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Cricket · Interesting Facts

Chapter 10: Women's Cricket

10 parts · 10 tests · 100 facts · updated 14 October 2026 · markdown

Women's cricket beyond the record books: pioneers, the first Tests, early stars, two-sport players, the game worldwide, officials, captains, families, firsts and the Women's Ashes.

10.101Pioneers

Women's cricket before the Tests: the first clubs and touring teams.

Test 1The early women's gameTake a test

  1. As Lucy Baldwin she stayed a keen supporter of the women's game.

    Source: MCC Museum; ESPNcricinfo, women's cricket history · recall

  2. Playing in public was thought unseemly, so they hid their identities.

    Source: MCC Museum; ESPNcricinfo, the Original English Lady Cricketers · recall

  3. The tour had drawn big crowds before the money vanished.

    Source: MCC Museum; ESPNcricinfo, the Original English Lady Cricketers · recall

  4. Their outfits were in the fashion of the day.

    Source: MCC Museum collection · recall

  5. It was a fundraising match.

    Source: Cricket Australia, women's cricket history · recall

  6. It brought the state associations together.

    Source: Cricket Australia, women's cricket history · recall

  7. Her team played at Oyster Cove, south of Hobart.

    Source: Cricket Tasmania; Australian Dictionary of Biography · recall

  8. 1874, 1887, 1890 and 1931.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo; Cricket Australia · recall

  9. The venture lasted barely two seasons.

    Source: MCC Museum; ESPNcricinfo · recall

  10. It began at Nun Appleton Hall, near York.

    Source: MCC Museum; ESPNcricinfo, women's cricket history · recall

10.102The First Women's Tests

The 1934-35 tour that began women's Test cricket, and the players who made it.

Test 11934-35Take a test

  1. She was a lawyer who later became a headmistress in Sydney.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Betty Archdale profile · recall

  2. She led Abbotsleigh school for many years.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Betty Archdale profile · recall

  3. England won by nine wickets.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Australia Women v England Women, Brisbane 1934 · recall

  4. She had helped found the women's game in New South Wales.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Margaret Peden profile · recall

  5. Each paid around 80 pounds towards the cost.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, England Women in Australia 1934-35 · recall

  6. England won heavily at Lancaster Park.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, New Zealand Women v England Women, 1935 · recall

  7. The third Test was drawn.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, England Women in Australia 1934-35 · recall

  8. December 1934, January 1935, February 1935 and 1937.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, women's Test records · recall

  9. The trip lasted several months.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, England Women in Australia 1934-35 · recall

  10. Maclagan, an opener and off-spinner, starred with bat and ball on the tour.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Myrtle Maclagan profile · recall

10.103Stars of the Early Era

The great players of women's Tests from the 1930s to the 1990s.

Test 1Early starsTake a test

  1. She played Tests from 1948 to 1958.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Betty Wilson profile · recall

  2. Australia were bowled out for 38.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Australia Women v England Women, St Kilda 1958 · recall

  3. She went on to captain England for many years.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Rachael Heyhoe Flint profile · recall

  4. She is the second woman to make a hundred and take ten wickets in a Test.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Enid Bakewell profile · recall

  5. India's women played their first Test in 1976.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Shantha Rangaswamy profile · recall

  6. The left-arm spinner took them against England at Jamshedpur.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, women's Test records, best figures · recall

  7. She was called 'the girl Grimmett'.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Peggy Antonio profile · recall

  8. 1958, 1963, 1977, 1979 and 1995.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, women's Test records · recall

  9. 1934, 1935, 1960 and 1976.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, women's Test records · recall

  10. She also took the first hat-trick in women's Tests in that match.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Betty Wilson profile · recall

10.104Double Talents

Women who played two sports for their countries, and a tennis star who tried cricket.

Test 1Two-sport starsTake a test

  1. She played at the 2011 football World Cup.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Ellyse Perry profile; Football Australia · recall

  2. She chose cricket afterwards and became one of its great openers.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Suzie Bates profile · recall

  3. She played hockey for the Black Sticks before focusing on cricket.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Sophie Devine profile · recall

  4. She kept goal for England in 1964.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Rachael Heyhoe Flint profile · recall

  5. She returned to tennis and won three Grand Slam titles.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Ashleigh Barty profile · recall

  6. She studied Bharatanatyam for years.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Mithali Raj profile · recall

  7. She moved to Australia and played in the WBBL first.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Kim Garth profile · recall

  8. 1964, 2008, 2011 and 2015-16.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo · recall

  9. 1939, 1982, 1987, 1989, 1990 and 1996.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, profiles · recall

  10. She scored in a World Cup quarter-final in 2011.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Ellyse Perry profile · recall

10.105The Game Worldwide

Women's cricket in Brazil, Thailand, Indonesia, Argentina, Bangladesh and beyond.

