Test Match Special Uncovers the Untold Story of Women's Cricket in England

Test Match Special has turned its attention to the hidden history of the women's game, releasing a new podcast episode titled "The Women in Whites" in which Dr Raf Nicolson reveals the untold story of women's cricket in England.

The episode arrives after what the programme describes as a historic summer for women's cricket, featuring a home World Cup and the first ever Women's Test played at Lord's.

Pioneers of the women's game

Hosts Daniel Norcross and Alison Mitchell chat with Nicolson, one of the leading writers and historians on the women's game. During the conversation, they explore the lives of some of the huge characters who were pioneers of the sport, including Edith Bakewell and Rachael Heyhoe-Flint.

How the women's game led the way

Nicolson also explains how women's cricket has often been ahead of its time, leading the way on a series of innovations that would later become staples of the wider sport — from the invention of roundarm bowling to staging the first World Cup, the first T20 international and the first franchise tournament in England.

The episode further features the remarkable story of how Nicolson unearthed previously unpublished archive material from the early development of women's cricket in this country, offering a fresh window into the game's origins.

The podcast is available for 21 days.