England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt says she is feeling both proud and emotional as her team prepares for the first-ever women’s Test match at Lord’s. The historic four-day match against India begins on July 10, only five days after England suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Australia in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 final at the same venue.
The upcoming match is a landmark moment for women’s cricket. It will be the first time a women’s Test is played at Lord’s, one of the most famous cricket grounds in the world. While the occasion is exciting, Sciver-Brunt admitted that the disappointment of losing the World Cup final is still fresh in the minds of the players.
“It’s a huge honour and a privilege that we’ll be walking out there tomorrow. It’s something we, as cricketers, have probably hoped for,” she said.
Sciver-Brunt believes this match could have taken place several years ago because of the progress made in women’s cricket. She feels England’s players have earned the opportunity to play a Test at Lord’s and are ready to enjoy the experience.
“I think it could have happened in the last three or four years. I think we are pretty deserving of being here and we’ll relish the opportunity. The change of format is great timing. The World Cup and everything we managed to do still has mixed emotions because the final result isn’t what we wanted but I’m so proud of what we were able to do throughout the tournament.
“I’m sure the disappointment won’t have left lots of people about what happened at the final, but we are looking forward to such a special week at Lord’s doing something we dreamt of as kids growing up. It’s a great time to be a women’s cricketer.”
England reached the Women’s T20 World Cup final after an excellent tournament but lost to Australia, who completed an unbeaten campaign to lift their seventh Women’s T20 World Cup title. Sciver-Brunt played an important role throughout the competition and finished the final with an unbeaten half-century, but England could not stop Australia’s successful chase.
Now, England have quickly shifted their focus to red-ball cricket as they prepare to face India in a one-off Test. The match will also be a special occasion for experienced opener Tammy Beaumont, who recently announced that she will retire from international cricket after the Lord’s Test.
Beaumont made her England debut in 2009 and will end her international career after making 261 appearances across all formats. She has been one of England’s greatest batters and played a key role in their 2017 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup triumph, where she finished as the tournament’s highest run-scorer and was named Player of the Tournament.
Sciver-Brunt praised Beaumont’s outstanding career and said England will miss both her experience and determination.
“She’s seen women’s cricket through all of the changes we’ve had, 17 years playing the game for England is a huge achievement,” said Sciver-Brunt.
“She’s scored a lot of runs for our team and we’ve relied on those runs a lot of times. She is someone who’s got great determination and resolve, (who says) ‘no-one is gonna get me out. This is my day, I’m scoring runs’. That attitude will certainly be missed. I hope we can send her off with a great week here at Lord’s.”
England have also made a few changes to their squad. Vice-captain Charlie Dean, along with all-rounders Freya Kemp and Dani Gibson, have been rested to help manage their workloads during a busy international season.
Young batter Alice Capsey is expected to make her Test debut after becoming a regular member of England’s white-ball teams over the last four years. Eighteen-year-old spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman is also in line to earn her first Test cap.
This Test match comes exactly 50 years after the first women’s international was played at Lord’s. At that time, women were not allowed to become MCC members and could not even enter the famous Long Room, making this occasion another important step in the growth of women’s cricket.
England will also be hoping to improve their record against India in women’s Tests. The two teams have played 15 Tests previously, with England winning only one, suffering three defeats and drawing the remaining 11 matches. Their only victory came in Jamshedpur back in 1995.
As England prepares for this historic match, Sciver-Brunt hopes her team can put the World Cup disappointment behind them and create another memorable chapter in women’s cricket at Lord’s.
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