The Last Stand
History Makers—Part XXXI
What follows is the latest installment in our series on the inaugural women’s Ashes tour of 1934/35. The previous installment is here.
19th January 1935
Day Two: Australia v England (3rd Test Match) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Close of play: England 162 Australia 150 ( A Palmer 39, PJ Brewer 26, P Antonio 16, AN Hudson 16, M Spear 3-21, M Maclagan 3-32, M Hide 2-24 ) England 0-8 ( Child 3*, Archdale 5* ) Hours of Play 1:15- 6:15 . Attendance 7092 . Gate Receipts £246 13s Match taking for the first two days were £394/1s.
Last-wicket stand keeps Australia in the game
Thanks to the lower order, Australia remains in the game at the close of play. They got off to a good start, Hudson hitting Maclagan for three past mid-on, but then struggled through five consecutive maidens. A disastrous passage of play began when Essie Shevill was caught by Maclagan off Spear from the last ball of her tenth over. Australia had struggled to score, particularly from Spear. When she reached the end of her spell, her figures were fourteen overs, eleven maidens, one wicket for six runs! Australia lost four for eight, including two needless run-outs. After 27 minutes, they were reeling at 5-45.
Thoughts turned from a first-innings lead to avoiding the follow-on. Antonio and Barbara Peden batted well, but England were still on top at 7-78 when Richards caught Peden—Spear’s second wicket. Kettels soon followed. Joy Brewer and Ann Palmer put on 35, batting far more positively. Brewer was Spear’s third and final victim with a score of 124. Palmer added 36 runs for the final wicket, the spectators applauding every run. 72 had been added for the final two wickets, and England had a meager twelve-run lead at 5.40 pm.
England opened with Child and Archdale, protecting Snowball and Maclagan until the morning. They batted safely for 25 minutes, closing at 0-8. Archdale hit one four from a cut shot misfielded in the slips.
The day’s play from the scorebook
