Snowball Fights
History Makers—Part XXXII
What follows is the latest installment in our series on the inaugural women’s Ashes tour of 1934/35. The previous installment is here.
20th January 1935
Day Three: Australia v England (3rd Test Match) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
England 7-153 dec. (E Snowball 83*, ME Hide 26, ME Richards 18, A Palmer 3-17, P Antonio 2-55 )Australia, requiring 166 to win, was 8-104 ( M Maclagan 4-28, MI Taylor 2-13 ). The match was drawn, but England took the series 2-0. Attendance 2641, and the gate receipts £92/4/6. The total for three days was 13,905 and £485/5/8.
Every result possible
The final day of the series began when Dave Fox, Australia’s scorer, presented the English team with a bouquet before the start of play in appreciation of the English team. Appreciative crowds had greeted the team all over Australia, enjoying its entertaining cricket.
All results were possible as Child and Archdale resumed their innings. Australia was on top when Child was run out by a brilliant return from Pritchard, quickly followed by Archdale. Snowball showed intent with three boundaries, rapidly adding 23 with Maclagan before Maclagan fell to Antonio. The momentum swung to England as Hide joined Snowball, and when Palmer bowled Hide, they had added 69 runs in 44 minutes. But then Palmer removed Partridge for a single, and Australia was back in the game—5-90. Australia kept an attacking field as England scored aggressively, Snowball and Richards adding 52 in 47 minutes before Richards became Antonio's twelfth and final wicket of the series. A century seemed to be within Snowball’s grasp, but Archdale declared at tea on 7-153 with Snowball 83 not out. Australia needed 166 to win in 135 minutes.
The hosts opened with Hudson and Pritchard, who looked content with a draw, scoring only five runs in the first six overs. Prichard, who has underperformed, with only 34 runs in the series, fell for five. Smith and Hudson soon followed, and Australia, 3-28, were staring defeat in the face. Maclagan took all three wickets, taking 3-28 in her first 21-over spell. Antonio and Palmer were more positive, but wickets continued to fall. At 6-51, a series whitewash was on the cards.
Barbara Peden and Brewer batted attractively, scoring 31 in 39 minutes, including six fours, before she was bowled by Maclagan. The Australian batters had targeted Partridge, taking 36 runs from her first seven overs. Still, with two overs left, a draw or an England victory were the only possibilities. Kettels was caught by Archdale in Partridge’s next over, leaving Maclagan to bowl the final over. It seemed fitting that the Peden sisters were there at the end to secure the draw. England had taken the series, but thoughts were already turning to the possibility of Australia touring England in the not-too-distant future.
Farewell Dinner
When stumps were drawn, the players adjourned to a farewell dinner. Betty Archdale was presented with a gold knife brooch mounted on Australia Opal by Margaret Peden. She expressed her thanks for what had been a wonderful tour (Sun News Pictorial). Betty Snowball entertained those present with a rendition of Marriott Edgar’s “The Lion and the Albert,” about a seaside outing that went wrong. It was made famous by Stanley Holloway:
The English players will have a few days in Melbourne to unwind before sailing to New Zealand on the SS Waganella via Sydney. They will play one Test and several other matches around the country.