Press release
Ballarat Cricket Association launches the March of Women’s Cricket
IWD Purple Stumps week leads to 150 Years of women’s cricket in the goldfields this Easter
For Release 27 February 2024
The Ballarat Cricket Association (BCA) is proud to announce a week of local cricket to celebrate International Women’s Day. Senior Women’s matches on 1 and 8 March will feature Purple Stumps with all teams playing the last round on Friday 1 March Semi-finals begin on 8 March. Match locations below.
On Sunday 3 March an inaugural East vs West intra association match will be played at Alfredton Recreation from 1 PM in a T20 format. This match will feature some of the best players currently playing in Ballarat and surrounds. It will also serve as a selection match for an upcoming representative match against Bendigo.
The Ballarat vs Bendigo match will be held on Good Friday, hosted by Bendigo Cricket Association and marks the 150th anniversary of the first recorded women’s cricket match in Australia at Easter 1874, in Bendigo.
The BCA is proud to be involved in the celebration of International Women’s Day, and the commemoration of an important milestone in Australia’s cricketing history. We would love to see the Ballarat community come to support our initiatives.
Contact:
Peta Guy, Chair Female Subcommittee, BCA – 0438 347 670
Women’s Matches
Senior Women - Friday 1st March 6pm start
East Ballarat V Wendouree - Russell Square Turf
Golden Point Blue V Mt Clear - Eastern Oval
Golden Point White V Ballarat Redan 1st - Alfredton #1
BHCC V Buninyong – Brown Hill Recreation Reserve
Semi Final # 1 - Alfredton Turf 6PM with lights. First vs Fourth
Semi Final # 2 - Russell Square 6PM with lights. Second vs Third
Girls Matches
Under 17 - Tuesday 5 March 5pm Start
Wendouree V Buninyong - Vic Park #1 (Stay tuned for potential ground change)
East V Ballarat Redan - Russell Square # 2
Under 11 - Wednesday 6 March 5pm Start
Mt Clear V NSCC - Vic Park #1 (Potential ground change)
Golden Point V Ballarat Redan - VIc Park #2 (potential ground change)
Under 14 - Friday 8 March 5pm Start
Mt Clear V Buninyong – Mt Clear Recreation Reserve
Golden Point V East Ballarat Opals – White Flat Oval
Ballarat Redan V Lucas – Alfredton Reserve #2
Note: There may be gound changes for games scheduled for Victoria Park due to the fire evacuation centre being established there.
Further information
The women’s cricket match at Easter 1874 was a significant event in Australia’s sporting life. The match was reported across the country from Victoria and Tasmania to Gympie in Qld. The language used by the press in reporting the match was highly respectful in the first instance. That good press turned a little unpleasant, (apparently Melbourne was most strident) "abusing the players for months". This led to disbanding of Bendigo women's cricket the following year.
Other related articles from the time indicate that Queen Victoria considered cricket to be a healthy pursuit for women and girls, so that says it was more than socially acceptable to play cricket then. Things changed. In the 1920s guidelines for women's sport recommended against them playing cricket.
Despite that, the Women's Ashes series in 1934 was instrumental in recovering English and Australian cricket, following the Bodyline series. In the background, women's cricket operated separately to men's cricket until 2003 when both unified. ANU Cricket Club legend, Lynne O'Meara, was Vice President (international) for the International Women's Cricket Council up to the unification.
We have struggled through times where women were not considered worthy of the term "cricketer". That is different now but we still have some way to go in some parts of the cricket community. Marking this amazing 150-year anniversary is a chance to help move that along in the right direction. See links for more information.