2 hours ago
On Thursday, successful a room successful cardinal London astir 3 miles from Lord’s, a group of 10 women will stitchery together for a very typical reunion. Fifty years ago, connected 4 August 1976, they made history erstwhile they were among nan first female cricketers to play a lucifer astatine nan alleged Home of Cricket: a one-day world betwixt England and Australia.
England strolled to an eight-wicket win, chasing down 162 acknowledgment to half-centuries from Enid Bakewell, opening up pinch Lynne Thomas, and Chris Watmough, coming successful astatine No 3. But nan value of nan juncture was little astir nan specifications of nan lucifer than what it represented. After almost 5 decades of nan Women’s Cricket Association knocking connected MCC’s door, nan occurrence of nan first World Cup 3 years earlier yet persuaded nan nine that it was clip to big a women’s match.
England’s No 5 that day, Megan Lear, compares it to nan satellite landing: “On that time successful 1976, to locomotion connected to nan hallowed turf astatine Lord’s, it was for illustration 1 mini measurement for america women cricketers, but 1 elephantine leap towards nan early of women’s cricket.”
Now, connected nan eve of nan first women’s Test astatine nan ground, 9 of nan survivors from England’s squad – positive 1 Australian – will reconvene to stock their memories. The reunion is being organised by the Cricket Society, an organisation that celebrates nan champion of cricket past, coming and early done its awards, publications and regular meetings featuring nan awesome and nan bully of nan sport.
This event, though, is unique. “England Women’s first lucifer astatine Lord’s was a pivotal moment,” says nan Cricket Society chair, Peter Hardy. “Enid Bakewell, Chris Watmough and Lynne Thomas deserved to beryllium family names successful 1976, but they were not. On 9 July we will admit their awesome publication to nan maturation of women’s cricket, on pinch nan different 19 players that day.”
Laughter and tears are expected successful adjacent measure, arsenic nan assembled players retrieve absent friends – including England’s 1976 captain, Rachael Heyhoe Flint, who died successful 2017 and will beryllium represented by her son, Ben; and Jill Smart (nee Cruwys), who died successful 1990. Many of nan England players person not seen each different since a one-off meal a decade agone successful nan Long Room astatine Lord’s – poignantly, 1 of nan past nationalist events organised by Heyhoe Flint earlier her decease a fewer months later. Australia’s Karen Hill (nee Price) is flying 10,000 miles from Sydney to beryllium present.
“That circuit was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and gathering together 50 years later pinch others who shared it felt arsenic unsocial and important,” Hill says. “Cricket has played a ample portion successful my life and has been instrumental successful shaping maine arsenic a personification – astir of my closest friendships person travel done nan game. The cricket section was a spot wherever I felt I belonged and wherever I person astir apt been nan astir assured successful my life.
“Life is besides short. We person already mislaid a number of our peers from that era and, pinch nan encouragement of friends and family, I decided this was an opportunity that simply should not beryllium missed.”
Sussex’s Jan Southgate (nee Allen) is arsenic delighted that Hill will beryllium successful attendance: “I’ve sewage nan scorecard here, and I’m conscionable loving this one: ‘K Price, caught Hullah, bowled Allen.’ Caught astatine mid-on.” No uncertainty nan scalp will beryllium gleefully recounted connected nan day: these women whitethorn person been amateurs, but their competitory rivalry was ne'er successful question.
The reunion will beryllium a chance to comparison memories of immoderate of nan alien specifications of nan day. Back successful 1976, MCC – still decades distant from admitting women to rank – was intelligibly arsenic unsure arsenic nan players really to grip nan introduction of females into a antecedently wholly antheral space. “I retrieve going into nan backmost of nan changing rooms to nan toilets, and location were works pots successful nan urinals,” Lear says. “Rachael looked astatine it and said: ‘Well they’re not going to last!’”
“They put a vase of flowers into nan dressing room for america – I can’t ideate they do that very often,” Southgate says. “And we had 2 women attendants.
“But location were men stationed everywhere, successful lawsuit we went into nan incorrect room successful nan pavilion. The full day, we were truthful concerned. There was this large thing: ‘We person sewage this opportunity to play astatine Lord’s. We can’t messiness up.’ Not nan cricket, that was incidental. It was much nan behaviour. We were very conscious to not do thing wrong. We knew that we were being watched truthful closely.
“We had to do our warm-up down astatine nan Nursery End. And to get there, there’s nary measurement we were allowed retired connected to nan pitch. We had to spell correct information nan concourse.”
Famously, nan England squad did not exit done nan Long Room erstwhile coming retired to field, concerned this would beryllium a breach of etiquette. Instead, Heyhoe Flint led her squad retired of nan broadside doorway and information nan backmost of nan pavilion, leaving nan assembled MCC members somewhat baffled. Later, England celebrated their triumph pinch a vessel of champagne successful nan dressing room, drunk from nan only receptacles provided – teacups.
It would beryllium 11 years earlier MCC permitted different women’s lucifer astatine Lord’s. “We said: ‘Let’s dream we tin make this hap again,’” Southgate says. “But nan large logic that was fixed astir why we hadn’t played anterior to this, and past aft that, was because location were truthful galore games astatine Lord’s. So they didn’t request immoderate much to adhd to it.
“We were conscionable truthful pleased to beryllium location that we didn’t think: ‘This is crazy, why aren’t we being treated arsenic nan men would be?’”
Fifty years on, pinch England group to look India astatine Lord’s successful nan first women’s Test lucifer there, starting connected Friday, nan acquisition of Nat Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet Kaur will thankfully beryllium alternatively different to that of Heyhoe Flint & co. The crippled is group to break nan UK women’s Test lucifer attendance grounds (23,207, group astatine Trent Bridge successful 2023), and MCC is pulling retired each nan stops to put connected a show. “A Lord’s Test is specified a pivotal moment,” says MCC’s main trading officer, Katie Maier. “On time one, we want it to person that due goose bump feeling.”
To thief make that happen, they are leaning successful to nan historical quality of nan occasion. Sixty erstwhile England Women players person been invited to attend, and nan pioneering domiciled of nan ’76 squad is yet being acknowledged: they will beryllium ringing nan five-minute bell, and beryllium welcomed pinch a defender of honour. One senses Heyhoe Flint would approve.
As to whether location will beryllium works pots successful nan urinals this time? Perhaps that’s 1 to inquire Sciver-Brunt astatine adjacent of play connected time 1 (watch this space).
-
This is an extract from nan Guardian’s play cricket email, The Spin. To subscribe, conscionable sojourn this page and travel nan instructions.
