The MCC Library is proud to present the second event of its 2025 MCC Library Cricket Series, Full Corset and Stockings: A History of Women's Cricket.
Liddy Clark, former Queensland Parliament Minister and founder of the Clifton Hill women's cricket team and Northcote United cricket team, will be joined by the book's author, Craig Horne for an exclusive in-conversation event hosted by the MCC Library in collaboration with Melbourne Books.
MCC members are invited to the MCC Library for an afternoon tea and discussion on the history of women's cricket.
All members and guests will receive a complimentary copy of the book. Additional copies will be available for sale (EFTPOS only).
Time: 2.00pm - 4.00pm
Location: MCC Library, Level 3, Members’ Reserve
Cost: $20 members & guests
Dress code: Members’ Reserve Dress Standards
Bookings for this function will open at 9.00am on Thursday September 18, 2025 and will be taken on a first-in, first-served basis. Bookings will close at 5.00pm on Wednesday November 19, 2025 unless sold out prior.
If after booking you find you are unable to attend, please email mccfunctions@mcc.org.au or phone (03) 9657 8888. We’ll do our best, but we cannot guarantee a refund for any cancellation after 5pm, Wednesday November 19, 2025.
Images and video footage captured at the event may be used for promotional purposes. For more information, please visit our privacy policy at mcc.org.au/privacy.
Why did women’s cricket completely disappear from public view in the 1950s, especially when the 1930s was considered to be ‘the golden age’ of the women’s game? Why did it take until the last couple of decades for women’s cricket to regain its pre-eminence in the minds of the sporting public?
These are the questions that Full Corset and Stockings: A History of Women’s Cricket will attempt to answer by drawing on historic research, player profiles and stories, personal reflections and extensive interviews with both past and present players and officials.
Full Corset and Stockings details the history of women’s cricket in England and the game’s evolution as it moved to Australia, sharing the unknown stories of professional English and Australian players such as Emily Whatman (mother and childhood-trainer of men’s cricket legend Don Bradman), left-arm bowler Peggy Antonio, and the author’s own mother Nesta Williams. From the 1800s through to the Great Depression and the height of the women’s game, to the re-emergence of women’s cricket in the twenty-first century, Horne shines a light on the influential women of a historic Australian sport.
To read more about the book via the publisher’s website, click here.
Liddy Clark, former Queensland Parliament Minister and founder of the Clifton Hill women's cricket team and Northcote United cricket team, will be joined by the book's author, Craig Horne for an exclusive in-conversation event hosted by the MCC Library in collaboration with Melbourne Books.
MCC members are invited to the MCC Library for an afternoon tea and discussion on the history of women's cricket.
All members and guests will receive a complimentary copy of the book. Additional copies will be available for sale (EFTPOS only).
FUNCTION DETAILS
Date: Wednesday November 26, 2025Time: 2.00pm - 4.00pm
Location: MCC Library, Level 3, Members’ Reserve
Cost: $20 members & guests
Dress code: Members’ Reserve Dress Standards
BOOKING PROCESS
This function is open to members of all categories who may bring 3 guests. There are limited spots available so we recommend booking early to avoid disappointment.Bookings for this function will open at 9.00am on Thursday September 18, 2025 and will be taken on a first-in, first-served basis. Bookings will close at 5.00pm on Wednesday November 19, 2025 unless sold out prior.
If after booking you find you are unable to attend, please email mccfunctions@mcc.org.au or phone (03) 9657 8888. We’ll do our best, but we cannot guarantee a refund for any cancellation after 5pm, Wednesday November 19, 2025.
Images and video footage captured at the event may be used for promotional purposes. For more information, please visit our privacy policy at mcc.org.au/privacy.
About the Book
Since the 1930s, women have been champions and pioneers in the game of cricket – and yet their stories remain mostly untold.Why did women’s cricket completely disappear from public view in the 1950s, especially when the 1930s was considered to be ‘the golden age’ of the women’s game? Why did it take until the last couple of decades for women’s cricket to regain its pre-eminence in the minds of the sporting public?
These are the questions that Full Corset and Stockings: A History of Women’s Cricket will attempt to answer by drawing on historic research, player profiles and stories, personal reflections and extensive interviews with both past and present players and officials.
Full Corset and Stockings details the history of women’s cricket in England and the game’s evolution as it moved to Australia, sharing the unknown stories of professional English and Australian players such as Emily Whatman (mother and childhood-trainer of men’s cricket legend Don Bradman), left-arm bowler Peggy Antonio, and the author’s own mother Nesta Williams. From the 1800s through to the Great Depression and the height of the women’s game, to the re-emergence of women’s cricket in the twenty-first century, Horne shines a light on the influential women of a historic Australian sport.
To read more about the book via the publisher’s website, click here.