Molly Hide
Encyclopedia
Mary Edith Hide (24 October 1913 – 10 September 1995) was an English
cricket
er. She was one of the great early women cricketers in England, and captained England for 17 years. In 1973 she was president of the Women's Cricket Association
.
, China
and came to England
at the age of six. She learned to play cricket at the girls' school of Wycombe Abbey
and later studied agriculture
at Reading University
.
and New Zealand
with Betty Archdale
's first English women touring team to those countries. She scored a hundred in the Christchurch Test, where England defeated New Zealand
in a one-sided match.
Hide was given the captaincy of the South of England team in 1936 and, one year later, that of England against the touring Australian women
. The series ended 1-1, Hide's major contribution was 5 for 20 in the second innings at Blackpool
where England won by 25 runs.
During World War II
, she worked in her father's farm in Haslemere
. Test cricket resumed after 11 years with a tour of Australia which England lost 0-1. Hide scored 63 & 124* in the drawn match at Sydney
. She scored five hundreds in the tour including one in Colombo. She also captained England at home against Australia
in 1951 and New Zealand
in 1954. Hide was a quick scoring right-handed batsman and bowled medium-paced off-spinners
.
In her youth she also played lacrosse for England and was thus a dual international for England. Hide never married.
According to G. D. Martineau
,
English women's cricket team
The England women's cricket team played their first Test match in 1934–35, when they beat Australia 2–0 in a three-Test series. Their current captain is Charlotte Edwards, replacing Clare Connor after her five-year tenure, which she finished by leading England to their first Ashes series win since...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er. She was one of the great early women cricketers in England, and captained England for 17 years. In 1973 she was president of the Women's Cricket Association
Women's Cricket Association
The Women's Cricket Association was responsible for the running of women's cricket in England between 1926 and 1998. It was formed by a group of enthusiasts following a cricket holiday in Malvern...
.
Early life
Molly Hide was born in ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and came to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at the age of six. She learned to play cricket at the girls' school of Wycombe Abbey
Wycombe Abbey
Wycombe Abbey is an independent girls' boarding school situated in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. It is academically one of the top schools in the United Kingdom, and the top girls' boarding school...
and later studied agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
at Reading University
University of Reading
The University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...
.
Career
Hide represented Worcestershire in representative matches in 1932 and 1933 and toured AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
with Betty Archdale
Betty Archdale
Helen Elizabeth "Betty" Archdale was an educationalist and cricketer. She was a captain of the English women's cricket team in 1934 and 1935. In 1934/35 she led the first English cricket team to tour Australia and New Zealand, the result of which was a 2-0 victory over Australia...
's first English women touring team to those countries. She scored a hundred in the Christchurch Test, where England defeated New Zealand
New Zealand women's cricket team
The New Zealand women's cricket team played their first Test match in 1935, when they lost to England. Since then they have only won two Tests, once against Australia, and once against South Africa....
in a one-sided match.
Hide was given the captaincy of the South of England team in 1936 and, one year later, that of England against the touring Australian women
Australian women's cricket team
The Australian women's cricket team played their first Test match in 1934/5, when they lost to England two-nil in a three-Test series. Since then they have improved and are generally considered the best women's cricket team in the world...
. The series ended 1-1, Hide's major contribution was 5 for 20 in the second innings at Blackpool
Stanley Park, Blackpool
Stanley Park is a municipal park in the town of Blackpool on the Fylde coast in the county of Lancashire, England. It is the largest park in the town, bounded by a roughly circular perimeter of 2.2 miles and covering an area of...
where England won by 25 runs.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, she worked in her father's farm in Haslemere
Haslemere
Haslemere is a town in Surrey, England, close to the border with both Hampshire and West Sussex. The major road between London and Portsmouth, the A3, lies to the west, and a branch of the River Wey to the south. Haslemere is approximately south-west of Guildford.Haslemere is surrounded by hills,...
. Test cricket resumed after 11 years with a tour of Australia which England lost 0-1. Hide scored 63 & 124* in the drawn match at Sydney
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
. She scored five hundreds in the tour including one in Colombo. She also captained England at home against Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1951 and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 1954. Hide was a quick scoring right-handed batsman and bowled medium-paced off-spinners
Off spin
Off spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket which is bowled by an off spinner, a right-handed spin bowler who uses his or her fingers and/or wrist to spin the ball from a right-handed batsman's off side to the leg side...
.
In her youth she also played lacrosse for England and was thus a dual international for England. Hide never married.
According to G. D. Martineau
G. D. Martineau
Gerald Durani Martineau was a prolific English cricket writer.Martineau's notable works on cricket include Bat, ball, wicket and all, on the history of cricket implements; They Made Cricket ; The valiant stumper, on the history of wicket-keeping; and The field is full of shades. He contributed to...
,