Australian all-rounder Jess Jonassen has been in magnificent form in the ongoing fourth edition of the Women’s Hundred for the Welsh Fire Women. During a rain delay in the against the Northern Superchargers, Jonassen was interviewed, and the Australian all-rounder shared her thoughts on women’s Test cricket.
For many cricketers, the status of Test cricket is unmatched, and Jess Jonassen is one of them. The format, challenge, and tradition of red-ball cricket, along with the sheer intensity, make it a cherished experience. Jonassen conveyed her deep passion for Test match cricket, highlighting it as her favorite format. She expressed a strong desire to play more Test matches, emphasizing the unique experience and satisfaction she finds in donning the traditional whites and engaging with the red ball, whether batting or bowling.
Jess expressed, “Test match cricket is my favorite format. I would love to play a lot more of it. There’s nothing better than putting on the whites and facing the red ball or bowling the red ball.”
The left-arm spinner expressed her enthusiasm about playing more games in the Ashes, one of cricket’s oldest rivalries, and mentioned that participating in a five-day Test was a highlight of her career. She conveyed a strong desire for more such opportunities and a broader range of Test match experiences against various nations, noting that currently only four nations—India, Australia, England, and South Africa—play it, further reflecting her passion for the format and eagerness to expand her Test career.
She mentioned, “I absolutely loved the opportunity of playing a five-day Test in the last Ashes. I’d love to see more of it, and I think I’d love to be able to play against a lot more nations in Test match cricket.”
To place your bets and earn real money, click on the image and sign up now:
Jonassen suggested it would be ideal to have most series, including more Test matches in multi-format series, especially those against the top cricketing nations, with a broader vision of Test cricket becoming a regular feature in women’s cricket. She highlighted the appeal of having a mix of formats in bilateral series, which would enhance the competition and provide varied challenges for the teams involved. Additionally, she proposed the possibility of expanding traditional series, such as the Ashes, to a three-test match format in the future.
Jonassen remarked, “I think to have a majority of series—or even against maybe the top four nations—that you can have every bilateral series as a multi-format series, I think would be really cool.”
She highlighted a major issue of the absence of Test cricket in nations like New Zealand, which is one of the top sides in women’s cricket and expressed a strong sentiment about the lack of Test cricket opportunities for some players, noting a ‘burning desire’ among cricketers globally to participate in the format. She emphasized the disappointment that prominent players like Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates might retire without ever experiencing the red-ball format is troubling, describing this situation as ‘almost criminal,’ reflecting her concern that such talented players could miss out on the opportunity to experience and contribute to the longest format of the game, stressing the importance of more nations playing Test cricket.
Jess reflecting on the concern mentioned, “It’s almost criminal that you’ve got players like Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates in New Zealand that may end their careers and not ever play Test match cricket.”
Jonassen expressed a strong desire to see domestic red-ball games introduced, drawing inspiration from countries like India that already have it, believing it would help players gain the necessary experience before stepping into international Test matches. She emphasized the importance of having prior exposure to the format so that players are not learning on the job when they make their international debut.
She shared, “I’d love to even have it domestically somehow. You want to make sure when you do get the opportunity to play an international Test match, that you’ve already had the exposure, that you’re not trying to learn as you go.”
