TukTuk,
The history of women's cricket can be traced back to a report in The Reading Mercury on 26 July 1745 and a match that took place between the villages of Bramley and Hambledon near Guildford in Surrey.

The Mercury reported:
"The greatest cricket match that was played in this part of England was on Friday, the 26th of last month, on Gosden Common, near Guildford, between eleven maids of Bramley and eleven maids of Hambledon, all dressed in white. The Bramley maids had blue ribbons and the Hambledon maids red ribbons on their heads. The Bramley girls got 119 notches and the Hambledon girls 127. There was of bothe sexes the greatest number that ever was seen on such an occasion. The girls bowled, batted, ran and catches as well as most men could do in that game."

The Women's Cricket Association was founded in 1926, and the first overseas tour was made to Australia and New Zealand in 1934-35 which included the first Women's Test match between England and Australia in December 1934.

In Australia, the Victoria Women's Cricket Association was founded in 1905 and the Australian Women's Cricket Association in 1931. The current competition is run by the Women's National Cricket League.

The International Women's Cricket Council was formed in 1958 to coordinate women's cricket which was now being played regularly in Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, the West Indies, Denmark and the Netherlands. England toured South Africa in 1960-61, and
Right hander Jan Molyneaux made a record 298 for Olympic v Northcote in Melbourne's A grade final in 1967.

In April 1970, MCC's traditional Easter coaching classes at Lord's were attended by Sian Davies and Sally Slowe of Cheltenham Ladies' College (see photo in Wisden at Lord's, page 129) breaking the 'gender barrier'.

The first Women's Cricket World Cup was held in England in 1973, won by the hosts, and Lord's staged its first women's Test match in 1979, between England and Australia.
The Women's Cricket Association handed over the running of women's cricket in England to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 1998.

In 2005, after the eighth Women's World Cup, the International Women's Cricket Council was officially integrated under the umbrella of the International Cricket Council, and an ICC Women's Cricket Committee was formed to consider all matters relating to women's cricket.

For more information on women’s cricket watch this space –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki /History_of_women%27s_cricket

Answered by Jateen Gutta , an ibibo Master, at 2:43 AM on October 05, 2008

Well TukTuk, you definitely have a fascinating interest while almost all people are hypnotized by the male version of the game, while ashamedly ignoring the equally important female version. While, you thankfully have expressed interest in this aspect too.

As, for the cricket being started for the fairer version,the first women's Test match was played by England and Australia in the 1934-35 season. By 2007 ten teams had played women's Test matches, as follows:

* Australia
* England
* India
* Ireland
* The Netherlands
* New Zealand
* Pakistan
* South Africa
* Sri Lanka
* West Indies

The Netherlands played their first Test in July 2007 against South Africa. The Netherlands gained Test status when it was announced by the ICC that the top ten ranked women's sides would have Test and ODI status.

Answered by Shreshtha , an ibibo Master, at 2:49 PM on September 30, 2008

well Tuktuk, women test series was started in 1934-35.... the first test match were played between england & australia .....
and in recent a total of 10 teams play women test cricket
Netherland was the 10th test team introduced in 2007......

indian team played heir first test match in 1976-77 and test series of 6matches with west indies that was tie .....
Mitali raj is the test captain of women test team in present...........

All the best Tuktuk.........

Answered by Manoj Gajraj , an ibibo Advisor, at 9:52 PM on September 27, 2008

Women's Test cricket is the long form of women's international cricket. Most of the matches are scheduled to last four days, which is one day less than men's Test matches. Women also play one-day international cricket. Unlike their male counterparts the players are amateurs, but the sport has a fairly high profile compared to other women's team sports in several countries.

The first women's Test match was played by England and Australia in the 1934-35 season. By 2007 ten teams had played women's Test matches, as follows:

Answered by ani , an ibibo Advisor, at 6:29 PM on September 26, 2008

Dear the Women's Test cricket has been played since December 1934. However Women's One-day Internationals have been played only after 1973.

Current international women's cricket teams include ten Test teams, as follows:

Australia ,England , India ,Ireland ,Netherlands , New Zealand ,Pakistan , South Africa , Sri Lanka , West Indies

Note that Bangladesh and Zimbabwe do not play women's Test cricket although they do have men's teams, and that Ireland and the Netherlands are Test nations in women's cricket but not in the men's game.

Answered by Beekay , an ibibo Advisor, at 3:53 PM on September 26, 2008

Women's Test cricket is the long form of women's international cricket. Most of the matches are scheduled to last four days, which is one day less than men's Test matches. Women also play one-day international cricket. Unlike their male counterparts the players are amateurs, but the sport has a fairly high profile compared to other women's team sports in several countries.

The first women's Test match was played by England and Australia in the 1934-35 season. By 2007 ten teams had played women's Test matches, as follows:

* Australia
* England
* India
* Ireland
* The Netherlands
* New Zealand
* Pakistan
* South Africa
* Sri Lanka
* West Indies

Answered by Satyakam , an ibibo Master, at 1:49 AM on September 26, 2008

Indian womens team played first official test match in the year 1976-77 and the test series was against the West Indies and the 6 matches series was a tie.

World Cup representation:

1973: did not participate, 1978: 4th place, 1982: 4th place, 1988: did not participate, 1993: 4th place,
1997: Semi Finals, 2000: Semi Finals, 2005: Runners up...

Performance in Asia Cup:

2004: Winners, 2005: Winners, 2006: Winners, 2008: Winners

Indian womens team played 34 test matches out these won 3 test matches and lost 6 tests... Mithali Raj is the captain for the present team.

In ODI's played 151 and won 80 matches and lost 67.

The Women's Cricket Association of India (WCAI) has every reason to be livid. The BCCI, better known as the world's richest cricket board that runs men's cricket, has once again chosen to be ambivalent about their proposed merger with their 'female' counterpart. The BCCI's gesture to ask state associations to 'develop' women's cricket in their respective areas of jurisdiction is a bit like a consolation prize.

I hope womens team will rise to great heights under the leadership Mithali raj..

Answered by Madhu Vamsi , an ibibo Master, at 1:17 AM on September 26, 2008