Betty Wilson

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English
Betty Wilson
Australia Women and Victoria
Batting style Right-hand bat (RHB)
Bowling type Right-arm off-break
Women's Test Cricket Record
Matches 11
Runs scored 862
Batting average 57.46
100s/50s 3/3
Top score 127
Balls bowled 2885
Wickets 68
Bowling average 11.80
5 wickets in innings 4
10 wickets in match 2
Best Bowling 7-7
Catches/Stumpings 10/0
Test debut: 20 March 1948
Last Test: 21 March 1958
Source: [1]

Elizabeth Rebecca "Betty" Wilson (born 21 November 1921, Melbourne, Australia) is considered as one of the greatest woman cricket players of all-time. She represented Australia in women's Test cricket between 1947/8 and 1957/8. Wilson batted right handed, and was a good off-spin bowler and a superb fielder.

She grew up in Collingwood, Victoria and learned the game by playing against a lamp post in her street. At the age of 10, she joined the Collingwood Women's Cricket Club where she played with the adults. She made it to the Victoria second XI at the age of 14, and to the senior side at 16.

The Second World War delayed her Test appearances till 1948. On he debut against New Zealand, she scored 90 and took 4/37 and 6/28. In her second Test, she scored 111 against England becoming first the Australian woman to score a Test century against England, and took nine more wickets.

She toured England in 1951 and scored 81 in the first Test at Scarborough. Against Yorkshire, she scored 100* in 77 minutes, leading Australia to a last ball win. After this series, she stayed in England for two and a half years.

In the St.Kilda Test against England in 1957/8, she turned out the great allround performance and became the first cricketer, male or female, to score a 100 and take 10 wickets in a Test. On a wet wicket, she took 7/7 in the first innings which included the first ever hat trick in a women's Test. The feat was not repeated until Shaiza Khan of Pakistan did the same in 2004. She top scored with 12 in Australia's low first innings and a 100 in the second. Taking 4/9 in 19 overs in the second, she set another record for the best bowling of 11/16 in a match, which stood as a record till 2004.

Wilson played only 11 Tests in her career scoring 862 runs at 57.46 and 68 wickets at 11.80.

In 1985, she became the first woman cricketer to be inducted into the Australian Sporting Hall of Fame. In 1985/6, the Under-21 National Women's Cricket Championship was renamed the Betty Wilson Shield. In 1996/7, the age group was changed to Under-19.

[edit] References

  • The Oxford Companion to Australian Cricket

[edit] External links