Australia v England
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide: 8th – 11th March 1958
The series was still alive, one abandoned, one drawn, and now back to a traditional Test venue, Adelaide Oval, and when she won the toss, Una Paisley elected to bat in the excellent conditions afforded the players at arguably Test cricket’s finest venue.
Mary Allitt’s form continued to elude her and she went for a duck while Massey was run out for 5. Australia’s openers had again failed, leaving them precariously situated at 2/12. A useful 25 from Ruth Dow and 26 from Paisley before the skipper trod on her own stumps.
Then Wilson came in. If she was a headache for Duggan and the England team in the previous Test, Betty was by now a full on migraine. On the beautiful Adelaide Oval pitch there were slashing drives and punishing pulls as the Victorian smashed another century, 127, continuing her dominant summer. Val Batty made 63 and useful contributions from the tail helped Australia to finish with 292.
With a more placid wicket the English, led by a graceful century to Cecilia Robinson, were also among the runs and despite Wilson’s 49 overs – 49 overs! – taking 6-71, England overtook the Australian total, with 325. (It should be noted that Wilson wasn’t the hardest working Aussie bowler. Ruth Dow bowled 52 overs. That’s two more than an entire ODI innings on her own.) England took 192 overs to complete their innings and the Test fizzled away to a draw. No result yet, with one Test to play.
Australia 292 (Wilson 127, Batty 63, Heggarty 4/70, McFarlane 4/82) and 2/78 drew with England 325 (Robinson 102, Westbrook 66, Barker 50*, Wilson 6/71)