{
  "id": 15255910,
  "title": "Is New Zealand holding back women's Test cricket?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/is-new-zealand-holding-back-womens-test-cricket",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-17T18:39:59.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-18/is-new-zealand-holding-back-womens-test-cricket/107273022"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "New Zealand's reluctance to play women's Test cricket has come under scrutiny. Australia, England, India and South Africa have been pushing for more Test matches, but New Zealand Cricket has declined, despite being a pioneer in women's Test cricket since the 1930s. The team has not played a Test since 2004, and the current board is unwilling to change their stance. This decision has frustrated former players like Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Lea Tahuhu, who never got to experience Test cricket despite their decorated careers. New Zealand Cricket's recent budget update predicted a $NZ7.3 million deficit for the past financial year, and the costly nature of Tests, including $NZ10,250 per player, has further pushed the idea of Test matches further out of reach.",
  "summary": "New Zealand regularly faces Australia in white-ball formats but refuses to play women's Test cricket, despite being one of the first three nations to do it back in the 1930s. Here's why.",
  "key_points": [
    "New Zealand Cricket declined women's Test matches despite pioneering the format since the 1930s.",
    "Former players like Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates, and Lea Tahuhu missed Test cricket opportunities."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News",
        "title": "Is New Zealand holding back women's Test cricket?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/is-new-zealand-holding-back-womens-test-cricket-15259801",
        "published": "2026-10-17T18:39:59.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}