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Betty Wilson

For other people named Elizabeth Wilson, see Elizabeth Wilson (disambiguation).

Betty Rebecca Wilson (21 November 1921 – 22 January 2010[1]) was considered one of the greatest woman cricketers of all time.[2][3] She represented Australia in Women's Test cricket between 1947–48 and 1957–58. Wilson batted right-handed, was a good off spin bowler and a superb fielder.

Betty Wilson
A full length black and white photograph of a female cricketer in pads playing a shot in the nets
Betty Wilson padded up in 1951
Personal information
Full name
Betty Rebecca Wilson
Born(1921-11-21)21 November 1921
Melbourne, Australia
Died22 January 2010(2010-01-22) (aged 88)
Melbourne, Australia
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight arm off break
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 25)20 March 1948 v New Zealand
Last Test24 March 1958 v England
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1937/38–1957/58Victoria
Career statistics
Competition WTest WFC
Matches 11 49
Runs scored 862 2,197
Batting average 57.46 43.94
100s/50s 3/3 6/8
Top score 127 145
Balls bowled 2,885 4,752
Wickets 68 200
Bowling average 11.80 9.80
5 wickets in innings 4 14
10 wickets in match 2 5
Best bowling 7/7 7/7
Catches/stumpings 10/– 29/–
Source: CricketArchive, 13 January 2022

Early life

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Born in Melbourne, Wilson grew up in the inner neighbourhood of Collingwood 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.

Cricket career

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The Second World War delayed her Test appearances till 1948. On her debut against New Zealand, she scored 90 and took 4/37 and 6/28. In her second Test in 1949, she scored 111 against England becoming the first Australian woman to score a Test century against England, and took nine more wickets. This made her the first woman cricketer to score a century and to take a five wicket haul in an innings of a Women's Test match.[4]

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 1957–58, she became the first cricketer, male or female, to score a 100 and to take 10 wickets in a Test.[5] On a wet wicket, she took 7/7 in the first innings which included the first ever hat-trick in a women's Test.[6] 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 11 Tests in her career scoring 862 runs at 57.46 and taking 68 wickets at 11.80.

Test match centuries

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Betty Wilson's Test centuries[7]
No. Runs Opponents City/Country Venue Year
1 111   England Adelaide, Australia Adelaide Oval 1949[8]
2 100   England Melbourne, Australia Junction Oval 1958[9]
3 127   England Adelaide, Australia Adelaide Oval 1958[10]

Honours

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In 1985, Wilson became the first woman cricketer to be inducted into the Australian Sporting Hall of Fame. In 1985–86, the Under-21 National Women's Cricket Championship was renamed the Betty Wilson Shield. In 1996–97, the age group was changed to Under-19.

In 2015, Wilson was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.[11]

In 2017, Wilson was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.[12] The Betty Wilson Young Player of the Year award was inaugurated at the 2017 Allan Border Medal Ceremony, to recognise a female cricketer who, prior to 5 December 2015, was aged under 25 and had played 10 or fewer matches.[13]

References

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Notes

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  • The Oxford Companion to Australian Cricket
  1. ^ "Betty Wilson". Cricinfo. Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
  2. ^ Obituary The Times, 15 February 2010.
  3. ^ Obituary The Independent, 16 April 2010.
  4. ^ "Records | Women's Test matches | All-round records | A hundred and five wickets in an innings | ESPN Cricinfo". Cricinfo. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  5. ^ "Records | Women's Test matches | All-round records | 100 runs and 10 wickets in a match | ESPN Cricinfo". Cricinfo. Archived from the original on 23 June 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
  6. ^ "Records | Women's Test matches | Bowling records | Hat-tricks | ESPN Cricinfo". Cricinfo. Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  7. ^ "All-round records | Women's Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com – BR Wilson". Cricinfo. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  8. ^ "Full Scorecard of ENG Women vs AUS Women 2nd Test 2001 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  9. ^ "Full Scorecard of AUS Women vs ENG Women 2nd Test 1957/58 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Full Scorecard of AUS Women vs ENG Women 3rd Test 1957/58 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  11. ^ Cricket Network (22 February 2015). "Kumble, Wilson inducted into ICC Hall of Fame". CA Digital Media. Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  12. ^ "Hayden, Boon, Wilson to join Hall of Fame". Cricket Australia. 22 January 2017. Archived from the original on 25 January 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  13. ^ Jolly, Laura (23 January 2017). "Molineux wins Betty Wilson Award". cricket.com.au. Archived from the original on 26 January 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.

Further reading

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