Lady Cricketers.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1030, 27 November 1891, Page 4

Lady Cricketers.

In the early part of the past summer at Home a team of professional lady cricketers was formed, and from the success of their first few matches their provincial tour was expected to be a money-making one. The team has collapsed, and the story is a very painful one, and reflects very seriously on the managing officials, who are to be brought to book by the parents of the girls—people in a good station of life. The salaries arranged to be paid ranged from 35s to 50s a week. Early in the year the tour was abandoned because the girls could only get about 3s a week, and they were finally landed in London practically penniless. The directors of the association explained that their affairs were in the Bankruptcy Court, and that their three years contraits were so much waste paper. Eventually each got 30s, and a new tour was organised, commencing at Sheffield, then visiting Leeds and Manchester. At the latter place ‘ good gates were the rule, but payment of salaries was made an exception. Things went from bad to worse, and when the girls got to Barrow they were most of them without resources and even without food.’ It must be remembered that the lady cricketers were well educated, and hitherto well nurturod. At Birkenhead they struck, and Michel, the manager, called in the police, who promptly told him-to pay the salaries. He made a slight advance, and the tour was continued. At Llandudno the girl 3 were paid 3s each and at Rhyl ss. But they lauded at Liverpool wilh ‘no breakfast, no money, a journey to Douglas, and a long day’s play before them. The worse was yet to come, as at Douglas they were absolutely without money. They had used all their resources, and some of them had to exist upon bread and butter and a pennyworth of nuts for a whole day. Finally they were brought back to Derby, put in the train, and landed at St. Pancras, as on a former occasion, penniless.

Miss Edith Owen, eldest daughter of Mr Henry Owen, formerly of Wellington, bat now living at Master ton, was married to Mr Thomas VYarnock, of the Wellington firm of Warnock, Kelly and Adkin, at Masterton on Tuesday last.