National Museum of Australia - Nance Clements's banner

Nance Clements's banner

Two names on banners as used in cricket scoreboards before scoreboards were electric. Both names are in white capital letters on a black background. The top name is 'Clements' and the bottom name is 'Larwood'. The weave of the banner fabric is visible in the letters.

Above: The scoreboard banner from Nance Clements's debut for Victoria against England at the MCG in 1934. Photo: George Serras.

Australian batswoman Nance Clements made her debut for Victoria against a touring English side on 7 December 1934 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Clements scored 21 not out in a match dominated by the English.

At the end of the match, Clements approached the ground's attendant and asked if she could keep the scoreboard banner bearing her name as a memento of the match. Until the development of electronic scoreboards, players' names were painted on large sheets of black cotton which were then nailed onto wooden planks and placed in the scoreboard by an attendant.

A black and white photograph of a female cricketer. She wears a light-toned skirt, shirt, shoes and batting pads on her lower legs. Her body faces to the right of the photograph, with her right foot up on a large stool. Her head is turned toward the camera. She appears to be adjusting the upper strap on her right batting pad. A cricket bat rests against the stool. A pair of batting gloves have been placed on the chair. The photograph has been taken against a light-toned studio background. A studio light beyond the right side of the photograph causes the stool and bat to cast shadows on the floor.

The MCG attendant was in an unusually generous mood, perhaps because he was retiring, and he handed over the banner. Clements discovered that her name was painted on one side and 'LARWOOD' on the other.

The MCG had apparently reused the banners from the previous year's infamous bodyline series, during which the attacking deliveries of English pace bowler Harold Larwood had almost caused a riot.

Left: Nance Clements poses in her cricket uniform in 1937. In the 1930s the women's uniforms included culottes and white stockings. Photo: George Serras.

A black and white photograph of two female cricketers. The cricketer on the left is signing on the back of a cricket bat being held up by the cricketer on the right. The left side cricketer wears a light-toned shirt and a soft hat with the back of its brim upturned. The right side cricketer wears what appears to be a dark skirt, light-toned shirt and a short tie. In the background of the photo can be seen an out-of-focus building. The surface of the photo has some scratches and white marks on it. In the bottom border of the photo is written 'Joy Partridge signing a bat for N. Clements. (Victoria)'. In the bottom right corner of the photo's border is written 'Melbourne'.

Left: English captain Joy Partridge signs Nance Clements's bat, Melbourne, 1934. Courtesy: National Library of Australia, nla.pic-vn3249292-v.

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