Test 1Women's cricket around the worldTake a test

  1. Brazil's board chose to put its money into the women's team.

    Source: Cricket Brasil; ICC · recall

  2. The tournament was held in Australia.

    Source: ICC, Women's T20 World Cup 2020 · recall

  3. She took them against Mongolia in Bali.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, T20I records, best figures · recall

  4. The final was played in Kuala Lumpur.

    Source: Asian Cricket Council, Women's Asia Cup 2018 · recall

  5. They qualified for the T20 World Cup held in the UAE.

    Source: ICC, Women's T20 World Cup 2024 · recall

  6. The men's team are the Barramundis.

    Source: Cricket PNG · recall

  7. It was their only women's Test.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Ireland Women v Pakistan Women, Dublin 2000 · recall

  8. 2000, 2018, 2022 and 2024.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo; ICC · recall

  9. From South America across to South-East Asia.

    Source: Atlas · recall

  10. Two Argentine openers made big hundreds in it.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Argentina Women v Chile Women, Buenos Aires 2022 · recall

10.106Officials and Leaders

Women who broke into umpiring, refereeing and running the game.

Test 1OfficialsTake a test

  1. The match was in a World Cricket League event in Windhoek.

    Source: ICC; Cricket Australia, Claire Polosak · recall

  2. The Test was Australia against India at the SCG.

    Source: Cricket Australia, Claire Polosak · recall

  3. She was a former Indian domestic player.

    Source: ICC, G. S. Lakshmi · recall

  4. The tournament was held in South Africa.

    Source: ICC, Women's T20 World Cup 2023 officials · recall

  5. MCC had admitted its first women members in 1999.

    Source: Lord's (lords.org), MCC Presidents · recall

  6. It was England's first Ashes win in 42 years.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Clare Connor profile · recall

  7. She sat as Baroness Heyhoe Flint.

    Source: UK Parliament, Baroness Heyhoe Flint · recall

  8. April 2019, December 2019, January 2021 and October 2021.

    Source: ICC; MCC · recall

  9. 1998, 1999 and 2021.

    Source: Lord's (lords.org) · recall

  10. The New Zealander stood in New Zealand against Sri Lanka at Dunedin.

    Source: New Zealand Cricket; ICC · recall

10.107Captains

The captains who shaped the women's game, and one innings that changed it in India.

Test 1LeadersTake a test

  1. Four T20 World Cups and one ODI World Cup.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Meg Lanning profile · recall

  2. She made 104 against England in Perth.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Meg Lanning profile · recall

  3. They beat Australia in the final at Kolkata.

    Source: ICC, Women's World T20 2016 · recall

  4. India lost both, to Australia and to England.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Mithali Raj profile · recall

  5. The off-spinner captained Pakistan for eight years.

    Source: ICC rankings; ESPNcricinfo, Sana Mir profile · recall

  6. The Supreme Court named a committee of administrators to run Indian cricket.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Diana Edulji profile · recall

  7. She later held senior posts at Cricket Australia.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Belinda Clark profile · recall

  8. 2005, 2016, 2018 and 2023.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo; ICC · recall

  9. 2014, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2023.

    Source: ICC · recall

  10. Her 171 not out came off 115 balls and took India to the final.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, India Women v Australia Women, Derby 2017 · recall

10.108Families and Partners

Cricketing couples, sisters and three generations of players.

Test 1FamiliesTake a test

  1. Like her uncle, she keeps wicket for Australia.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Alyssa Healy profile · recall

  2. She now plays as Nat Sciver-Brunt.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Nat Sciver-Brunt profile · recall

  3. Van Niekerk captained South Africa.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Marizanne Kapp profile · recall

  4. He opened the batting in the late 1960s.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Bruce Murray profile · recall

  5. Jess is a seam bowler; Amelia bowls leg-spin.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Jess Kerr profile · recall

  6. Satterthwaite captained New Zealand.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Amy Satterthwaite profile · recall

  7. Both have won World Cups for Australia.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Mitchell Starc profile · recall

  8. 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo · recall

  9. 1940, 1964, 1990 and 2000.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, profiles · recall

  10. They married in 2016.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Alyssa Healy profile · recall

10.109Barriers and Firsts

Firsts for women in English cricket, the youngest internationals and record innings.

Test 1FirstsTake a test

  1. She later became a leading broadcaster.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Ebony Rainford-Brent profile · recall

  2. She commentates on cricket around the world.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Isa Guha profile · recall

  3. She is the youngest player in international cricket.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, women's records, youngest players · recall

  4. Kiran Baluch passed it two years later.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Mithali Raj profile · recall

  5. She became the youngest Indian to score an international fifty.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Shafali Verma profile · recall

  6. She was born in Pune and grew up in Sydney.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Lisa Sthalekar profile · recall

  7. It was one of the great innings in a losing cause.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Australia Women v Sri Lanka Women, Bristol 2017 · recall

  8. 2000, 2001, 2002, 2015 and 2019.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo · recall

  9. 12, 15 and 16.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, profiles · recall

  10. She kept for Northern Districts in Adelaide.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Sarah Taylor profile · recall

10.110The Women's Ashes and Rivalries

England against Australia and New Zealand against Australia, from 1937 to the MCG.

