Born on 5th January 1918 in Christchurch, Canterbury, is former Test player for New Zealand, Margaret Ellen Marks.
Margaret was a right hand top order batter for Canterbury and in the semi-final of the Amalgamated Theatres Shield in November 1934 scored a century (103 retired), helping her team to 369. She backed that up with a half century in the final with Canterbury victorious over Wellington Technical College Old Girls.
It is presumed that the form she displayed for Canterbury during that season caused her to be selected in the first ever New Zealand Test team, to play England in February 1935. Margaret, only seventeen, opened the batting for the “Silver Ferns” (as they were known at the time) with Hilda Buck.
Against the might of England and the flight of Myrtle Maclagan, the Kiwis never stood a chance. Buck scored a duck and Margaret Marks followed soon after with just 2 runs to her name, both openers caught at short mid on by Mary Spear from the bowling of Maclagan.
In the second innings Margaret was runout for 23. Opening the batting, she nearly carried her bat. She was the ninth player dismissed when the score was 122 and the last wicket fell with no further addition to the score. She batted for 145 minutes and was second top score to Marge Bishop’s 27.
The war came and went and Margaret played one final Test, against Australia in 1947/48, scoring 2 and 3 not out. It was also her final First Class match.
Margaret died on 20th August 1914, aged 96.