Audrey Jackson

Growing up in South Africa, Audrey Wood Jackson has a passion for playing cricket since her childhood. She is a former test cricket player for South Africa woman's cricket team. Jackson started her playing career by debuting for the Eastern Province at a tender age of only 12.

In 1960, she played her first match for South Africa and took the very first wicket of the match. She became the first South African woman to take a wicket in a test match. Jackson played street cricket during her childhood and got interested in playing for the national team after seeing a match in progress in the year 1956. The same year, she got a chance to play for the provincial team. She is the youngest player to have made her debut in South African cricket history.

Jackson was a pacer and was very well-known for her attitude on the field. Although advised by her team-mates not to bowl so fast, she is known to have injured a woman player on field due to her fast delivery.

In 1960, the South African selection team held a 8-day selection procedure to hunt down exceptional talents for the national test team. Though being the only representative from the Eastern Province, Jackson performed well at the trial. She took important wickets of Eleanor Lambert and Joy Irwin, who were regarded as the top scorers of that time. Later on the same day, she also dismissed 3 more high-scorers for 23 runs, a feat that earned her a place in the national team.

Jackson played for only 2 test matches during her career with the South African team. She batted with an average of 17.5 and bowled at the average of 29.5. Her last match was played in 1961 against England.

Career Highlights

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