Cricket Witness No 4 - Women at the WIcket

141 Conclusion - War Again, and its Aftermath rejected male control as far as was possible. Although the English Women’s Cricket Federation provided opportunities for thousands of working-class girls in Lancashire and Yorkshire, their priority was strictly to aid men’s cricket. In doing so, they were little concerned for the future of the sport and when the profits dried up sides predictably folded. The WCA placed power in the hands of women, not men and markets, and consequently carved an autonomous island for itself in volatile waters. Its commitment to a ‘separate but equal’ policy with men’s cricket placed a safety net underneath the game, preventing ‘exploitation by men’ or accusations of impropriety. Informed by the ‘difference’ feminism of many of its leading members, the WCA’s policy undeniably excluded women and girls from poorer backgrounds. They simply could not afford to ignore the financial aid offered by men at local clubs and workplaces. This policy mellowed in the late 1930s when, backed by government money and boosted by the decline of the Federation, the Association cautiously accepted some leagues and began seeking working-class members. Leading feminists in the Association could claim in 1946 that the WCA had ‘spread the spirit of good comradeship among all classes of people.’ 10 Nevertheless, they were unwilling to compromise their core values, and the cost of their separatism was too steep for most women. The Association continued to be a middle-class organisation throughout the 20th century, although they were rarely deliberately exclusionary. Despite this, the largest body of playing organisations were company teams. Working girls in mills, factories, offices, retailers, hotels and other employment began to play cricket for the first time, usually aided by their managers andwelfare staff. As women became increasinglymore important to companies in emerging industries, especially light manufacturing and ‘white blouse’ work, efforts to improve their productivity, loyalty and morale centred round sport and recreation. Women’s cricket in England partly grew as it fulfilled specific business needs. Company cricket tournaments were commonplace for male workers, and extending these to women was a natural step for forward-thinking employers. Cricket promised to provide them with a happier, healthier and more efficient workforce, and women were quick to snatch any opportunity to play. Games could also offer a means of crossing class boundaries and uniting all staff, with the hope of undermining working-class militancy and political extremism. Women’s football had emerged in a similar way during the First World War, but whereas this was curbed by the Football Association, the interwar period was generally a boom time for women’s physical liberation. Hockey, swimming, netball, golf, tennis, fitness classes and many more physical recreations became a regular part of adulthood for women throughout the country, and were not just confined to the upper class. Not only did they become more acceptable pastimes, but they were also widely accessible. Women’s incursion onto the cricket field faced more opposition than any other mass-participation sport, bar football, but fears were placated by