Test 1RivalriesTake a test

  1. It was signed by both teams before being burned.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, the Women's Ashes trophy · recall

  2. It has been contested since 1985.

    Source: New Zealand Cricket; Cricket Australia · recall

  3. Australia won by 31 runs.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, England Women v Australia Women, Northampton 1937 · recall

  4. It was the highest score in a women's Ashes Test.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Australia Women v England Women, North Sydney 2017 · recall

  5. It was the first women's Test at the MCG since 1949.

    Source: Cricket Australia, Women's Ashes 2025 · recall

  6. She took 10 for 192, but Australia won by 89 runs.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, England Women v Australia Women, Trent Bridge 2023 · recall

  7. Healy, the vice-captain, led the side through the multi-format series.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, Women's Ashes 2023 · recall

  8. 1937, 1985, 1998, 2017, 2023 and 2025.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo · recall

  9. 119, 137, 213 and 242.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, women's Test records · recall

  10. Both teams signed the bat before it was burned.

    Source: ESPNcricinfo, the Women's Ashes trophy · recall

Sources

Primary/official sources only, no Wikipedia citations: ESPNcricinfo, the ICC, MCC, Cricket Australia, New Zealand Cricket, UK Parliament. The women's World Cups, the WPL and WBBL, pay parity and the all-time records are asked in Knowledge Testing and left out here.

  • ESPNcricinfo, women's Test records4
  • ESPNcricinfo4
  • ESPNcricinfo, England Women in Australia 1934-353
  • ESPNcricinfo, Mithali Raj profile3
  • ESPNcricinfo, profiles3
  • MCC Museum; ESPNcricinfo, women's cricket history2
  • MCC Museum; ESPNcricinfo, the Original English Lady Cricketers2
  • Cricket Australia, women's cricket history2
  • ESPNcricinfo, Betty Archdale profile2
  • ESPNcricinfo, Betty Wilson profile2
  • ESPNcricinfo, Rachael Heyhoe Flint profile2
  • ESPNcricinfo; ICC2
  • ESPNcricinfo, Meg Lanning profile2
  • ESPNcricinfo, Alyssa Healy profile2
  • ESPNcricinfo, the Women's Ashes trophy2
  • MCC Museum collection1
  • Cricket Tasmania; Australian Dictionary of Biography1
  • ESPNcricinfo; Cricket Australia1
  • MCC Museum; ESPNcricinfo1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Australia Women v England Women, Brisbane 19341
  • ESPNcricinfo, Margaret Peden profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, New Zealand Women v England Women, 19351
  • ESPNcricinfo, Myrtle Maclagan profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Australia Women v England Women, St Kilda 19581
  • ESPNcricinfo, Enid Bakewell profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Shantha Rangaswamy profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, women's Test records, best figures1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Peggy Antonio profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Ellyse Perry profile; Football Australia1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Suzie Bates profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Sophie Devine profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Ashleigh Barty profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Kim Garth profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Ellyse Perry profile1
  • Cricket Brasil; ICC1
  • ICC, Women's T20 World Cup 20201
  • ESPNcricinfo, T20I records, best figures1
  • Asian Cricket Council, Women's Asia Cup 20181
  • ICC, Women's T20 World Cup 20241
  • Cricket PNG1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Ireland Women v Pakistan Women, Dublin 20001
  • Atlas1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Argentina Women v Chile Women, Buenos Aires 20221
  • ICC; Cricket Australia, Claire Polosak1
  • Cricket Australia, Claire Polosak1
  • ICC, G. S. Lakshmi1
  • ICC, Women's T20 World Cup 2023 officials1
  • Lord's (lords.org), MCC Presidents1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Clare Connor profile1
  • UK Parliament, Baroness Heyhoe Flint1
  • ICC; MCC1
  • Lord's (lords.org)1
  • New Zealand Cricket; ICC1
  • ICC, Women's World T20 20161
  • ICC rankings; ESPNcricinfo, Sana Mir profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Diana Edulji profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Belinda Clark profile1
  • ICC1
  • ESPNcricinfo, India Women v Australia Women, Derby 20171
  • ESPNcricinfo, Nat Sciver-Brunt profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Marizanne Kapp profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Bruce Murray profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Jess Kerr profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Amy Satterthwaite profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Mitchell Starc profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Ebony Rainford-Brent profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Isa Guha profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, women's records, youngest players1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Shafali Verma profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Lisa Sthalekar profile1
  • ESPNcricinfo, Australia Women v Sri Lanka Women, Bristol 20171
  • ESPNcricinfo, Sarah Taylor profile1
  • New Zealand Cricket; Cricket Australia1
  • ESPNcricinfo, England Women v Australia Women, Northampton 19371
  • ESPNcricinfo, Australia Women v England Women, North Sydney 20171
  • Cricket Australia, Women's Ashes 20251
  • ESPNcricinfo, England Women v Australia Women, Trent Bridge 20231
  • ESPNcricinfo, Women's Ashes 20231