Enid Bakewell

Summary

Enid Bakewell MBE (née Turton; born 16 December 1940) played for the English women's cricket team in 12 Tests between 1968 and 1979, and in 23 one-day international matches. A right-handed batter and slow left-arm orthodox bowler, on her figures she has a strong claim to be regarded as the best all-rounder that the English women's game has produced.[1] In Tests she scored 1,078 runs at an average of 59.88, with 4 centuries, as well as taking 50 wickets at an average of 16.62. In what proved to be her final Test, she scored 68 and 112* (out of an England total of 164) and took 10 for 75 (including career-best figures in the second innings of 7-61) against West Indies at Edgbaston in 1979.[2][3] Her final WODI appearance was in the final of the 1982 Women's Cricket World Cup.[4]

Enid Bakewell

MBE
Personal information
Full name
Enid Bakewell
Born (1940-12-16) 16 December 1940 (age 83)
Newstead Village, Nottinghamshire, England
BattingRight-handed
BowlingSlow left-arm orthodox
RoleAll-rounder
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 70)27 December 1968 v Australia
Last Test1 July 1979 v West Indies
ODI debut (cap 1)23 June 1973 v International XI
Last ODI7 February 1982 v Australia
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1963–1993East Midlands
1994–1999Surrey
Career statistics
Competition WTest WODI WFC WLA
Matches 12 23 39 96
Runs scored 1,078 500 2,281 2,457
Batting average 59.88 35.71 42.24 36.67
100s/50s 4/7 2/2 5/16 4/10
Top score 124 118 124 118
Balls bowled 2,698 1,313 6,939 5,139
Wickets 50 25 157 130
Bowling average 16.62 21.12 14.38 15.59
5 wickets in innings 3 0 12 2
10 wickets in match 1 0 4 0
Best bowling 7/61 3/13 8/16 5/20
Catches/stumpings 9/– 7/– 23/– 28/–
Source: CricketArchive, 3 March 2021

She, along with Lynne Thomas, set the record for the highest opening run partnership in the history of Women's Cricket World Cup (246).[5]

In 2014 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack selected her as one of the five greatest female players of all time.[6]

Early life

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Bakewell was born in Newstead Village, Nottinghamshire. She was encouraged to play cricket from an early age. She was educated at the primary school in Newstead and at Brincliffe County Grammar School, Nottingham. After playing for a local club, Notts Casuals WCC, she started to play for the Nottinghamshire county women's team aged 14.[7] She initially concentrated on her batting but was encouraged to develop her slow left-arm bowling, which she modelled on Tony Lock.[8]

She studied at Dartford College of Physical Education, graduating in 1959. She married Colin Bakewell, an electrical engineer with Rolls-Royce. Their daughter was born in 1966.

Cricket career

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Bakewell was considered for selection for the Test tour to Australia in 1963. She was pregnant and so missed the home Tests against New Zealand in England in 1966. She joined the 1968–69 tour, playing in all three Tests against Australia and all three Tests against New Zealand. She opened the batting in her first Test, against Australia in 1968, and made a century on debut, and also scored centuries opening the batting in the first and second Tests against New Zealand in 1969.

Small but quick and athletic, with good footwork, on the tour she achieved a batting average of 39.60 in 29 innings, and took 118 wickets at a bowling average of 9.70.

In the first ever Women's World Cup competition in 1973, which England won, she scored 118 in the final match against Australia and took 2/28 in 12 overs.[9] She also played, at age 41, in the 1982 Women's Cricket World Cup, taking 3 for 13 against India at Wanganui and then three for 29 against the International XI at Wellington.[1]

She also played in the three Tests at home against Australia in 1973, and the three home Tests against the West Indies in 1979. At Edgbaston in 1979 she scored 68 in the first innings, carried her bat to score 112 not out in the second innings, and took 10 for 75 in the match (3-14 and 7-61).[2]

International centuries

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Test centuries[10]
No. Runs Opponents City/Country Venue Year
1 101 not out   Australia Adelaide, Australia Barton Oval 1968[11]
2 124   New Zealand Wellington, New Zealand Basin Reserve 1969[12]
3 114   New Zealand Christchurch, New Zealand Hagley Oval 1969[13]
4 112 not out   West Indies Birmingham, England Edgbaston 1979[14]
One-Day International centuries[15]
No. Runs Opponents City/Country Venue Year
1 101 not out  International XI Hove, England County Ground 1973[16]
2 118   Australia Birmingham, England Edgbaston 1973[17]

Later life

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She continued to play for East Midlands and later Surrey into her 50s. She is an ECB-qualified coach. Bakewell has continued to play cricket into her 80s, playing for Caythorpe CC Women's Team in 2021 [18] and in 2022 she toured Australia with the East Anglian Veteran Ladies team, playing matches against veteran men's and women's sides.[19]

Bakewell was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2012, becoming the third woman cricketer to be thus recognized (after Rachel Heyhoe-Flint and Belinda Clark).[20]

She was awarded the MBE in the 2019 New Year Honours.[21]

References

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  1. ^ a b Dual table toppers
  2. ^ a b Scorecard, England Women v West Indies Women, Edgbaston, July 1979
  3. ^ Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 2019 edition, "Notes by the Editor: The mother of farewells", p. 24.
  4. ^ "Statsguru: Women's One-Day Internationals, Batting records". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  5. ^ "Cricket Records | Records | Women's World Cup | Highest partnerships by wicket | ESPN Cricinfo". Cricinfo. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  6. ^ Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 2014 edition, "The Greats of the Women's Game: A formidable quintet", by Tanya Aldred, p29.
  7. ^ Rheinberg, Netta (15 April 1970). "Enid Bakewell - champion woman cricketer". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  8. ^ Enid Bakewell - champion woman cricketer - article from 1970 edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
  9. ^ Scorecard of 1973 World Cup Final
  10. ^ "All-round records | Women's Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com – Enid Bakewell". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  11. ^ "Full Scorecard of ENG Women vs AUS Women 1st Test 1968/69 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  12. ^ "Full Scorecard of NZ Women vs ENG Women 1st Test 1968/69 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  13. ^ "Full Scorecard of NZ Women vs ENG Women 2nd Test 1968/69 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  14. ^ "Full Scorecard of ENG Women vs WI Women 3rd Test 1979 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  15. ^ "All-round records | Women's One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com – Enid Bakewell". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  16. ^ "Full Scorecard of ENG Women vs Int XI Women 3rd Match 1973 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  17. ^ "Full Scorecard of ENG Women vs AUS Women 21st Match 1973 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  18. ^ "Caythorpe CC, Notts". Play.Cricket. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  19. ^ Thompson-Radford, Hannah (28 December 2022). "Enid Bakewell: Meet England legend touring Australia in her 80s". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  20. ^ Fernando, Andrew (14 September 2012). "Lara, Enid Bakewell inducted into Hall of Fame". ESPNcricinfo. ESPN Inc. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  21. ^ "No. 62507". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 2018. p. N15.

Further reading

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  • Sweetman, Simon (2018). Enid Bakewell: Coalminer's Daughter. Lives in Cricket, no. 49. Bedford: Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. ISBN 9781908165954.
  • Thompson-Radford, Hannah (28 December 2022). "Enid Bakewell: Meet England legend touring Australia in her 80s". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
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