Myrtle Maclagan

Myrtle Ethel Maclagan MBE (2 April 1911 – 11 March 1993) was an English cricketer who played as a right-handed batter and right-arm off break bowler. She appeared in 14 Test matches for England between 1934 and 1951. She played in the first-ever women's Test match, as well as captaining for England for two matches in 1951. She played domestic cricket for Surrey.[1][2]

Myrtle Maclagan

MBE
Personal information
Full name
Myrtle Ethel Maclagan
Born(1911-04-02)2 April 1911
Ambala, United Provinces, British India
Died11 March 1993(1993-03-11) (aged 81)
Surrey, England
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight arm off break
RoleAll-rounder
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 5)28 December 1934 v Australia
Last Test31 July 1951 v Australia
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1937–1951Surrey
Career statistics
Competition WTest WFC
Matches 14 41
Runs scored 1007 2,282
Batting average 41.95 41.49
100s/50s 2/6 6/11
Top score 119 119
Balls bowled 3432 9,061
Wickets 60 185
Bowling average 15.58 12.02
5 wickets in innings 3 10
10 wickets in match 0 1
Best bowling 7/10 7/10
Catches/stumpings 12/– 33/–
Source: CricketArchive, 12 March 2021

Cricket career

Maclagan attended the Royal School, Bath, where she was in the cricket team for six years, once taking five wickets in five balls in an inter-school match.[3]

She played in the first women's Test match in 1934, and was one of the best-known women cricketers of her day, famous for making high scores against Australia. She scored the first Test century in women's cricket on 4 January 1935, when she made 119 for England against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground. In that same Test, she also become the first woman to open the batting and bowling in the same Test match.[4][5] The English men's team had lost the Ashes a few months earlier, and The Morning Post praised Maclagan's batting prowess with the quatrain:

What matter that we lost, mere nervy men
Since England's women now play England's game,
Wherefore Immortal Wisden, take your pen
And write MACLAGAN on the scroll of fame.

After the 1934–35 tour to Australia and New Zealand, Maclagan also played against Australia in England in 1937. After the war, she returned to cricket, touring Australia and New Zealand again in 1948–49 and then appearing against Australia in England in 1951.[1]

Test centuries
Myrtle Maclagan's Test centuries[6]
No. Runs Match Opponents City/Country Venue Year
1 119 2  Australia Sydney, Australia Sydney Cricket Ground 1935[7]
2 115 6  Australia Blackpool, England Stanley Park 1937[8]

Later life

Maclagan served as an officer in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II. She rejoined the Army in 1951, serving as Inspector PT in the Women's Royal Army Corps.[3] In 1966 she was awarded an MBE for Army services.[1]

See also

References
  1. "Player Profile: Myrtle Maclagan". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  2. "Player Profile: Myrtle Maclagan". CricketArchive. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  3. Wisden 1994, pp. 1348–49.
  4. "Records | Women's Test matches | All-round records | Opening the batting and bowling in the same match | ESPN Cricinfo". Cricinfo. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  5. "1st Test, England Women tour of Australia at Brisbane, Dec 28-Dec 1934 | Match Summary | ESPNCricinfo". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  6. "All-round records | Women's Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com – ME Maclagan". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  7. "Full Scorecard of AUS Women vs ENG Women 2nd Test 1934/35 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  8. "Full Scorecard of ENG Women vs AUS Women 2nd Test 1937 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 7 December 2021.

Further reading
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