English women's cricket team in Australia and New Zealand in 1934–35

The English women's cricket team toured Australia and New Zealand in 1934 and 1935. It was on this tour that the first women's Test matches were played: three against Australia, followed by one against New Zealand. England won the first two Tests against the Australians convincingly, and had the better of a drawn third Test, to clinch the Ashes. The game against New Zealand was even more one-sided in England's favour.

The tour itself was recorded for posterity in a series of photographs that are now in the National Library of Australia. These photographs show the cricketers playing the game on a long tour, which took in many matches apart from the international series. However, there are others showing the players relaxing on their vessel, the SS Rotorua, and on trips, such as to Melbourne Zoo or up New Zealand glaciers.

The Test matches were dominated by Myrtle Maclagan, who made 279 runs and took 26 wickets. So much so that just after the men's team had lost the men's version of the Ashes, the Morning Post praised Maclagan's batting prowess with the quatrain:

However, she was outscored by Betty Snowball, who made 381 runs, including a mammoth 189 against the Kiwis.

KM Smith 25
ME Maclagan 7/10

EM Shevill 63*
MF Spear 5/15

Exhibition Ground, Brisbane, Australia
Umpires: FJ Bartlett (Aus) and JA Scott (Aus)

ME Maclagan 72
A Palmer 7/18

...
Wikipedia