Australia Women’s tour of South Africa pushed back a week to make way for Champions Trophy

Australia Women’s first-ever bilateral tour of South Africa has been pushed back by one week, with the series now set to open on March 24, 2027. The revision was made to accommodate the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy, which is scheduled for February 14–28, 2027, in India, having been moved forward from its original June-July 2027 window.

The multi-format tour spans seven matches across three formats, three T20Is, three ODIs and one Test. Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa worked together to confirm the revised dates after the Champions Trophy’s rescheduling forced both boards to redraw their calendars. Cricket South Africa CEO Pholetsi Moseki acknowledged the coordination effort involved.

“Hosting a heralded team like Australia will always be a special occasion, let alone doing so for the first time. We are very appreciative of the work put in by both Cricket South Africa and Cricket Australia to ensure the tour’s new dates were confirmed following the scheduling of the ICC Women’s Champions Trophy,” said Pholetsi Moseki, the Cricket South Africa CEO as quoted by Cricinfo.

What does the revised fixture list look like?

The three T20Is open the tour, with the 1st T20I at Kimberley Oval in Kimberley on March 24 (6pm local start). The 2nd T20I moves to World Sports Betting Willowmoore Park in Benoni on March 27 (2pm), and the 3rd T20I is at NWC Oval in Potchefstroom on March 30 (6pm).

The ODI leg follows immediately, with the 1st ODI at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead in Durban on April 3 (2pm). The 2nd ODI is at Boland Park in Paarl on April 7 (2pm), and the 3rd ODI takes place at Dafabet St George’s Park in Gqeberha on April 10 (2pm).

The one-off Test match is scheduled for April 15–18 at Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium in KuGompo City, East London, with a 10am start each day. This will be the first women’s Test match played in KuGompo City. The three ODIs count toward the ICC Women’s Championship, which feeds into qualification for the 2029 ICC Women’s ODI World Cup.

The 1st ODI in Durban will serve as South Africa’s 6th Black Day ODI, a fixture dedicated to raising awareness about gender-based violence.

What is the historical context of this Test fixture?

The April 15–18 Test in East London will be only the 2nd women’s Test between Australia and South Africa. The previous meeting between the two sides in this format took place in Perth in February 2024, making the upcoming encounter a rare and significant fixture in the women’s game.

Australia’s last women’s Test before this tour was also played in Perth in February 2024, against India. The East London Test will therefore mark Australia’s return to the longest format after a gap of more than three years, and it will be the first time a women’s Test has been staged at Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium.