will be confirmed by Cricket West Indies in due course, but it will take place following the opening round of Metro Bank One-Day Cup matches that will involve all England players.

Why red-ball time matters

The ECB was open about the reason for the programme. With the current domestic structure unable to offer many opportunities for players to experience multi-day red-ball cricket, England Women's management have focused on finding the best way to make sure the team are as well prepared as possible for four days against Australia next summer.

A 10-day warm-weather camp followed by four matches in English conditions gives head coach Charlotte Edwards and her team the game time they need — and the best-versus-best matches give more players a chance to push for an Ashes place than a single warm-up game ever could.

The road to Headingley

England Women will play a 10-day red-ball camp in Bangalore in January, then four red-ball matches — three intra-squad best-v-best games and a three-day match against Australia A — before the Ashes Test against Australia at Headingley starting on 24 June 2027. Their April tour of the West Indies will now be white-ball only, with three IT20s and three ODIs.

FAQs

What have England Women announced for 2027?

A wide-ranging red-ball programme ahead of the 2027 Metro Bank Women's Ashes: a 10-day training camp in Bangalore in January, and four red-ball matches — three intra-squad best-v-best games and a three-day game against Australia A — before the Ashes Test at Headingley.

When is the Women's Ashes Test in 2027?

The Ashes Test against Australia starts on 24 June 2027 at Headingley, and is worth four points in the multi-format series.

Why has the West Indies tour lost its Test match?

Accommodating the red-ball programme in home conditions left insufficient time for the Test that had originally been anticipated on the April tour of the West Indies. The tour will now feature three IT20s and three ODIs only, and Cricket West Indies agreed to the revision.

What is the Bangalore camp for?

England Women will spend 10 days at a red-ball specific training camp in Bangalore in January, ahead of the inaugural ICC Women's Champions Trophy, to build red-ball experience in warm-weather conditions.

How will the intra-squad matches help selection?

At least two of the three best-v-best matches will let England's selectors assess a wider group of players in the red-ball format, helping them settle the squad for the Ashes while giving more players competitive multi-day cricket.

Conclusion

England Women have made their priority clear: the Ashes Test at Headingley comes first, and everything in 2027 is built around it. A camp in Bangalore, four red-ball matches at home and a wider group under the selectors' eyes is a serious investment in a format their players rarely get to play. The cost is a Test in the Caribbean, dropped from the West Indies tour — but if the preparation pays off in June, nobody in the England camp will be counting that as a loss.

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Sources:

ECB — England Women announce red-ball plans ahead of 2027 Metro Bank Women's Ashes