Hide Brilliant on Day One
History Makers—Part XI
What follows is the latest installment in our series on the inaugural women’s Ashes tour of 1934/35. The previous installment is here.
England 201-3 Dec ( Hide 100, Maclagan 48, Childs 33*) Western Australia 37-3 (Capes 16*, Maclagan 1-2, Turner 1-5)
The first day of international women’s cricket belonged to Mollie Hide, who scored the first-ever international century. Betty Archdale won the toss on a cloudy morning and invited Western Australia to bowl before a large crowd of 3,500. McDonald and Shearer’s excellent fielding controlled Maclagan and Snowball, but England looked set for a significant partnership. However, when the score was fourteen, Snowball played an expansive shot, and Cameron took a well-judged catch, bringing Hide to the wicket.
Hide quickly took control, batting fluently with wristy late cuts and leg glances. It could have been a different story if Hide hadn’t been dropped on 25 at deep mid-on. The fifty took 47 minutes, the 100 in 77. Maclagan batted soundly at the other end, but at length was caught, two short of her fifty, by Barlow off Capes. Hide amassed exactly 100 out of 190 in 123 minutes, and Archdale declared at 201 for three.
Western Australia bowled and fielded well, but England’s class began to tell when they took the field. The crowd appreciated Snowball’s keeping. She stood up to all the bowlers, who gave little away. Adapting to turf was difficult for the batters, who scored at fewer than one run an over. A lot will depend on Capes and Shearer when play resumes.
Women’s Cricket History has a wealth of material on women’s cricket, including the 1934-35 tour scorebook.
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