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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, India
Died	11 March 1993(1993-03-11) (aged 81) Surrey, England
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right arm off break
Role	All-rounder
International information
National side	England (1934–1951)
Test debut (cap 5)	28 December 1934 v Australia
Last Test	31 July 1951 v Australia
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1937–1951	Surrey
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]
#	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

• List of centuries in women's Test cricket

References

Further reading

External links

• Myrtle Maclagan at ESPNcricinfo
• Myrtle Maclagan at CricketArchive (subscription required)

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