WOMEN AT PLAY

Northern Advocate, 29 December 1934, Page 2

WOMEN AT PLAY

VICTORIA-ENGLAND CRICKET. INCIDENTS AND COMMENTS. Great interest was displayed in the women’s game between Victoria and England at Melbourne. The Melbourne “Globe” is to hand with the following comments on the second day’s play: Peggy Antonio, the 16-year-old Victorian “Girl Grimmett,” was the heroine of the Victoria-England match at the M.C.G. today and yesterday, says the report. Taking five wickets for 24 yesterday from 14 overs (four maidens), she was top score today with 43. Victoria set a lead of 32 on the first innings and after being four for M overnight. Those who went to M.C.G. applauded good cricket. The standard was much higher than was expected. The batting of the English girls, particularly their footwork, made it obvious that they had been well coached. The fielding of the Victorians was also an eye-opener to those who came to scoff and remained to cheer. , The home side did well to dismiss the visitors for 119 on a perfect wicket.

Victoria made a bad start. They began as if the passing of the English score was easy—and that led to their undoing. Cheeky running between wickets cost them a good wicket, and four were out for 25 when Antonio joined Palmer. They played out time with four out for 34.

The not out girls added 57 in 80 minutes by good batting and smart running. Palmer (32) showed by her style and stroke equipment that she had nothing to learn'from the opposition.

Deane, the captain, began with great dash but went for nine. Six were out for 95 when Dot Haggis came in. Antonio made herself top scorer when she brought up 100 'with a powerful drive. As the game could not be won on the first innings the match was drawn. Peggy Antonio, who plays with Raymonds, turns the ball nicely from the leg.* Accurate length brought success. The English girls, like most district batsmen, apparently like the ball coming straight through to them. Dot Haggis, who is 16, plays with Richmond in B grade, and it is her first interstate game. She is small, but is very active and has a breezy style. When Victoria wanted six runs with four wickets in hand,’ Antonio was bowled by Maclagan. She had batted for 101 minutes for 43, and had hit the only four of the innings. There was a marked contrast in the costumes. The English girls wore stockings and skirts just short of the knees, and the Victorians wore stockings and a much longer skirt. When batting they tucked the front of the skirt inside the pads, and the effect was something like that of the oldfashioned night-shirt. But these long skirts have their value in the field when a hot drive had to be stopped! There was excitement when Mary Spear got the seventh and eighth wickets at 114—five to catch.

The fielding of both sides was excellent. When a ball was returned it was the usual thing to see at least two backing up. Enterprising batting by Nancy Clements and Ruth Tucker won the honours of the game for Victoria. They went for the bowling and bi’ought the score to 146 before Tucker went, like most of the rest, from hitting across.

With the exception of Peggy Antonio, none of the Victorians batted better than Clements, who used her I'oet well in going for the drives. The English girls took 190 minutes for their runs and the Victorians passed their score in 166 minutes. The best of the English bowlers was Maclagan, a tall, robust girl, who bowls a medium pace. Spear, a slowmedium bowler who was very accurate, shared with her in th'e hard work in attack.

In their second wicket partnership for 29 Hide and Snowball did good work to restore England’s prestige, but finally the Antonio-Hills combination got jj:s second victim in Snowball.