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“Slow crawl in effort to overtake Aussie runs”

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Description: This image was taken (but not used) by the Evening Standard on 20th of January 1982 and published on the 21st. It depicts the Australian women’s cricket team taking on the International XI women’s team in a limited over match for the Hansell's Vita Fresh Women's World Cup 1981/1982. The match was held at Fitzherbert Park in Palmerston North. The Australian team won by 64 runs.

Article by Ford Watson: “Slow crawl in effort to overtake Aussie runs”

“The International XI crawled to a 64-run defeat by Australia in the women’s World Cup limited overs cricket match at Palmerston North's Fitzherbert Park yesterday.

Chasing, although that's hardly the word, Australia's 164 all out in 59 overs, the International XI struggled in mainly pedestrian fashion to 100 in 58.4 overs.

Only New Zealander Sue Rattray with 33 and Jenny Owens with 21 not out toward the end of the innings could make any impression on Australia's powerful bowling line-up.

Before those two hit out, the International XI batswomen had taken 31 overs to post as many runs as there were overs bowled. And by then, at six for 31, the game was as good as over.

It was a shame, really that the International XI's batting effort didn't match that of its bowlers, who had won the morning session so decisively.

At lunch, Australia was a shaky 94 for 7 after its formidable middle order had been swept aside by the medium pace of Sandra Braganza.

Braganza bowled the dangerous Jill Kennare in her first over, and then in her third, fifth and seventh overs removed Australian captain Sharon Tredrea, Karen Read and Lee Albon at a personal cost of 11 runs.

Earlier, the International XI had been delighted with the dismissal of the in-form Denise Alderman for 21, a comparative failure for this talented player.

But after lunch the experienced Raelee Thompson found an able ally in the enthusiastic Lynnette Fullston to rally the Australian cause.

The pair added 64 for the eighth wicket, a partnership which made the game safe for Australia.

Thompson top-scored with 50 not out, and Fullston finished with 27.

Criticism could be levelled at the decision of International XI captain Lynne Thomas to keep the field just a shade deep for Thompson and Fullston.

They were ere allowed the luxury of not having to hit "over the top" for runs, and by keeping the ball on the ground 37 runs of the partnership came in easy singles.

When Australia bowled, nothing - or very nearly nothing - was given away.

Tredrea bowled six overs for three runs, and Thompson eight for five, with a line so tight openers Thomas and Chris Miller could do little but defend.

After 12 overs only 11 had been scored, four of those extras.

But that meagre scoring rate slowed even further with the advent of left-arm medium pacer Denise Martin.

There was just one scoring shot from the 48 deliveries in her first spell, and her figures then of eight overs, seven maidens, two runs and two wickets revealed the extent to which the International XI had got bogged down.

It was spinners Fullston and Marie Cornish who grabbed the wickets, however, as the International batswomen made a desperate effort to push the score along against them.

Fullston took four for 38 and Cornish three for 22.

Wicketkeeper Terri Russell helped herself to three stumpings as the batswomen jumped out to attack the bowling.

Only Rattray who clubbed her runs in 39 minutes before being caught at long on, and Owens, really came to grips with what was required, and added some respectability to the International XI’s innings.”

Hosting the Women’s World Cup was a huge coup for the New Zealand Women’s Cricket Council. They had managed to secure corporate sponsorship in a time of amateur status in the women’s game. Most matches were well attended and raised the profile of the women’s game in New Zealand, with a marked increase in adult players over the coming years. It was also mired in controversy - the West Indian team pulled out of the event in protest at New Zealand’s acceptance of the touring Springbok Rugby team in 1981. The counties who participated were New Zealand, England, Australia, India and an International XI comprised of international players who had not made their representative sides, plus two players from the Netherlands.