As of April 2019, there had only been one Women's Test match in the last three years, and only two teams other than England and Australia had played in a Women's Test in the previous ten years. Australia's captain, Meg Lanning, expressed her interest in more Women's Test matches being played. In July 2019, following the conclusion of the one-off Women's Ashes Test in England, the question was raised about whether Women's Test matches should be played across five days, instead of four. The match had two sessions washed out and finished in a draw. In December 2019, New Zealand's Sophie Devine requested that administrators should arrange a Women's Test match between New Zealand and Australia, following a strong performance in the Women's Big Bash League. New Zealand's women last played in a Test match in 2004, and their last encounter against Australia in the format was in 1996.