Full name Myrtle Ethel Maclagan Role Cricket Player Name Myrtle Maclagan | National side England Bowling style Right arm off spin | |
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Born 2 April 1911 ( 1911-04-02 ) Ambala, (Now in Haryana) United Provinces, India Test debut 28 December 1934 v Australia women Last Test 31 July 1951 v Australia women Died March 11, 1993, Surrey, United Kingdom | ||
Myrtle Ethel Maclagan MBE (born 2 April 1911 in Ambala, United Provinces, India; died 11 March 1993 in Surrey, England) was an English cricketer.
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 the Australians. 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 historical women's test match,she notched another record for becoming the first woman cricketer to open the batting as well as to open the bowling in a same test match.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.
In 1966 she was awarded the MBE.