Brief History of Australia Women’s National Cricket Team
One of the topmost sides in women’s international cricket is Australia. Women in Australia have played organized cricket since at least 1874 when the first recorded match took place in Bendigo. Competitions have existed at the state level since the early 1900s and at a national level since 1931–32. In March 1931, the Australian Women’s Cricket Council (AWCC) was formed to administer and develop the game at the national level.
Historical Highlights – Australia Women’s National Cricket Team
1) Red-Ball History:
Australia played its first-ever test match in 1934 when it hosted the English side for a three-match test series. The first-ever Australian test match was played at Brisbane. Unfortunately, Australia suffered a defeat against the English side. Margaret Peden was captaining the Australian side in Australia’s first-ever test series. Later in 1937, the Australian side toured England for a three-match test series. Australia won the first match of the series, followed by a loss & a draw in the last test with the series resulting 1-1. It was in 1948 that the Australian women’s side toured New Zealand with both sides having a rich history. Australia won the only test against New Zealand which was played at Wellington.
2) One-Day International History:
In the 1973 World Cup, the Australian women’s side first played the ODI format. Australia played their first ODI match against ‘Young English’ winning the match by 7 wickets. Margaret Peden was the Australian skipper in the 1973 edition. They were the runners-up in the tournament playing the final against Australia. Australia successfully defended their crown at the 1982 World Cup, held in New Zealand, by beating England in the final again. Australia has been one of the successful sides specifically in the early editions who won three consecutive world cups between 1978, 1982 & 1988. It was in 1976 that Australia played its first-ever ODI series which was played against England and though they won the first match, England went on to clinch the series 2-1.
3) Twenty20 Internationals History:
Australia played their first-ever T20I match in Banton against England in 2005 which also marked their first-ever all-format Australia tour. They registered a win against England in the only T20I chasing a total of 152. The Australian side has been a dominant force over the years in the shortest format of the game. Though they failed to make it to the final in the 2009 World Cup, which was the first edition of the women’s T20 World Cup, the Australian side went on to win the next three consecutive editions. Alex Blackwell led the Australian side in 2010 to their first-ever World Cup.
DOMESTIC COMPETITIONS:
Women’s National Cricket League (WNCL):
The WNCL is a tournament that involves seven teams with the tournament being played in 50-over format. The tournament is played in a round-robin format. The first edition of the tournament was played in the 1996-97 season with Victoria emerging as winner. New South Wales Breakers are the most successful side with 20 titles out of the 28 editions so far.
Tournament Highlights – Australia Women’s National Cricket Team
ICC Women’s World Cup:
Australia’s women’s cricket team has been incredibly successful in the Women’s Cricket World Cup. They’ve played in all 12 tournaments from 1973 to 2022. Australia has won the World Cup seven times, which is more than any other team. They were champions in 1978, 1982, 1988, 1997, 2005, 2013, and 2022. When they didn’t win, they often came close, finishing as runners-up twice (in 1973 and 2000) and reaching the semi-finals once (in 2017). Their worst performance was in 1993 when they were eliminated in the group stage. Overall, Australia’s record shows they’ve been the most dominant team in Women’s Cricket World Cup history.
| Year | Position |
| 1973 | Runner-up |
| 1978 | Champions |
| 1982 | Champions |
| 1988 | Champions |
| 1993 | Group Stage |
| 1997 | Champions |
| 2000 | Runners-up |
| 2005 | Champions |
| 2009 | Super Sixes |
| 2013 | Champions |
| 2017 | Semi-Finalists |
| 2022 | Champions |
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup:
Australia’s women’s cricket team has also been very successful in the T20 World Cup. They’ve played in all eight tournaments from 2009 to 2023. Australia has won the T20 World Cup six times, in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020, and 2023. When they didn’t win, they still did well, reaching the semi-final in 2009 and finishing as runners-up in 2016. In their most recent appearance in 2023, they won all six of their matches. This impressive record shows that Australia has been the most dominant team in Women’s T20 World Cup history, consistently performing at the highest level in this format of the game.
| Year | Position |
| 2009 | Semi-Finalists |
| 2010 | Champions |
| 2012 | Champions |
| 2014 | Champions |
| 2016 | Runners-up |
| 2018 | Champions |
| 2020 | Champions |
| 2023 | Champions |
Franchise League:
Women’s Big Bash League:
It is a professional T20 women’s cricket league played in Australia. A total of eight teams participate in the tournament. The first season of the tournament was played in 2015-16. Sydney Thunders won the inaugural edition of the tournament. The most successful sides in the tournament are Sydney Sixers, Brisbane Heat, Adelaide Strikers & Sydney Thunders, each having two titles.
Salary Contract of Australia Women’s Side:
The Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) and Cricket Australia (CA) have made significant strides in improving the salaries of women cricketers. A landmark five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between CA and the ACA, which led to a substantial increase in pay for women cricketers in 2020.
Cricket Australia’s contract will surpass 43,854,230 INR ($800,000) annually, factoring in their WBBL contracts, match fees, and marketing payments. Additionally, the 2023 MOU has expanded opportunities, with each state and the ACT now able to offer two extra contract spots, increasing the total from 15 to 18.
