Bowl The Maidens Over

In 1874, John Rae, a Bendigo schoolmaster, approached the Sandhurst Easter Fair Committee with an idea to draw the crowds: a novelty ladies' cricket match - something Australia had never seen before.  

And here begins the story of women's cricket in Australia. Bowl the Maidens Over presents the factual account of the very first women's matches through a combination of images, annotations, newspaper extracts and clippings of the times.  

We follow the women cricketers from the first advertisement in the Bendigo Advertiser to the final game: from the selection of uniforms, to mentoring by the prestigious Bendigo United Cricket Club, to their ceremonial arrival at the Easter Fair to the during- and post-match critiques. The story is told through the media's lens and provides insights into the tumultuous road the cricketers travelled, just in order to play. 

Bowl the Maidens Over takes you to Sandhurst, Victoria, to the 1874 and 1875 Easter Fairs, and allows you to experience for yourself, the never before heard of Australian event: the Ladies' Cricket Match.

Foreword by Dr Megan Ponsford.