Lorna Ward

Lorna Grace Ward (born 3 June 1939) is a South African former cricketer who played as a right-arm pace bowler. She appeared in seven Test matches for South Africa between 1960 and 1972, taking 27 wickets including three five-wicket hauls. She is South Africa's leading wicket-taker in women's Test cricket. She played domestic cricket for Natal and Southern Transvaal.

Test career

England 1960–61 Playing in South Africa's first Test against the touring English side, Ward was the third South African to be run out in the first-innings as they posted a total of 211. Bowling in the reply, Ward took four wickets in the first innings to help restrict the English to 187 runs, giving South Africa a small first-innings lead. Ward made 17 runs in support of her captain as they added an unbeaten 52 for the ninth-wicket. She was again wicket-less in the third Test, conceding 74 runs in her 26 overs in the first-innings. South Africa lost the match by eight wickets and, having been promoted to number nine, Ward only made seven runs in the two innings. She failed to take a wicket in the second-innings, bowling expensively for her 18 overs, conceding 44 runs as England set a total of 194 for South Africa to win. South Africa won all three Tests, and Ward claimed figures of 3/26 in the first-innings of the third Test followed by 4/36 in the second-innings.

New Zealand 1971–72 One of only three survivors from the squad that faced the touring English side in 1960–61, Ward appeared in all three Tests against New Zealand eleven years later. She started the series well, taking five wickets in New Zealand's first-innings. She fell for another duck in the Springboks first-innings and didn't take a wicket in the second-innings as the match finished a draw. In reply, South Africa could only manage 111, and in spite of another three wickets from Ward, taking an economical 3/38 in her 28 overs, New Zealand declared 277 ahead. As South Africa managed 242 in the second-innings, New Zealand returned to bat needing 148 runs to win. Ward took 1/28 as the Kiwis finished just 31 runs short of their target.