Denise Annetts

Annetts first appeared for New South Wales in the 1983/84 season, and after a couple of low scores, she made her first half-century against Australian Capital Territory in her third match before being run out on 51.[3] Her following match brought another half century, improving slightly to 56 before being caught.[4] In January 1985 she was selected for the Women's Cricket Association of Australia President's XI to play the touring England side, and was subsequently named in the Australia team to face New Zealand the following month. She scored 26* on her One Day International debut as Australia chased down a low New Zealand total to win by nine wickets.[5]

Her maiden ODI half-century came the following season when she made 57 runs opening the batting with Belinda Haggett against New Zealand in Wellington.[6] Part of the 1987 Australia Women tour of the British Isles, Annetts scored her second half-century during the Third ODI against Ireland,[7] before making a century against Surrey Women, including a 184-second-wicket partnership with Lindsay Reeler, a portent of things to come.[8] She scored 36*[9] and 50[10] in the two ODIs followed by 34 on her Test debut, a match dominated by Haggett's 126.[11]

On her second Test appearance, Annetts came in to partner Lindsay Reeler with the score on 2/37 after Denise Emerson and Belinda Haggett had fallen early.[12] The pair put on a record wicket partnership for any wicket in Women's Test cricket history of 309 runs, with Annetts making her top score of 193, while Reeler finished on 110*.[12][13] She also holds the record of highest average in Women's Test Cricket.

In January 1994, she claimed her omission from the Australian team was because she was not a lesbian. The Australian Anti-Discrimination Board could not investigate the complaint as the discrimination law only protected homosexuals.[14]

• Denise Annetts at ESPNcricinfo
• Denise Annetts at CricketArchive (subscription required)
• Denise Annetts at southernstars.org.au