Go Matildas!

My favourite Australian sporting team is the Matildas - footballers who have inspired a generation both male and female to take up the world game. They are supremely talented, tactically advanced, and have a team spirit and determination second to none.

And even when the Matildas lose, they win with even more supporters proud to don the green and gold in recognition of their efforts.

To watch them on the world stage is a privilege and, as a result, legions of followers quickly snap up merchandise with Sam Kerr’s shirt atop the list closely followed by Hayley Rasso, Caitlin Foord, Kyah Simon, Ellie Carpenter, Emily van Egmond, and, new sensation, Mary Fowler not far behind.

The US based National Women’s Soccer League and now via major clubs across Europe, including opportunities in the FA Women’s Championship, has given many of the Matildas’ squad even greater profile and recognition as world class athletes.

As a result, female youth teams aspiring to emulate their heroes have seen a dramatic increase in participation.

This increase has reverberated around Tasmania with more female teams entering our local festivals of football outside of league games and cup ties.

So, it was two days off during school holidays that the family calendar quickly filled with a range of activities that would include bikes and balls and ballet flats that, even though documented, did not all eventuate.

The complexities of the school holiday dance season, trying to avoid a busy work period, and a weather forecast including wind and significant rain left me with hours to enjoy rather than days.

In response the agenda was swiftly amended as the wind arrived and we became aware of a day-night cricket test match between Australia and India scheduled to begin last Thursday afternoon.

If you had been listening on the radio instead of watching the free to air coverage you could have been mistaken that a test match from the late 1990s with McGrath bowling and Healy wicketkeeping was playing during a rain delay.

It was not.

One of the most popular cricketers in the world Alyssa Healy was wicketkeeping to tall fast bowling allrounder Tahlia McGrath in a rare test match for our women cricketers.

Test match cricket for women is as rare as hens’ teeth. To place in context, superstar athlete and sportsperson Elyse Perry has played just nine test matches in contrast to 118 one-day internationals and 123 T20 games for her country.

The philosophy from world cricket’s governing body, the ICC, has been to develop an interest in the game through shorter formats, however, for cricket purists like Australia, England, and India there must be a thirst for more regular long form games.

Perry made her test debut in 2008 and she deserves to have played more matches. By comparison the Australian men’s cricket team donned the baggy green for well over 100 test matches over that period.

The women’s test match format includes subtle differences from the men’s game. And although I find it incredibly annoying when men compare the attributes and abilities of women in the same game, particularly AFL and tennis, there are technicalities that are unique and worthy of mention.

A women’s test match is played over four days instead of five due to faster over rates including bowling 100 overs per day instead of 90 in the men’s game. The women also have shorter bowling run-ups and appear far quicker transitioning between overs allowing the game to be completed a day earlier.

The Kookaburra cricket ball is also slightly lighter for women at a minimum of 140grams compared to the men’s four piece which must be a minimum of 155.9grams.

The boundary ropes are slightly closer to the pitch by approximately 5-10 metres.

But apart from those technicalities, women’s test cricket is the same tough mental and physical game that many of us adore, admire, and have feelings of regret that we never were good enough to be presented with a baggy green.

Last Thursday, Australia welcomed four debutantes and India three with the same sense of pride, honour, and raw emotion evident on the player’s faces that we have become accustomed to.

And like the current crop of Matildas, it is the Australian Women’s cricket team who are inspiring the next generation of national representatives through their willingness to toil and fight and demand parity in terms of pay and respect and media coverage.

It is unfair that women’s test matches are played so infrequently, and it should be immediately addressed by the ICC.

But in the meantime, tune in and enjoy two terrific teams testing each other again on Australian soil.