Jimmy Ellingham

Kia ora, I'm Jimmy Ellingham and today on The Detail, New Zealand's women's cricket team, the White Ferns, world champions at 2020 cricket.

Those two ladies are Susie Bates and Sophie Devine, legends of the game, yet they'll soon retire after two decade long careers playing only white ball, short form cricket.

Despite achieving pay equity for match fees, play equity remains elusive for the White Ferns, who haven't featured in a multi-day test match for 22 years.

I'm sitting at Fitzherbert Park in Palmerston North, which is a special place for the team.

It's where they last beat Australia in the 50-over Rose Bowl series 27 years ago.

The ground's empty today, but there was a good crowd here back in 1999 urging the team on.

Fast forward to this year, and reports have surfaced that New Zealand cricket turned down the chance of a women's test in Australia next season.

So what's going on?

That's former White Fern turned cricket commentator Frankie Mackay, who we'll hear more from later.

Just so they don't close their doors for me.

But first, I head down to Wellington and a little cafe on the terrace where I meet a woman whose involvement in the sport spans decades.

We'll get right into it, can we?

And that's, should the White Ferns be playing test cricket?

Your Twitter handle is, I think, something along the lines of PK says white ferns should play test.

We'll pause there to concentrate on one of those names Penny's mentioned, Susie Bates.

She's played 367 games for New Zealand since 2006 and recently told the BBC the allure of a test match is strong.

Many nations lose money hosting men's tests.

So, returning to our Wellington cafe, I asked Penny Kinsella if New Zealand cricket would have to make cuts elsewhere to afford test cricket.

Have you put that idea to New Zealand cricket?

And if so, what has it said?