Lives in Cricket No 49 - Enid Bakewell

46 Australia and New Zealand 1968-69 run after playing such an important role in England’s success. You could indeed say that – in two long bowls she took three for 68 (in 31.3 overs) and five for 56 (in 36.3), and she scored 114 and 66 not out. In the final innings England had been asked to score 173 in 129 minutes, and won with five minutes to spare. New Zealand had started well with an opening stand of 128, then Janet Stead was run out for 62 and eventually they reached 282 for nine, declaring at the overnight score. Enid’s 114, eventually out stumped trying to push it along, took England to a first innings lead at 296 for seven declared. By the close of day two New Zealand were 26 for one in their second innings. Enid’s long bowl then saw them out for 186 and her 66 not out, with a rapid 37 from Rachael Heyhoe, anchored the chase to 173 for 3 in 42.3 overs, much the quickest scoring of the match, with 150 reached in 108 minutes. Enid didn’t play against Southern Districts at Nelson, but Southern Districts were bowled out for 49 anyway. In the next game North Shore Women made 122 (Enid five for 33 in 26.5 overs): Enid was then out for 11 (run out again) in a score of 190 for two declared (a century for Rachael Heyhoe) and North Shore made 55 (Enid two for 12 but Carole Evans seven for 25). Enid reached 100 wickets for the tour in this match. Then, against a Northern Districts Invitation XI England scored 180 for nine declared (Enid 17) but she then took the ball and took eight for 14, improving slightly on her best figures for the tour. Northern Districts scored 65. She missed a light-hearted game against Silver Fern Women at Auckland, then came back for the final Test. Enid said that the Test was played tactically very cleverly by Rachael Heyhoe who kept on June Moorhouse, a fast bowler, and let New Zealand score runs to get them out of their negative style of batting. June asked Rachael why she kept her on bowling as they were scoring quickly and Rachael said that if she could tempt them to bat aggressively the spinners could then get the wickets for a win. Enid scored 52 (run out when the bowler deflected a Heyhoe straight drive onto the stumps) of England’s 293 for nine declared (made before the end of the first day), took three for 49 as New Zealand were bowled out for 192, scored another 56 out of 150 for four declared and finished the tour with three for 49 (all stumped by Shirley Hodges) as England took the last six wickets for 16 and New Zealand were out for 214. New Zealand had been beaten, but all three Tests against Australia had been drawn and thoughts turned to whether three days was enough (a decision the men’s game had faced 20 years earlier). On the way home they stopped in Fiji and then in San Francisco, where they played the men’s team of the Southern Californian Cricket Association twice. The team seem to have masqueraded as ‘Royal Exiles’. Both games were lost, but Fair Play says that it was very cold. Rachael Heyhoe mentions it in her autobiography and says they played two games (and drank a lot, and were then given champagne on the plane home).