| Personal information | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lorna Grace Ward | |||
| Born | 3 June 1939 Port Elizabeth, South Africa |
|||
| Batting style | Right-handed | |||
| Bowling style | Right arm fast | |||
| Role | Bowler | |||
| International information | ||||
| National side | South Africa | |||
| Test debut | 2 December 1960 v England women | |||
| Last Test | 24 March 1972 v New Zealand women | |||
| Domestic team information | ||||
| Years | Team | |||
| Unknown | Eastern Province | |||
| Unknown | Natal | |||
| Unknown | Southern Transvaal | |||
| Career statistics | ||||
| Competition | Test | |||
| Matches | 7 | |||
| Runs scored | 52 | |||
| Batting average | 5.77 | |||
| 100s/50s | 0/0 | |||
| Top score | 17* | |||
| Balls bowled | 1420 | |||
| Wickets | 27 | |||
| Bowling average | 17.29 | |||
| 5 wickets in innings | 3 | |||
| 10 wickets in match | 0 | |||
| Best bowling | 6/48 | |||
| Catches/stumpings | 1/– | |||
| Source: CricketArchive, 7 November 2009 | ||||
Lorna Grace Ward (born 3 June 1939, Port Elizabeth, Cape Province) is a former South Africa Test cricketer. She is South Africa's leading wicket-taker in women's Test cricket, having claimed 27 wickets in her seven Test appearances, and taking five-wicket hauls on three occasions. She played in South Africa's first match in Test cricket at St George's Park. Ward represented Eastern Province, Natal and Southern Transvaal at provincial cricket.
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Playing in South Africa's first Test against the touring English side, Ward was the third South African to be run out in the first-innings as they posted a total of 211.[1] Bowling in the reply, Ward took four wickets in the first innings to help restrict the English to 187 runs, giving South Africa a small first-innings lead.[1] In a second innings in which Springboks captain Sheila Nefdt was criticised for not declaring earlier,[2] Ward made 17 runs in support of her captain as they added an unbeaten 52 for the ninth-wicket.[1] Ward was wicket-less in the fourth innings as England chased 284, the match eventually finishing in a draw with another 83 runs or 6 wickets required for a result.[1]
Ward had minimal involvement in the second Test; she only bowled two overs, taking no wickets and conceding seven runs, and as South Africa were forced to follow-on, she scored a duck in the first-innings and was 0 not out when the match finished in a draw in South Africa's second-innings.[3] She was again wicket-less in the third Test, conceding 74 runs in her 26 overs in the first-innings.[4] South Africa lost the match by eight wickets and, having being promoted to number nine, Ward only made seven runs in the two innings.[4]
The fourth Test saw Ward take a remarkable five-wicket haul in the first-innings. All five of her wickets were bowled as she finished the innings with 5/18.[5] She failed to take a wicket in the second-innings, bowling expensively for her 18 overs, conceding 44 runs as England set a total of 194 for South Africa to win.[5] In reply, South Africa managed a fast 126 from their 37 overs, but couldn't prevent the draw.[5]
Ward was named as part of the squad to play the unofficial Test matches against the Netherlands when England failed to fulfil their fixtures.[6] South Africa won all three Tests, and Ward claimed figures of 3/26 in the first-innings of the third Test followed by 4/36 in the second-innings.[7]
One of only three survivors from the squad that faced the touring English side in 1960–61,[8] Ward appeared in all three Tests against New Zealand eleven years later.[9] She started the series well, taking five wickets in New Zealand's first-innings.[10] She fell for another duck in the Springboks first-innings and didn't take a wicket in the second-innings as the match finished a draw.[10]
The South Africans bowled well in the first-innings of the second Test, with Ward, Gloria Williamson and Denise Weyers taking three wickets apiece to restrict the Kiwis to 168.[11] In reply, South Africa could only manage 111, and in spite of another three wickets from Ward, taking an economical 3/38 in her 28 overs, New Zealand declared 277 ahead.[11] South Africa were bowled out for 89 and lost the match.[11]
In her final Test, Ward achieved her best bowling performance, taking six wickets in the Kiwi's first-innings as they posted a lead of 98 runs.[12] As South Africa managed 242 in the second-innings, New Zealand returned to bat needing 148 runs to win.[12] Ward took 1/28 as the Kiwis finished just 31 runs short of their target.[12]