Description Comments

"Kiwi side keeps final bid alive"

More Info →

Description: These images were taken (but not used) by the Evening Standard on 24 January 1982. They depict the New Zealand Women’s Cricket team taking on the Indian Women’s Cricket team in a limited over (60) match for the Hansell's Vita Fresh Women's World Cup 1981/1982. The match was held at Fitzherbert Park. New Zealand won by 8 wickets.

Garji Banerjee (Banerji) waits for the umpire's decision and then shows her disappointment when partner Vrinda Bhagat is adjudged caught behind by New Zealand wicket-keeper Edna Ryan off the bowling of Maureen Peters.

Match result:
New Zealand women won by 8 wickets.
India 78 (50.5 overs)
New Zealand 80/2 (28.1 overs)

Garji Banergee (Banerji) made her debut in 1978 and played for Inda in Tests and One-Day matches until 1991. She has since been an international selector and manager for the Indian women’s team. She was awarded life-membership of the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) in 2017, alongside former teammates Diana Edulji, Shanta Rangaswamy, and Shubhangi Kulkarni.

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.