to download - Part 2 - Wellington Cricket

Jeanne McAuley Malthus (1926 – 2010)
For almost two decades,
Jeanne Malthus was one
of the quiet, but invaluable
administrators contributing
to women’s cricket,
both domestically and
internationally.
After following the game
passionately as a spectator,
Jeanne became Secretary
of the then Wellington
Women’s Cricket Association
between 1983 and 1987.
She then came onto the
executive of the New Zealand Women’s Cricket Council prior
to its merging with New Zealand Cricket.
Verna Reed McDonald (née Coutts) (1930 – 2010)
From the time she began to
play cricket successfully in
the late 1940s to the time
she ended a decade later,
there was perhaps no finer
sight in women’s cricket
than the flowing bat of Verna
McDonald in full cry.
Better known under her
maiden name of Coutts,
Verna came from a wellknown
Taranaki sporting
family, but began her cricket
at Wellington Technical
College after moving from Inglewood in the late 1930s. The
way her vibrant personality came through in her cricket soon
made people sit up and notice and she made her Wellington
debut at 17 against Canterbury at the Basin Reserve in
February 1948.
In the season following Verna scored 36 and an unbeaten 60
in the Auckland fixture at Kilbirnie Park. One of Verna’s finest
seasons came in 1952/53 when she made 29 and 96 against
Otago in Dunedin and had scores of 61 and 73 in home and
away matches against Auckland.
Her highest provincial score was 103* against Otago in
1953/54 which ensured Wellington retained the Hallyburton-
Johnstone Shield and secured her selection for the first ever
New Zealand women’s tour of England later on that year.
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| Cricket Wellington Inc Annual Report
Away from the board room, Jeanne also managed the
successful 1989/90 Wellington Women’s side, captained by
Nancy Williams, which picked up the Hansells Cup for the top
provincial side. In doing so, Wellington ended Canterbury’s
amazing 11 year winning streak.
Her highest office posting came between 1995 and 2000
as Secretary of the International Women’s Cricket Council.
Jeanne played an important role in the staging of both the
1997 Women’s World Cup in India and the 2000 World Cup in
New Zealand. It was Jeanne’s hard work that saw a surge in
growth in South Africa, Sri Lanka and The Netherlands which
all participated in the latter World Cup tournament.
To Jeanne’s delight, New Zealand went on to win the 2000
World Cup in a last-over 4 run win over Australia at Lincoln’s
Bert Sutcliffe Oval.
During the tour Verna scored 308 runs from 14 games at an
average of 23.69, including 42 runs in the three Tests. Her
highest score was 64* at Oxford, while she made 56* at
Hastings later in the tour.
In 1956/57 Verna was in the first New Zealand official side to
play in Australia which included the only international between
the two countries played at Kings College Oval in Adelaide. In
the second innings she made her highest Test score of 41 in
an uncharacteristically slow time of 155 minutes.
The following season Verna played her final two Tests against
England at Lancaster Park and Eden Park.
By this stage Verna was playing for the Kilbirnie Club. In the
1957/58 season she hit a remarkable 100 out of 143 against
COG and the next season made 103 against the same
opposition.
Verna played her last representative season in 1958/59 as
captain of Wellington, and bowed out on a winning note with
her team securing the Hallyburton-Johnstone Shield for the
first time in 5 years. At the end of the 1959/60 season Verna
drew stumps on club cricket, before coming back to play in a
handful of senior games five years later.
Always a great enthusiast for cricket and its values, Verna
continued to follow the game closely both as a spectator at
grounds and on television until the last few years of her life.