Women Form Cricket Club In Timaru

Press, Volume C, Issue 29643, 13 October 1961, Page 2

Women Form Cricket Club In Timaru

(From Our Own Reporter)

TIMARU, October 12. “Some of the strokes were a bit unorthodox—and there were wrong ’uns all ways,” said the secretary of , the newly - formed Timaru Women’s Cricket Club (Mrs L. W. Underdown) today, commenting on the first net practice on a sticky “Old Trafford” wicket at Ashbury Park last evening. The club, toe first women’s cricket club in Timaru, was formed on September 19 with Mrs E. Blackid, as president. Twenty-two women attended that meeting, and the same number turned up for practice last evening in spite of wet weather. Mrs Underdown. who played cricket in England, and who was instrumental in forming a redoubtable women’s team, said toe club was assured of at least 40 members. The Timaru Cricket Club had assisted by tending toe women a practice net on Monday and Wednesday evenings, and the women's club was at present negotiating with toe Timaru City Council in an endeavour to secure toe use of West End Park for Saturday matches. A local firm had presented toe club with a bat, and the Dunedin Young Women’s Christian Association had supplied gear. “The Canterbury Women’s Cricket Association has offered to send a team down in the near future,” Mr.:* Underdown said. Mrs Underdown expects that toe club will be fielding one or more teams by Christmas. The young girls and women, whose ages range

from 14 to approaching 60 “let their hair down” at toe nets last evening. A woman who had played for an Auckland second eleven demonstrated her prowess as a fast bowler, others showed they were no strangers to toe Har-row-size bat, and all left Mrs Underdown with the impression that they were keen, willing to learn, and would soon adapt themselves to toe game. Nor do the women lack aggression. Mrs Underdown said that many had played hockey, and this would undoubtedly be of great assistance to them in cricket.