Back in 1888, Waltair, Vizag hosted a women’s cricket match: Here’s the story!

Visakhapatnam is all set to host several key matches in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025, taking place from 30 September 2025 to 02 November 2025. In the spirit of this historic tournament, it’s worth revisiting an intriguing chapter from the early history of women’s cricket in Vizag.

Women’s cricket in the Victorian era was often controversial. Matches involving women were frequently dismissed as “novelty entertainment” rather than serious sport.

On 11 October 1888, word spread of a highly unusual cricket match to be played between the ladies and gentlemen of Waltair. The Ladies’ Team consisted of eight women, likely from British or Anglo-Indian families, while the Gentlemen’s Team comprised eight men; probably planters, officers, or professionals from the European community.

But this match was far from ordinary. The gentlemen were required to bat with broomsticks, swing left-handed, and field using only their left hands. The rules themselves had the crowd laughing before the first ball was bowled.  An early example of the playful, yet competitive, spirit that characterised some of the earliest instances of women’s cricket in colonial India.

Details from the match are delightfully recorded. Mr Weir, usually a confident cricketer, was dismissed for a duck by Miss Cameron. Mr Forbes scored just five runs before being bowled by Miss Stuart. Meanwhile, Miss Stuart became the top scorer of the match with a remarkable 14 runs. The ladies’ team collectively scored 50 runs, a respectable total given the limited number of batters and the non-conventional rules.

The gentlemen struggled to 27 all out, with broomsticks proving more of a hindrance than a help. Yet beyond the humour and novelty, the match highlighted the agency of women in sport at a time when opportunities for them were extremely limited.

This 1880 match in Vizag pushes back the timeline of women’s cricket in colonial India, demonstrating that women were actively participating in the game much earlier than assumed. Despite the unconventional circumstances, the men accepted their defeat with good-natured sportsmanship. While the match was technically “not finished,” contemporary newspapers noted it was “much in favour of the ladies.”

Events like this remind us that the history of women’s cricket is rich, vibrant, and full of pioneers who challenged societal norms to make their mark on the game. A legacy that continues to inspire players competing in the 2025 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.

Information gathered from John Castellas whose family belonged to Vizag for 5 generations. Educated at St Aloysius, migrated to Melbourne, Australia in 1966, former General Manager Engineering at Boeing & Qantas Airways, in retirement Lecturers in Aviation Management at Swinburne University and is a Vizag aficionado. He can be contacted at jcastell@ozemail.com.au

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