First World Cup Women's international cricket was first played in 1934, when a party from England toured Australia and New Zealand. The first
Test match was played on 28–31 December 1934, and was won by England. The first Test against New Zealand followed early the following year. These three nations remained the only Test-playing teams in women's cricket until 1960, when South Africa played a number of matches against England.
Limited overs cricket was first played by
first-class teams in England in 1962. Nine years later, the first international one day match was played in men's cricket, when
England took on
Australia at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground. Talks began in 1971 about holding a World Cup for women's cricket, led by
Jack Hayward. South Africa, under pressure from the world for their apartheid laws, were not invited to take part in the competition. Both of the other two Test-playing nations, Australia and New Zealand were invited. Hayward had previously organised tours of the West Indies by England women and it was from this region that the other two competing nations were drawn;
Jamaica and
Trinidad & Tobago. To make up the numbers England also fielded a "
Young England" team, and an "
International XI" was also included. Five South Africans were invited to play for the International XI as a means of compensation for the team not being invited but these invitations were later withdrawn. two years before the first men's
Cricket World Cup was played. The competition was played as a round-robin tournament and the last scheduled match was England against Australia. Australia went into the game leading the table by a solitary point; they had won four matches and had one abandoned. England had also won four matches but they had lost to New Zealand. As a result, the match also served as a de facto final for the competition. England won the match, held at
Edgbaston Birmingham, by 92 runs to win the tournament. ==Editions and results==