A Day in Ceylon

History Makers—Part VII

This is the latest installment in our series on the inaugural women’s Ashes of 1934/35. The previous installment is here.

On Armistice Day, the SS Cathay arrived at Colombo's jetty en route to Australia. Passengers had the opportunity to explore the city and its surroundings; however, for one group, cricket took precedence. Betty Archdale's English Women's team was welcomed on board by dignitaries from the Colombo Men's Cricket Association. Reserve wicketkeeper Grace Morgan described the morning's festivities: "We were extremely impressed with Colombo, which was very green owing to recent rains. The roads were wide and clean, and the houses, many of which were bungalows, stood back from the road with small gardens."

Several players watched from the cool of the Colombo Cricket Club as crowds dressed in bright holiday attire made their way to the Armistice Day service by the sea, before heading to a magnificent lunch at the Galle Face Hotel.

Since the Women's Cricket Association prohibits play against men, local players were invited to join the English women for a twelve-a-side scratch match at the Colombo Cricket Ground, with teams captained by Betty Snowball and Betty Archdale. During the long journey from England, the cricketers practiced in the nets and played regular games of deck cricket, which helped them build friendships and bond as a team.

Deck cricket is played in a netted area along the length of the deck with a string ball and a narrower bat. Batters score runs by hitting balls over lines drawn at intervals. The game requires quick reflexes, powerful hitting, and agility.

Although the cricketers spent many hours playing on deck, it was different from playing on the field. As Archdale thanked the Colombo club for their hospitality, the players' thoughts turned to the afternoon's game. A good crowd awaited them as they made their way to the ground. While the local Ceylonese players lacked cricketing experience, they were skilled tennis, hockey, and golf athletes, one of whom made a spectacular catch.

At about 2:20 pm, Snowball and Maclagan walked to the wicket to hearty applause. Fielding under intense heat was challenging; the fielders were relieved they had taken advice and worn plantain leaves under their hats. Turner, who bowled through most of the innings, had a short, efficient run. However, one correspondent believed Hide would be the most effective bowler on Australian wickets, as she could do quite a bit on a dead wicket, and her flight was excellent. After a slow start, the openers began to score more freely. Snowball batted confidently before missing Turner's slower ball and being stumped by Morgan for 32. Partridge, Richards, Obeyesekere—a local tennis champion—and Taylor were dismissed quickly. Maclagan steadied the innings before being spectacularly caught, one-handed, by the lady's golf champion, Bray, at square leg. Snowball's XII continued batting after tea, declaring at 4:30 pm at 67 for 7 from 34 overs.

At 4:40 pm, Child, who had kept wicket after the tea break, took guard with Morgan, but both were quickly dismissed by Taylor, who tore through the top order with three quick wickets. Taylor's run-up, complete with a little hop, resembles that of Harold Larwood, and she has been coached by Andrew Sandham at his cricket school, making her the fastest bowler on the team.

Morgan batted fluently, top-scoring with 24, but apart from Turner, who made 17, they needed more resources and time to get over the line. As stumps were drawn, they still required 12 runs.

Though the game was more of an exhibition than a true contest, it provided the team with valuable practice. Archdale and Green, the manager, thanked the local cricket association for a wonderful day. A large crowd watched them board the Cathay at 6.45 pm. The next time they would step on terra firma, it would be Australian soil.

Scorecard

Miss Snowball’s XII. 67-7 declared ( Snowball 32, Maclagan 19, Turner 2-36, Hide 2-12)
Miss Archdale’s XII. 55-6 ( Morgan 24, Turner 17, Taylor 3-15, Maclagan 2-17 )

The full scorecard can be found here.

The Lord’s Museum has an extensive collection of material relating to the 1934-35 tour, and scorebooks can be accessed at Womens Cricket History.org. These resources were used to compile this article.