'Bronze for Betty': cricket great wants MCG statue

Australian cricket's newest hall of famer Christina Matthews is pushing for the legendary Betty Wilson to become the first female cricketer to have a statue at the MCG.

Matthews, who was announced as the 65th member of the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame before the historic women's Ashes Test at the MCG on Thursday, believes the honour for Wilson is overdue.

Considered one of the greatest female cricketers of all time, Wilson played 11 Tests between 1948 and 1958 for a batting average of 57.46, and also took 68 wickets at a miserly 11.80.

In 1958, Wilson became the first male or female cricketer to score a century and take 10 wickets - including a remarkable first-innings haul of 7-7 - in a Test match.

"The general view here is Betty Wilson should be acknowledged," Matthews said on Thursday.

"There's been a bit of a push, 'bronze for Betty' statue at the MCG, and let's hope that's going to come to pass.

"The SCG led the way with Belinda Clark, and I think the MCG needs to catch up with it.

"It is time to recognise our past players in statues, and the visual cues are so important; people come by and they see and then they want to know more, and then they understand."

Don Bradman, Shane Warne, Neil Harvey, Bill Ponsford, Dennis Lillee and Keith Miller are the male cricketers to be immortalised outside the MCG.

Of the 16 statues around the famous stadium, only two - Olympians Betty Cuthbert and Shirley Strickland - are women.

The rest are made up of Australian football identities such as Leigh Matthews and Ron Barassi.

Christina Matthews could be a candidate in her own right, having played a record 20 Tests for Australia. She also played in the 1988 and 1993 ODI World Cup victories.

Originally from Victoria, Matthews' contribution extends to the ACT, NSW and most recently Western Australia.

She served as boss of WA Cricket for more than a decade, and in 2024 was made a Member of the Order of Australia.

"It is fitting to make this announcement on another historic day when the MCG hosts the first women's Test at the venue in more than 75 years," Australian Cricket Hall of Fame chair Peter King said.

"Christina's incredible contribution to improving participation and the standing of women's cricket in the community is the reason why she is a deserved inductee into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame."