The North Island Tour
History Makers—Part XXXIV
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 February 1935
Attacking Cricket on the North Island
Although the standard of cricket in New Zealand is not as high as in Australia, the England team has continued to entertain the crowds, playing three matches in Auckland, Wanganui and Wellington in the North Island before moving south. The tourists will travel mainly by train. Booking through the New Zealand Tourist Board has been beneficial, with tickets costing £7 14s 1d per head.
New Zealand Selection
Although the talented English should beat New Zealand in the representative match, both teams have been prevented from picking their strongest elevens due to financial constraints. The English players paid £91 8s, out of their own pockets, for their passage to Australia and New Zealand. Similarly, candidates for the New Zealand team are being asked to pay all transport and accommodation costs to play for their country. The fledgling New Zealand Women’s Cricket Council has been fostering cricket, but has insufficient funds (Wanganui Chronicle, 15.1.35).
New Zealand Cricket Council
The council was formed in 1933, but regional Associations had been formed earlier: Auckland in 1928, Otago in 1931, Canterbury in 1932, Wellington in 1932, and Whanganui and Southland in 1933. In July 1934, the council cabled the Women’s Cricket Association in response to an invitation to visit New Zealand. They replied, “Delighted at prospect of English visit. Can guarantee billets, entertainment, matches but regret no travelling expenses” (Fair Play, Rheinberg).
Straight off the Boat
Match One: 29th January 1935: Auckland v England at Eden Park
Close of Play: England 200 for 9 wickets declared (Snowball 48, Maclagen 76; N Browne four for 99, E. Page four for 13). Auckland 33 (J. Page 11; Maclagen six for 17; Taylor two for 1); Second innings, 64 for five wickets (Savin 18, J Page 13, Browne 10; Partridge four for 39). Match drawn, but however, England won the highest score in the first innings. Estimated Attendance: 2,000. Gate Receipts: £101.
The visitors arrived on the morning of the game, almost going straight to the ground. They won the toss and elected to bat on a fine day.
Betty Snowball and Myrtle Maclagan added 111 on a fast wicket before Snowball was caught behind by Savin off Browne for 48. Shortly after, Brown dropped Maclagan off her own bowling but made amends when she took a brilliant catch off E Paige to send Maclagan back for 76. Grace Morgan accumulated runs steadily, but the wickets of Joy Partridge and Betty Archdale fell quickly at the other end—4-148. Richards and Morgan added 16 runs, but both fell shortly before the players took lunch at 6-167. England batted on, declaring at 9-200 in 72 overs, Paige and Brown taking four wickets apiece.
Auckland fielded well and did not discredit themselves in the field. However, they looked stage-struck as Maclagan mesmerized them. They lost five wickets for one before Jean Paige top-scored with 11. She was last out; Auckland scored 33, and was asked to follow on. They fared better in their second innings as England rested their main bowlers. Openers Pearl Savin and Paige put on 35, but Joy Partridge took 4-39 as they finished at 5-64.
Hot Springs
En route to Wanganui, the team visited Rotarura in Te Puia’s Whakarewarewa Valley. They explored Whakarewarewa, the home of the Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao people, taking in hot springs and learning about the Maori culture, before taking the train to Wanganui on the west coast.
The Captain’s Match
Match Two: 2nd February 1935: Wanganui v England at Cook’s Gardens
Close of Play: England 202-6 declared (EA Snowball 103, GA Morgan 48, DM Turner 22, D Reid 2-50, MC Corby 1-17.) Wanganui 79 (MC Corby 32, H Ratana 18, MF Spear 4-20, ME Hide 4-27). Match drawn, but England won the highest score in the first innings. Estimated Attendance: 2,000.
After deputizing for England’s tour captain, Betty Archdale, Betty Snowball won the toss and elected to bat. When Mollie Child struck Johnson’s sixth ball for four, another significant partnership looked on the cards; however, this was her only scoring shot as she soon fell LBW to Reid. Molly Hide and Snowball scored freely before Johnson bowled Hide. England were 38-2 after 18 minutes. Deputy wicket-keeper Grace Morgan joined Snowball, who was batting elegantly, and kept pace with her. They took lunch at 2-133. Morgan fell after the resumption for 48 in 69 minutes, with seven fours. With the help of Turner, Snowball completed her century before offering a return catch to Wanganui’s captain, Mabel Corby. Corby was the home team’s best player in all departments; she fielded well and bowled economically before being the backbone of the Wanganui innings.
England declared at 6-202 in two hours and 25 minutes. Wanganui opened their first innings at 3 pm. They batted well, but Hide and Spear bowled accurately, giving few opportunities to score. Corby top-scored with 32 in 93 minutes before being caught by Richards. As she returned to the pavilion, her team was 6-79, but they didn’t manage another run. Snowball invited them to follow on, but with less than an hour to play, an outright victory looked unlikely. Joy Liebert and Carol Valentine had different ideas, taking wickets regularly. But Corby steadied the ship with 14 not out, justifying her nomination for the New Zealand team.
Wellington
Match Three: 5th February 1935: Wellington v England at The Basin Reserve.
Close of Play: Wellington 61 (MJ Holmes 18, HE Buck 13, MM Parkhouse 10, MI Taylor 4-6, J Partridge 2-6, M Maclagan 2-21) and 55 (HE Buck 17, IM Pickering 11, DJ Hatcher 10, Maclagan 4-22, Tatlor 3-2, J Partridge 2-9) England 191 (EM Child 64, GA Morgan 47, MA Richards 28, A Ell 4-57, N Sheridan 3-27, D Simons 2-25). England won by an innings and 75 runs. Attendance 3,000.
In front of 3,000 spectators, the season’s largest crowd, England remained undefeated on their tour. In perfect weather, Wellington won the toss and boldly decided to bat. They lasted 90 minutes, but the accuracy of Mary Taylor, who took 4-6 in twelve overs with nine maidens, meant they were dismissed for 61—only Billie Holmes, Hilda Buck, and Myra Parkhouse reaching double figures.
Myrtle Maclagan has been England’s leading batter on the tour, sparking fear in opposition bowlers. However, 18-year-old pace bowler Agnes Ell had no fear as she ran in to bowl the first ball, which sent Maclagan back for an early lunch, clean bowled. Joy Partridge fell similarly for 2. England found Phyl Brogan’s off-breaks challenging to score from at the other end as they went to lunch at 2-11.
England’s experience showed as they took control after lunch. Mollie Child and Grace Morgan put on 80 for the third wicket before Morgan fell for 47. Wellington’s bowlers performed well, but had already scored enough runs when Child eventually fell to Ell for 64. England was eventually all out for 191, Richards making 28.
Hilda Buck and Doris Hatcher looked well set, scoring at a run a minute. They added 29, the highest opening partnership against the tourists, before Taylor bowled Buck. After the promising start, wickets fell quickly to Taylor, Partridge, and Maclagan, until Wellington was all out for 55. Like the other provinces, they had fielded and bowled well, but their batting was far inferior to England’s.
The team left on the Lyttleton steamer for three matches in the South Island before the representative match in Christchurch on 16th and 18th February.
Representative Match
The New Zealand selectors, A King (Otago), A Scott (Canterbury), and G Gebbie (Auckland), met to select the Test-Match team. Miss Scott was also appointed as the test manager, whilst J McGuiness and J Forrester were appointed umpires (Christchurch Star, 6-2-35).