Mary Duggan


Mary Beatrice Duggan was an English cricketer who played as an all-rounder. She appeared in 17 Women's [Test cricket|Test matches] for England between 1949 and 1963, and captained the side from 1957 onwards. Most of her domestic career was spent with Middlesex.

Life and career

Duggan was the youngest of three children of Mary Heath and Norman Duggan, a physician and surgeon. She attended the Alice Ottley School, Worcester and Royal High School, Bath, before training as a physical education teacher at Dartford College of Physical Education.
A right-handed batter, Duggan scored 652 runs in Tests at an average of 24.14, and in her last game hit an unbeaten century against Australia at the Oval. She was also an effective bowler, and bowled both medium pace and left-arm orthodox spin. Her tally of 77 Test wickets, taken at an average of just 13.49, remains an all-time record. In February 1958, she took a remarkable 7 wickets for 6 runs in the first innings of the second Test against Australia, played at the St Kilda Cricket Ground, Melbourne. Until 1995 these were the best figures in women's Test history, and as of 2024, have been surpassed only twice. In 1957, she took over the England captaincy from Molly Hide. In addition to her hundred in her final match, she took 7 for 72, and was instrumental in England winning the match and the series.
In 1962, Duggan and Ruth Westbrook became the first women to be awarded the MCC's advanced coaching certificate. At the time of her death, she was president of the Women's Cricket Association, and for 10 years had been vice-principal of Dartford College of Education. Amongst the students she taught there was her successor as England captain, Rachael Heyhoe Flint, who picked out Duggan as being one of the institution's "first-class lecturers".
Duggan was a first cousin of England cricketer and cricket commentator Jonathan Agnew.

Test centuries

  • Source: CricInfo