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Women's International Cricket World Cup - Central Districts v India

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Description: This image was taken (but not used) by the Evening Standard on 23 January 1982. It depicts the local provincial Central Districts Women cricket team taking on the International Indian Women’s team in a limited over warm-up match for the Hansell's Vita Fresh Women's World Cup 1981/1982. The match was held at Manawaroa Park in Palmerston North. India won by 52 runs. The match report (written by Central Districts player Lorraine Vincent) was included in Monday’s paper with the result of the India v. New Zealand game played on the Sunday:

“After a shaky start by the Indian women’s team in a 40-over rain-delayed World Cup provincial match here on Saturday, the side still managed a comfortable win over Central Districts. Heavy overnight rain forced a one-and-a-half hour delay to the game, eventually cut from 60 overs to 40. India was sent into bat by Central after an early lunch break, with the local side nabbing two quick wickets – left-armer Mary Connell getting both. From then on however, wickets didn’t come easily for Central as Indian captain Shanta [sic] Rangaswamy and Vrinda Bhagat jolted the run rate with some nippy singles and well-timed boundaries. The pair put on a healthy 77 runs for the third wicket, Bhagat eventually breaking the scoring rhythm when run out for 41. The total was then 85. Wickets fell regularly after that breakthrough though, and Central should have felt quietly confident to see the Indians finish their overs nine wickets down for a restrained 125.”

“But Central began the chase badly, losing its first wicket very early… and the collapse continued. Elizabeth Signal was the only Central batsman to offer any shots to India’s predominantly spin attack, using her feet well to bang up a hard-hit 30 in good time. Failure by the rest of her team-mates to give the necessary support allowed India to slip home easier than many were predicting.”

The Central side included former international Viv Stephens and future New Zealand players Elizabeth Signal, Trudy Anderson, Jackie Clark and Penny Kinsella.

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 marked by 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.