Cricket Witness No 4 - Women at the WIcket

36 ‘The cohorts of cricket are being swollen’ Although league cricket existed throughout the country, it was particularly popular in Lancashire and Yorkshire. The Daily Mirror estimated the average attendance in men’s Central Lancashire League fixtures in 1937 was roughly 2,000, which was more than many smaller first-class counties. Men’s leagues were also able to attract many of the best players by offering higher wages. This included overseas stars such as Trinidadian Learie Constantine who played for Nelson in Lancashire, where he coached WCA England opener Betty Archdale. 8 The Federation’s adoption of this model undoubtedly explains some of its success. However, outside of the two organising bodies there existed hundreds of independent women’s teams. A small number of sides clustered around towns such as Leeds, Leicester and Reading, and not aspiring to extend their pool of opponents, they found no reason to join either the Association or the Federation. The Doncaster and Dearne Valley League (1927), Forest of Dean League (1930s) and Holmbridge League (1930) all remained autonomous, as well as two leagues in Sheffield. Some of these competitions could also attract sizeable audiences; over 1,000 spectators attended a works tournament at Meltham Mills Cricket Club in 1930. Historian Judy Threlfall-Sykes estimates at least 447 teams operated outside of either body between the wars, almost a quarter of which were workplace sides. 9 While the English Federation rarely played matches outside northern counties, the Association forged links internationally. Between October 1934 and March 1935, 14 cricketers and a ‘manager’ toured Australia and New Zealand playing the first set of international women’s cricket matches ever. The tourists self-financed their considerably expensive sea-travel, while costs incurred in these countries were covered by the Australian Women’s Cricket Association and the New Zealand Women’s Cricket Council. The tourists were unbeaten during their trip, and were able to draw large crowds, including 9,000 on the third-day’s play at Brisbane on 31 December 1934. The trip was undoubtedly an eye-opening and thrilling experience for a team whose average age was only 24. Wicketkeeper Grace Morgan’s diary paints an image of untarnished pleasure: from water fights and games of ‘deck cricket’ with the ship’s officers, to a tour of the Australian Parliament and sunbathing on Sydney beaches. The journey included matches in Colombo and stops in Bombay, Malta and Egypt, and her account is full of dances, shopping, dinners and sightseeing. A particularly memorable experience for all the tourists was the chance to feed koalas and kangaroos as they drove through the Australian outback. 10 Following the controversial and ruthlessness use of bodyline by the English tourists in the 1932/3 Ashes series, female players offered enthusiasts of the sport an alternative model of the game. But the trip was also enlightening for spectators and the media. ‘I have never seen so many spectators at a women’s cricket match before’, Morgan recalled, ‘every possible vantage point was taken, even the trees.’ Opening bowler Mary Taylor commended the Australian players for the ‘splendid spirit’ they showed and how they never appeared resentful when losing. Women’s cricket was based on sportsmanship, courtesy and fair play, and many commentators praised them for this. ‘Bodyline did us a lot of good’, the