Jess Jonassen calls for more red-ball matches

Women’s cricket has evolved significantly, marked by continual advancements and pivotal milestones since its inception. The sport has seen an increasing number of tournaments added to the calendar, further promoting its growth. However, a key area still requiring attention is the greater integration of Test cricket into the women’s game.

This shortfall was highlighted by Australian all-rounder, Jess Jonassen, in an interview during the rain delay of the Women’s Hundred 2024 game between the Welsh Fire Women and the Northern Superchargers Women. Jonassen openly stated that the longest format of the game was unequivocally her favorite, expressing a strong desire to participate in more Test cricket. She conveyed that, in her view, there was no greater satisfaction than donning the traditional whites and engaging in the classic battle with the red cherry, be it with the bat or ball.

“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 with the red ball,” stated Jonassen when interviewed by Sky Sports, as quoted by Female Cricket.

Reflecting on the five-day Ashes Test played in Nottingham in 2023, where Australia Women secured victory by 89 runs, Jonassen expressed her profound appreciation for that opportunity. She conveyed her enthusiasm for such matches and expressed a strong desire to see more of them in the future. Additionally, she voiced her aspiration to compete against a broader range of nations, rather than being restricted to a select few.

“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,” added Jonassen.

Addressing the aforementioned concern, she cited Kiwi luminaries, Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates, as examples, deeming it almost “almost criminal” for them to conclude their careers without having experienced Test match cricket. She advocated for a broadening of the format to include more countries, beyond the current participants (India, Australia, England, and South Africa), who are presently the only nations to be linked with the longest format of the game.

“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,” noted Jonassen.

Jonassen also expressed a desire for Australia and other nations to draw inspiration from the existing framework in Indian cricket, advocating for the inclusion of domestic women’s red-ball matches. She emphasized the advantage of having pre-existing expertise in Test match play, rather than acquiring skills on the fly.

“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,” added Jonassen.