Lives in Cricket No 49 - Enid Bakewell

45 Australia and New Zealand 1968-69 no problem making two to win. The Observer said: English leg-breaker bowler Enid Bakewell, the most successful bowler on the Australian section of the tour, was in fine form. Clearly the New Zealanders were less inclined than the Australians had been to attack her. Then against Wellington at Lower Hutt, England made 305 for five declared, Enid missing out with seven. But she took four for 21 in 17 overs as Wellington made 174 and following on 187 for four declared (Enid 17- 8-28-1), leaving England to make 61 to win in no time. Enid opened with Rachael Heyhoe and they scored the runs in 23 minutes from eight overs, Heyhoe making 42 from 19 balls and Enid 14 not out. By February 17 the Times was reporting the First Test against New Zealand, played on the Test ground at Basin Reserve, Wellington. The England bowlers had some rough treatment from Pat McKelvey, who made 155 not out in a score of 302, at that time the highest score in a Test at Wellington, man or woman. But in a three-day match New Zealand’s innings lasted into the second day. After the first day the Telegraph reported that the left-arm spin of Mrs Bakewell helped to contain New Zealand’s scoring rate. Her variations of pace and flight earned great respect and she finished [the first day] with three for 38 in 40 overs, 24 of them maidens . Enid finished a marathon spell on the second day, taking five for 40 in 41.5 overs. By the close of the second day Enid was 106 not out and England were 173 for four. She went on to 124 (‘Petite Enid dashes New Zealand hopes’ , ran the headline) and helped England to a lead and 340 for seven declared, but it rained with New Zealand four for no loss. The game would almost certainly have been drawn anyway. On to Dunedin, where England made 307 for five declared in 218 minutes against Otago. Enid made 38 but Audrey Disbury made 119; they put on 86 in 79 minutes. Otago made 53 (out by the close on the first day) and 78, totally unable to play Enid, whose figures were 16.2-7-16-8 and 18-9-25-5. In Otago they ran into some of the touring West Indian side, just arrived from Australia, for ‘a very lively occasion’, according to Rachael Heyhoe Flint. Then against Canterbury in Christchurch (at the Hagley Oval, the Test ground) Enid made 92, anchoring England’s 269 and, after taking only one wicket in the first innings of 119, took six for 51 from 31 overs in the second as the home team slid from 133 for two to 170 all out. Enid was not called on as England made 21 for none to win. Enid didn’t play in the next game against the New Zealand President’s XI (though she did take a catch as substitute in the second innings). Then came a notable Test match, both for England and for Enid. On March 10 the Times reported that ‘Mrs Enid Bakewell from Nottinghamshire scored an undefeated 66 to help England Women’s cricket team to victory by seven wickets against New Zealand with four minutes to spare’. Pointing out that it was the first positive result between the countries since 1954, the paper went on: It was fitting that Mrs Bakewell should hit the winning