Women's Cricket History


THE WOMEN'S CRICKET ASSOCIATION (WCA) - 1926-1998

FIRSTS

(Fuller details can be found via the appropriate Year Books navigation link)
DATE   THE FIRST...
1926 black-dot founding of the Women's Cricket Association
1927 black-dot Cricket Week at Colwall, Malvern - 40 members took part
1929 black-dot WCA. Representative match. London & District v Rest of England, played at Beckenham
1930 black-dot issue of "Women's Cricket" magazine edited by Marjorie Pollard - circulation over 500
1931 black-dot Constitution and Rules introduced
  black-dot County Associations formed (Durham and Lancashire)
  black-dot County match, Durham v Lancashire & Cheshire at Castle Eden
1932 black-dot Selection Committee appointed to select players for Representative matches
  black-dot time in the history of the WCA. that a County Ground (Worcestershire) used for the first two-day Representative match between an English XI and a Scottish XI
1933 black-dot century in a recognised game (W.C.A. v Liverpool P.T.C) at Aigburgh - 106 made by Miss M. Bryant
  black-dot England v The Rest match held at Leicester
  black-dot introduction of Districts and affiliated Reports
1934 black-dot England Women's Touring Team ever selected to go to Australia & New Zealand
  black-dot use of Old Trafford ground for a trial match - England v The Rest
  black-dot England Captain appointed - Betty Archdale
  black-dot ever women's Test match - Brisbane, Australia
  black-dot run ever scored in a women's Test Match by H. Pritchard (Australia)
1935 black-dot player to hit six in Australia - Betty Archdale
  black-dot Test century achieved by a woman - Myrtle Maclagan - 119, Sydney, Australia
  black-dot tour of New Zealand by an English team
  black-dot use of The Kennington Oval for a women's match - England v Rest of England
1936 black-dot women Umpires stand at The Oval - Miss C.A. Partridge and Miss K. Doman
  black-dot tour of a Club team abroad - Comp C.C. to Holland
1937 black-dot women's Test match in England v Australia, played at Northampton - England Captain: Molly Hide - Australia Captain: Margaret Peden
  black-dot visit of Dutch women's team to England - the first time the Dutch had played on grass
  black-dot appearance of women's cricket in Wisden
  black-dot two Sisters to play for England in the same Test - Misses J. and M.E. Haddesley
1938 black-dot film made of women's cricket
  black-dot chapter of WCA. finishes - second now beginning (Second World War)
1947 black-dot official Handbook of the WCA
1948 black-dot Test century scored against England by Betty Wilson (Australia) Adelaide
1949 black-dot time any woman sat in Committee at Lord's - Miss A. Bull and Miss M. Hide represented the WCA on the M.C.C. Cricket Enquiry Committee for the youth of the country
  black-dot WCA badge
1950 black-dot Four Sub-Committees set up: Coaching - Umpires & Scorers - Press & Publicity - Tour
1951 black-dot time 8 grounds used at Cricket Week for 25th Jubilee Year - The Village, The Downs, The Elms, Malvern College, Eastnor, Ledbury, Dymock and Much Marcle
1952 black-dot visit of an English team to Holland (WCA Team)
1954 black-dot

visit of a New Zealand touring team to England - New flag
1958 black-dot hat-trick in women's Test cricket - Betty Wilson (Australia) in the match v England at Melbourne - taken off last 3 balls in a spell of 7-7 in 10.5 overs
  black-dot inaugural meeting of the International Women's Cricket Council at Melbourne
1960-61 black-dot visit of an English women's touring team to South Africa, Captained by Helen Sharpe
1962 black-dot WCA holders of MCC Advanced Coaching Certificate - The Misses Mary Duggan and Ruth Westbrook
1963 black-dot Exhibition confined solely to women's cricket staged at Qantas Gallery, London - an Exhibition of Women's Cricketana - organised by Miss N. Rheinberg and Miss M. Hide
  black-dot Test century scored against Australia at The Oval - Mary Duggan 101 not out
  black-dot six hit in a Test Match by a woman - Rachael Heyhoe, The Oval, 37 in 33 minutes
1966 black-dot Young England team ever selected to play New Zealand at Finchley C.C., London
1967 black-dot National Single Wicket Competition staged by Vagabonds W.C.C.
1968 black-dot use of 8-ball over in women's Test cricket - Australia
  black-dot England series in Australia
  black-dot Test century for Enid Bakewell (England) in her first Test appearance v Australia - 113
1969 spacer
black-dot		 National Junior Six-a-Side Tournament held
  black-dot time an England squad (either men or women) travelled by air overseas (Qantas)
  black-dot New Zealand player to score a Test century against England - Patricia McKelvey - 155 not out - Wellington
1970 black-dot Annual General Meeting of the WCA held at Lord's
1971 black-dot Junior Representative match played at Beddington Park, Surrey - North of England v South of England
  black-dot official tour to West Indies - Bermuda and the Bahamas by an English team
  black-dot Triangular tournament between England, Jamaica and Trinidad for the Jack Hayward Trophy in the West Indies
1972 black-dot time the MBE was awarded for "services to women's cricket" to Rachael Heyhoe Flint
  black-dot Junior England XI selected to play Young England in Birmingham
  black-dot permanent WCA Headquarters office set up in Mill Hill, North London
  black-dot appointment of a full-time Women's Cricket Association employee - National Development Officer, Miss E..A. Sanders
1973 black-dot World Cup Cricket Competition staged in England by the WCA, sponsored by Jack Hayward (first Men's World Cup 1975)
  black-dot holders of the World Cup - England. Cup presented by Her Royal Highness The Princess Anne
1974 black-dot Patron of the WCA - Mr. Jack Hayward, O.B.E.
  black-dot National Inter-Club Knockout Competition staged - won by Edgbaston Ladies' Cricket Club
1976 black-dot women's match at Lord's - England v Australia as part of Golden Jubilee celebrations
1979 black-dot official visit to England by West Indies - England player took 10 wickets and score 100 runs in the same match - Enid Bakewell
1980-81 black-dot Young England tour to India
  black-dot Centre of Excellence for women's cricket at Bedford, financed by Central Council for Physical Recreation (CCPR) (Senior Coach & Co-ordinator – Mollie Buckland)
  black-dot Senior Area Championships - won by Middlesex
1984-85 black-dot first time England played 4-day Tests in Jubilee Tour to Australia
1986 black-dot Indoor County 8-a-Side Tournament introduced
1988 black-dot National Club League introduced
  black-dot Physiotherapist appointed in line with other countries
  black-dot official appointment of an England Squad Coach - Ruth Prideaux
1989 black-dot European Cup held in Denmark - won by England 'A'
  black-dot woman Chairman of Association of Cricket Umpires - Sheila Hil
1992 black-dot time players received financial grant from outside source The Foundation for Sports and the Arts (England Tour to New Zealand)
  black-dot first five-day Test match v Australia (Sydney)
1993 black-dot World Cup Final held at Lord's
1994 black-dot salaried WCA Executive Director appointed
1995 black-dot under 17 Territorial Tournament
  black-dot Development Programme introduced
1996 black-dot international debut of under 21 squad
1997 black-dot negotiations started with ECB regarding The Merger
1998 black-dot After 72 years of controlling Women's Cricket and in the interests of further development of the women's game, it was agreed to transfer this control from The Women's Cricket Association to the ECB. Further details of this merger are available via the navigation link