The Maiden Summer

Australia's champion women's cricket team stands on the shoulders of some of the most talented, bold, and daring women of preceding generations. And pivotal to that modern success is the first Australia and England women's test series held here in the aftermath of the brutal 'Bodyline' Ashes series in 1932/33. It was a moment in time when the crowds turned up in their thousands to watch the women's Tests, the newspapers devoted column inches to the contests, and our women's cricketers looked set for a cherished place in the national sporting land. This podcast series is about history, sport, Australia, and England, newspapers and journalists, triumph and loss, tradition and innovation. It's about the greatest rivalry in cricket, but more importantly, it's about the spirit and perseverance of dozens of women to make their own cricket history. It was the long, hot days at the end of 1934, and the bright start of 1935. It was, for Australia's women's cricketers, the maiden summer.