The English women's cricket team toured Australia and New Zealand in 1934 and 1935. It was on this tour that the first

women's Test match Women's Test cricket is the longest format of women's cricket and is the female equivalent to men's Test cricket. Matches comprise four-innings and are held over a maximum of four days between two of the leading cricketing nations. The rules gov ...

es were played: three against

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, followed by one against

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. England won the first two Tests against the Australians convincingly, and had the better of a drawn third Test, to clinch

the Ashes The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. The term originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, '' The Sporting Times'', immediately after Australia's 1882 victory at The Oval, its first ...

. The game against New Zealand was even more one-sided in England's favour. The tour itself was recorded for posterity in a series of photographs that are now in the National Library of Australia. These photographs show the cricketers playing the game on a long tour, which took in many matches apart from the international series. However, there are others showing the players relaxing on their vessel, the SS Rotorua, and on trips, such as to Melbourne Zoo or up New Zealand glaciers. The Test matches were dominated by

Myrtle Maclagan Myrtle Ethel Maclagan (2 April 1911 – 11 March 1993) was an English cricketer who played as a right-handed batter and right-arm off break bowler. She appeared in 14 Test matches for England between 1934 and 1951. She played in the first-e ...

, who made 279 runs and took 26 wickets. So much so that just after the men's team had lost the men's version of

, the ''Morning Post'' praised Maclagan's batting prowess with the quatrain: :What matter that we lost, mere nervy men :Since England's women now play England's game, :Wherefore Immortal

Wisden ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', or simply ''Wisden'', colloquially the Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom. The description "bible of cricket" was first used in the 1930s by Alec Waugh in a ...

, take your pen :And write MACLAGAN on the scroll of fameWisden obituary of Myrtle Maclagan MBE
However, she was outscored by Betty Snowball, who made 381 runs, including a mammoth 189 against the Kiwis.

Test match details

First Test: England v Australia (28–31 December)

Australian captain,

Margaret Peden Margaret Elizabeth Maynard Peden (18 October 1905 - 18 March 1981) was an Australian cricketer. She played six women's test matches for the Australia women's cricket team in the 1930s, and was the first Australian women's Test captain. Biogra ...

, won the toss and chose to bat. Australia, however, soon came up against England allrounder,

, whose 7 wickets for the cost of only 10 runs saw Australia collapse to 47 all out. During that first innings, Australian wicket-keeper,

Hilda Hills Hilda Hills , known as Hilda Spicer from 1939, (18 July 1913 – 23 March 2003) was an Australian cricketer. She was a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper. She was born in Northcote, a northern suburb of Melbourne. Hills began playing with ...

retired hurt on 2, with a broken nose. Hills then played no further part in the match, with

Hazel Pritchard Hazel Doreen Pritchard (23 December 1913 – 3 November 1967) was a cricketer who played for the Australia women's national cricket team between 1934 and 1937. She opened the batting for Australia in the first Women's Test match, against Engla ...

going behind the stumps in her place. Maclagan opened the batting for England, and made 72 before she was the fifth woman out with England on 116, just before close on the first day. On day two, England moved on to 154, with

Betty Archdale Helen Elizabeth Archdale (21 August 1907 – 1 January 2000) was an English-Australian sportswoman and educationalist. She was the inaugural Test captain of the England women's cricket team in 1934. A qualified barrister and Women's Royal Naval ...

making 32 not out. In their second innings, Australia fared better, and were 99 for 5 at close on the second day. Maclagan failed to take a wicket in her 28 overs, but it was Mary Spear's five wickets that did the damage, as the home team were all of for 138, a total which included 63 runs scored over more than four hours from Essie Shevill. England were thus set just 32 for the win, which they secured with the loss of just one wicket. In the match, Australia fielded sisters, Essie Shevill and

Fernie Blade Fernie Leone Blade ( née Shevill) (20 August 1910 – 28 September 1988) was an Australian cricketer. Blade was born in Sydney, New South Wales. She played one Test match for the Australia national women's cricket team in 1934. Blade was ...

, Fernie was dropped after one test, her twin sister Rene Shevill played in the 2nd and 3rd tests.

Second Test: England v Australia (4–8 January)

Peden won the toss for the second time, and chose to bat. Australia soon stumbled to 22 for 3, before recovering to 147 for 9 at close on the first day. There was no play on the second day, and on the third Australia put on 15 more runs before being dismissed. Maclagan had taken four wickets in Australia's innings, and she now proceeded to make the first century in Women's Test history, putting on 119 before being third out for 230. By the close of the third day, England had put on 301 for 5. England captain,

, declared on the overnight score. On the fourth day,

Joy Partridge Joy Evelyn Partridge (28 March 1899 – 27 April 1947) was an English cricketer who played as a right-handed batter and right-arm slow bowler. She appeared in four Test matches for England England is a country that is part of the Unit ...

took 6 for 96 as the Aussies stumbled to 148 all out. England easily made the 10 required for victory, though not before two wickets had been lost. As Rene Shevill took over as the Australian wicket-keeper from the injured Hill, Essie Shevill yet again played with one of her sisters. However, Rene's twin, Fernie Blade, did not play.

Third Test: England v Australia (18–20 January)

Archdale won the toss and chose to bat. England did not fare as well as in the earlier matches, though, and were only able to make 162, with Maclagan top-scoring on 50.

Peggy Antonio Peggy Antonio (2 June 1917 – 11 January 2002, Melbourne, Australia) was an Australian women's Test cricketer, known as the "Girl Grimmett". Antonio was raised in Port Melbourne, Victoria, a working class suburb of Melbourne. Her father ...

took 6 for 49. Australia then made 31 for the loss of 1 wicket before stumps on the first day. The second day saw them to 150, just 12 behind England. 59 of these runs, however, were made for the ninth and tenth wicket. Without these, Australia probably would have slumped to a third consecutive defeat. As it was, however, England were tight for time, declaring on 153 for 7. Australia were made to face 57 overs, but were able to hang on, being eight down when the match ended. England therefore won the series two-nil.

Test Match: England v New Zealand (16–18 February)

Although scheduled as a three-day match, it was soon clear that it would not last the course. New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat, but were dismissed within 30 overs for a dire 44. Maclagan had taken 5 wickets, and Peta Taylor 3 to complete the rout. Maclagan, however, was first out at 55 for 1 in England's reply. Honours instead went to Betty Snowball, who set a new Test match record score of 189.

Molly Hide Molly, Mollie or mollies may refer to: Animals * ''Poecilia'', a genus of fishes ** ''Poecilia sphenops'', a fish species * A female mule (horse–donkey hybrid) People * Molly (name) or Mollie, a female given name, including a list of persons ...

also made a century as New Zealand's attack lacked any penetration. England batted on past their first day score of 431 for 4, finally declaring on 503 for 5. New Zealand batted better in their second innings, but an England victory was never in doubt as

took 4 wickets to end England's Test match tour on a comprehensive high.

Test match details

First Test: England v Australia (28–31 December)

Second Test: England v Australia (4–8 January)

Third Test: England v Australia (18–20 January)

Test Match: England v New Zealand (16–18 February)

References

Further reading