Carol Valentine


Carol Mary Valentine was an English woman cricketer who was a part of the first women's Test match that was played between England and Australia. In the domestic circuit she played for Kent and Middlesex. Valentine also played Lacrosse. Her brother, Bryan, has also played test cricket for England.

Early life and domestic career

Valentine was born in 1906, in Blackheath, England. She had a brother named Bryan Valentine who played for England between 1933 and 1939 and was the captain of the Kent county cricket team. A medium pace bowler, Valentine did not possess strong batting skills like her brother who had a batting average of 64.85 in Test cricket. With a small build, she was good at Lacrosse. At the domestic level, Valentine played for Kent and Middlesex. She also represented other minor teams such as Women's Cricket Association, Cobham Ladies, London and District Women, The Cuckoos, Berkhamsted and District Women, South of England Women, Women's Cricket Association Ramblers, Miss Doman's Touring XI, Midlands Women and Rest of England Women. She played three matches between 1930 and 1933 for the Women's Cricket Association. In the first match against Michael Singleton's XI, Valentine was the best bowler for her side, picking up 4 wickets for 20 runs. In the second match against J Singleton's XI, she scored 4 runs and remained not out when the team declared their innings. Valentine was not given the chance to bowl and the match ended in a draw. She played her last match for the Women's Cricket Association a year later, conceding 20 runs without taking any wickets.

International career

Valentine represented England in the first women's Test match that was played against Australia in December 1934, but did not make any appearance in international cricket thereafter. Batting at number 11 she was bowled by Anne Palmer, the Australian off-spinner, for a duck in England's first innings. Valentine did not bowl in the first innings. However, she was given an opportunity to bowl in the second innings. Valentine bowled just five overs while claiming her first international wicket when she bowled out Kath Smith. In the innings she conceded nine runs in Australia's second innings. England went on to win the match by nine wickets. The match was Valentine's only international appearance.