England women's A to play four-day red-ball match in India as Ashes build-up begins
Red-ball focus as England A head to India
England women's A will play a four-day game on their upcoming tour of India as part of their preparation for next summer's Women's Ashes. The tour takes place in November and December and also includes three T20s and three 50-over matches, as England face another winter without any senior international cricket.
A winter of white-ball and one red-ball outing
While the home international summer ended with a 3-0 thrashing of Ireland in September, England do not have any other fixtures scheduled until after Christmas. Though dates have not been confirmed, England are scheduled to play three T20s and three one-day internationals against Sri Lanka before the first Women's Champions Trophy — a T20 competition — takes place in India in February.
That is followed by a series against West Indies in April, which could include a Test match, although those dates have also not yet been finalised. Some players have been signed for Australia's Women's Big Bash League while the Women's Premier League in India will also take place before the home season of 2027 begins.
Squads blend experience and youth
Eleven players included in the England A squad across all three formats have been capped internationally, including established fast bowlers Issy Wong and Lauren Filer and emerging left-arm spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman. They are included alongside all-rounders Mady Villiers, Charis Pavely and Jodi Grewcock, wicketkeeper-batter Kira Chathli and seamer Grace Ballinger.
Seamer Ryana Macdonald-Gay is included in both white-ball squads while top-order batter Grace Scrivens is part of the 50-over and four-day sides. Batter Davina Perrin has been added to England's performance programme but is recovering from injury and therefore will not be going on the A tour, as well as fast bowler Cassidy McCarthy.
Tour schedule and Ashes stakes
The tour starts with the T20s in Pune on 30 November, followed by the 50-over fixtures and the four-day game at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. The multi-format Ashes series, which has been played as such since 2013, starts with a four-day Test on 27 June at Headingley.
"An improved England, who reached the final of the Women's T20 World Cup earlier this year under Charlotte Edwards and Nat Sciver-Brunt, will be aiming to regain the Ashes after a dismal 16-0 thrashing away from home in 2025," the BBC reported.
West Indies Test mooted to aid red-ball plans
England's red-ball preparations extend beyond India. On 9 October 2026, the BBC reported that the ECB is open to funding a West Indies women's Test to aid England's Ashes preparations — described as the only Test, men's or women's, staged north of Nottingham next summer. England have played just one Test since they lost every game on the Ashes tour of Australia in early 2025 — a defeat by India at Lord's earlier this year. They have not played West Indies in a women's Test since 1979, while West Indies have not played a Test against anyone since a trip to Pakistan in 2004.
In January 2027, the squad will take part in a 10-day red-ball training camp in India, echoing arrangements from 2023 when England played Australia A and Australia played England A as Test warm-up matches.