Flashback: Batter who hit the first-ever six in Women’s Test cricket history

Women’s cricket has evolved immensely over the years particularly in the T20 format. However, the longest format of the game cannot be forgotten. The first-ever Women’s Test match was played way back in 1934 between England and Australia. However, do you know who hit the first-ever six in Women’s cricket Test history? The milestone was achieved by former England Women’s cricketer Rachael Hay-hoe Flint in a match against Australia.

This was the Test match played during the Australia Women tour of England in 1963. England captain Mary Duggan won the toss in this game and elected to bat first. The team did not have a good start but opener Jacqueline Elledge scored a brilliant fifty with 59 runs coming off her bat. Captain Duggan played a marvellous knock hitting a century with a score of 101 runs.

#OnThisDay in 1939, a legend of women’s cricket was born.

Rachael Heyhoe Flint was England’s captain when they won the first Women’s World Cup in 1973, and she hit the first six in women’s Test cricket.

The ICC Award for female cricketer of the year is named in her honour. pic.twitter.com/abeVVOctZJ

— ICC (@ICC) June 11, 2018

Rachael Heyhoe-Flint who came to bat at number 6 played a vital knock of 36 runs in the first innings. She played well in the second innings as well scoring 37 runs. She achieved a special milestone in this Test match as she became the first Women’s cricketer to hit a six in Test cricket history.

England declared their first innings at a score of 254/8 with Lorraine Kutcher picking up 5 wickets for Australia in her 24 overs. In response to this total, the Aussie women got dismissed for 205 runs thus conceding a lead of 49 runs. Later in the second innings, England declared their innings after scoring 160/7. For them, Sandra Brown, Mary Duggan and Rachael Heyhoe-Flint played useful knocks. England set a target of 210 runs for Australia in the fourth innings of the Test match.

The Aussie batters could not pose a big challenge in the chase as the team was all-out for 160 runs in 89.2 overs. Thus England registered a victory by 49 runs. Anne Sanders and Mary Duggan picked up 3 wickets each for the side.