Lives in Cricket No 49 - Enid Bakewell

106 Chapter Nineteen Recognition The early years of the 21 st Century have seen women’s cricket change finally into a recognised international sport and one of the fastest growing women’s sports both in Britain and worldwide. As part of this there has been a belated recognition of the part played by the pioneers of the game. There were and are still games of cricket, games for Redoubtables and games for MCC and pickup sides, but Enid was now playing strictly for fun, but still with an edge. In what was now the ECB Women’s Knockout final in 2000 Redoubtables made only 99 for 6 in 40 overs (of which Enid made 20) and they lost by eight wickets, but Enid’s ten overs cost only eleven runs. In 2001 she went to the Netherlands with MCC (where she had been 44 years earlier) and in the first match made 54 before being run out. In the second match she was run out again, this time for 0, but took 2 for 14 as MCC won. In the third she took 2 for 18 and made 24 as MCC took the series 2-1. In 2004 she took the last two wickets as MCC beat RAF Women. In 2006 she could still bowl nine overs and take 1 for 14 against Orpington Nomads in Division 1 of the Southern League, and then 4 for 19 against Hayes Hurricanes in a narrow win. In 2008 she captained MCC against RAF Women, who were bowled out for 81 (but no details are available). By 2009 it was Redoubtables’ Seconds and 3 for 5 in 5 overs against Shepperton Thirds. In 2010 she took 3 for 16 against Brighton and 2 for 11 against Shepperton (both from 8 overs). Late in 2011 she appeared for “Marylebone Maidens” against “Lord’s Ladies” on the Nursey Ground, By 2013, in a process happening all around, Redoubtables merged into the (men’s) Purley club. Enid kept on playing, not batting much but still keeping things tight as a bowler. Eventually Enid moved back to Newstead (or at least the area). There is a card dated July 2011 ‘wishing you luck in your new life’, apparently from her bowling club in Surrey, and this must have been connected with the move back up home (she was still playing lawn green rather than crown green bowls). A major reason for this move was that her daughter Lynne was expecting, and Enid would be a grandmother. She told an audience at Newstead in 2015 that at the time she was still living in a bed-sit in Cheam and the council had decided to knock the building down and have it refurbished. Enid had made some comment