June James played her one and only Test match for Australia against England, the third Test of the 1951 series, at the Oval.
Born on 22nd April 1925 in South Perth, Western Australia, June “Jimmy” James was talented at a number of sports but particularly football and cricket. She played for the Subiaco and her right-arm medium-fast bowling was lethal on the malthoid-covered pitches used in club cricket in WA.
A First Class debut for Western Australia came in 1948/49 when the locals played the visiting England team at the WACA in Perth. WA were outclassed by the much stronger touring squad but June dismissed Cecilia Robinson in the first innings and Mary Duggan in the second. With the bat, her 14 runs made her the second highest scorer in WA’s 46 all out.
A week later June was in a Combined Australian XI against England also played at the WACA. The Aussies has sent for some reinforcements, notably Una Paisley and Betty Wilson and the drawn contest a little more evenly contested.
June’s career for Western Australia ran for five years and she is WA Cap 32. From 1951 to 1953 she was also Secretary for WAWCA. 1951 was a busy year, for she was selected to tour England under the captaincy of Mollie Dive.
Although June played in many of the tour games, she was called up until the third Test (Cap 38) where she made her debut at the Oval. Her first Test wicket was Cecilia Robinson when she took 1-14 from eight overs. She took 2-33 in the second innings. It was June’s one and only Test match for Australia.
June formed a close bond with Betty Wilson, so much so that Betty actually moved over from Victoria to Perth to help June’s husband care for June in her later years. We have no recorded dates for June’s passing, but it is believed she died prior to 2013.