Add Category
Under enormous pressure, surrounded by male luminaries from the cricket world in a 1994 exhibition match between a Bradman XI and a World XI, Australia's women's team fast bowler Zoe Goss took the wicket of one of the world's greatest batsmen, Brian Lara.
- One of three statues commissioned by the WACA is to be of former captain Zoe Goss
- Two WACA board members resigned in opposition to that decision
- Goss sees the statue in her image as a tribute to all of women's cricket's trailblazers
It kick-started a whole new conversation around the game.
Until then, only scant media attention had been paid to Australia's dominant women's team but Goss's performance – where she also claimed the wicket of Jeffrey Dujon – had headline writers and commentators around the world working overtime.
The women always knew they had talent, now the men were noticing too and that signalled a massive change in the game.
As part of the Western Australia Cricket Association's (WACA) $100 million ground redevelopment, there are plans for three statues to be erected recognising those from the west who sparked significant change.
Fast bowler Dennis Lillee was selected for his phenomenal impact on the sport, while a team of First Nation's players from New Norcia – a team of Invincibles before the more recognised Australian Invincibles of 1948 – will also be recognised.
The third statue is reserved for Goss, for stepping up that night on the SCG in front of a global audience and changing the way people thought about women players.
"It's interesting I still have a platform, I think," Goss told The Ticket.
"I guess it shows the significance of that day.
"I've always been intrigued about how amazing that night was and how long it lasted because I honestly thought it was just my 15 minutes of fame and then I'd move on with my life, but here I am.
"Lara was really lovely. He didn't say much on the night but I think he said in the press later that his sister used to get him out all the time, so he was used to it."
Goss has never sought the limelight, but her skills as a player meant it found her anyway. The recognition from the WACA initially surprised her.
"The statue of myself, I'm really humbled by it. By nature I am a pretty shy person, so it took a bit for me to go 'oh, OK', but now I see the significance of it because it celebrates that pivotal moment.
"Women's cricket was in the spotlight after that fateful ball. More significantly, it changed the perception of skills that women in sport have, not just cricket.
"I think it impacted women in sport overall and women in general. Everywhere I went, all ages of women just went 'good on ya'. It had a social impact which at the time I wasn't aware of.
"As an organisation, this is a great opportunity for the WACA to engage in society in a richer way. The artworks acknowledge the past and make a really strong signal of who we want to be in the future."
Goss sees the statue in her image as a tribute to all women, but not everyone sees it the same way.
Former Test cricketers Graeme Wood and Michael Valletta supported the statue of Lillee but were so upset by plans to include the Goss and First Nations statues that they resigned from the WACA board earlier this year.
"Right up front I was vehemently against it," Wood was quoted as saying in the West Australian.
There is a small, vocal group in WA cricket who support Wood's view, which in turn is putting pressure on WACA boss Christina Matthews.
Matthews succeeded Wood as chief executive at the state body 10 years ago and has overseen a period of substantial change and success for cricket in the state.
"On the First Nations statue, that's a really wonderful opportunity," Goss said, struggling to contain her emotions.
"Personally, I have deep respect for their culture. They are always the ones that are holding their hand out to us. We just need to take it. They want to walk with us.
"All they want is respect, it's simple stuff which is not hard to do and this is an opportunity to acknowledge we are on their land, the Whadjak-Noonger land.
"What I'd like to say to the men who are not comfortable with this, the statues in no way diminish anything that the amazing male players have done … it's simply a sharing of space of our stories.
"We can co-exist, it's not one or the other. There's space for everyone."
Goss has credited Matthews for having a vision of where she wants to take cricket in WA. And she should know, their careers crossed over with Matthews being a ground breaker of her own as wicketkeeper for a decade through the 80s and 90s.
"She brings everyone along on the journey, you know, change is hard and any kind of change is hard for humans. She's just got that drive.
"Look at the results, the WACA's got four out of five of the trophies, financially it's in a great spot, she's managed to get funding for this amazing development, which the WACA desperately needs."
As a player, Goss described Matthews as "squeezing every ounce out of herself". It's the same goal-driven determination she's taken to her management role, according to Goss, one that has understandably ruffled the feathers of some of the old guard.