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The female Bradman
By Rich Abbott 2 months ago Add your comment below
The golden rule of Australian sports writing this week has been to point out that Andy Murray is Scottish, not English. I can only assume that failure to mention this fact – whether writing about tennis, cricket or Aussie rules football – is a sackable offence. That he’s unmistakably British, and a country who places much emphasis on place of birth is pinning its tennis hopes on the young shoulders of teens Tomic and Berman, neither of whom were born in Australia, are facts lost on this population, and, of course, I’m far too diplomatic to bring them up.
However, a piece by Melbourne-based Greg Baum did catch my eye – and not just for its Murray dig-free content. It marks the passing of an Australian Test great, about whom, I confess, I knew nothing.
Betty Wilson was know as “the female Bradman”, and with good reason – the great man himself was a fan. Averaging 57.46 with the bat, and 11.80 with the ball, her status as a genuine all-rounder is something of an understatement. Her CV includes a 77 minute century, a number of ‘firsts’ in women’s cricket – first to make a century and take 10 wickets in a match, first hat-trick – and the retrospective award of a baggy green cap. A career worth marking.
Maybe the next time an Aussie tells me I bowl like a girl during a game of beach cricket, I’ll take it as a compliment. Then again, maybe not.
Tags: Australian journalism, Betty Wilson, Greg Baum, journalism |
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