The Girl Grimmett

History Makers—Part XV

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

7th December 1934

Close of Play England 119 (Maclagan 21, Archdale 19, Antonio5-24) Victoria 4-34 (Mclarty 12, Maclagan 2 wickets)

On a glorious day, England won the toss and elected to bat, but had they understimated the Victorian bowling? Snowball and Maclagan batted confidently but slowly on a fast wicket. When the score was 19, Kettels bowled Snowball for 2, and Victorian spinners Antonio and Palmer began to dominate. When Maclagan had 21 she fell to Palmer, which brought in the free-scoring Hide. However, none of the English batters could dominate the spinners, as Antonio took five wickets.

Lack of opportunity to practice showed as Victoria struggled to 4-35 at the close of play, Maclagan’s off-spin taking two wickets. Palmer and Antonio steadied the ship. Their partnership on day two will be crucial.

Reflecting on a historic day

One MCC (Melbourne Cricket Club) welcomed the teams, but how long until they are accepted by their English equivalent? The Australian cricketers came from a more diverse background than their English counterparts, but had similar obstacles to overcome. Anne Palmer recalled the first day: “It was fabulous to walk onto our ground and see all those faces; it was awe-inspiring. Peggy and I overcame our nerves when we batted, and those English girls had a strong bowling lineup; they really did” (Bodyline Fix, Stone 2023).

8th December 1934

England 119 and 73-6 (Snowball 20, Maclagan 20* Antonio 5-24). Victoria 151 (Antonio 43, Palmer 32, Clements 21*, Maclagan 4-34.) Match Drawn.

Nearly 4,000 spectators, including present and former test players, were treated to an intriguing day. In the early morning rain threatened, but only ten minutes were lost. The outfield was wet, but the covers meant the wicket was in good condition. 

Antonio and Palmer took control of the game, adding a crucial 57-run fifth-wicket partnership. As conditions improved, they began to score more freely until Palmer was clean-bowled by Spear. Wickets fell steadily, but Antonio continued accumulating runs until she was bowled by Maclagan. The game was balanced at 7-114, Victoria five runs behind. As light rain began to fall, Clements joined Tucker in what could have been a match-winning 32 run partnership if more time had been allotted. Victoria led by 32 runs as England batted again at 4.18pm.

England batted cautiously as Antonio opened with McLarty. Childs was brilliantly stumped, playing a defensive shot, by Hills which brought in Hide, who had scored a superb century against Western Australia; however, although looking impressive, she failed to make a significant score in the match. Snowball was again effective until she was stumped by Hills off Antonio. When Snowball and Hide fell quickly, England looked concerned, but Maclagan, who will anchor the team, ensured the game ended in a draw. Antonio was the player of the match, not only taking 10-48 but also being the highest scorer with 43.

Nearly 9,000 spectators attended an exciting match, with gate receipts amounting to £263 0s 9d as Victoria began to recover from the devasting floods. The penny-for-an-autograph project established by Betty Archdale had raised £2 3s 6d for the Sun Herald Flood Relief Fund. She hoped to continue the project for the rest of the tour.

Archdale thought England had learned a lot from the match: The Victorian spinners could turn the ball more than they had experienced before, perhaps due to the heavier balll; while they needed time to adjust to batting on faster Australian wickets. 

The England team will then travel to Deniliquin for a one-day game, followed by a match against three-time interstate champions NSW. 

The website Women’s Cricket History has extensive resources, including the 1934-35 tour scorebook:

Who will represent Australia?

The secretary of the Australian Cricket Association, Dot Waldron, said the selection of the Australian XI to play in the first test match would be announced after the Queensland match, which begins on 22nd December.

The 1934 Victorian floods

Victoria was struck by devastating floods between November 29th and December 1st 1934. Fundraising efforts, including small schemes such as the penny-for-an-autograph system, and larger projects such as the Lord Mayor’s fund, raised almost £130,000 for flood victims.

The Bodyline Fix: How Women Saved Cricket by Marion Stone (2022) was an invaluable source for this article.