Excitement is building for the biggest Women’s Test match ever, with a giant pink cricket ball hot air balloon soaring over Melbourne and the MCG this morning, ahead of the Women’s Ashes Day-Night Test from Jan 30-Feb 2. The balloon will be tethered in Yarra Park during the Boxing Day Test and will fly over Melbourne before the match. Australia will start its Women’s Ashes campaign in Sydney on January 12 with the first of three ODIs and conclude with a historic pink-ball Test at the MCG starting on January 30.

“The pink cricket ball hot air balloon is a fun way to build awareness and anticipation for the Women’s Ashes. The seven-match multi-format series includes T20 matches at the SCG, Manuka Oval and the Adelaide Oval and culminates in the historic first-ever Day-Night Test at the MCG starting on January 30,” Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer Nick Hockley said as quoted by a press release.

“This is shaping up to be an historic Ashes series that also celebrates the 90th anniversary of the first women’s Test match in December 1934. The balloon is the first of its kind and forms part of the build-up to this highly anticipated Women’s Ashes series,” Hockley said as the release added.

Women’s Ashes Fixture:

January 12: First ODI, North Sydney Oval

January 14: Second ODI, CitiPower Centre

January 17: Third ODI, Ninja Stadium

January 20: First T20I, SCG

January 23: Second T20I, Manuka Oval

January 25: Third T20I, Adelaide Oval

January 30 – February 2: Day-Night Test, MCG.

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