Lives in Cricket No 49 - Enid Bakewell

71 so was paring back expenses as far as possible. So in 1979 Enid was once again a regular in the England team, playing three Test matches and two one day internationals. The West Indies were low in the pecking order for women’s cricket, and Lord’s or the Oval were off the agenda. In the first ODI (at 55 overs per side) Enid took three for 22 from her 11 overs and then made 35 not out batting at number four as England won by eight wickets – the Guardian said the running and audacity of the West Midlanders, Flint and Bakewell … ensured England of victory . Some in Nottingham might have taken issue with ‘West Midlander’. Although Rachael was back, Sue Goatman was captain. The Tests were three day matches and at Canterbury England won by nine wickets (Enid one for 26 from 19 overs and one for nine from six, scoring 21 and 38 not out). Enid (and Rachael) then turned up at Tickhill to play for Northern Counties against the West Indians. Enid batted at five and was 47 not out when the innings ended for 144, then took one for 38 in eight overs as Shirley-Anne Bonaparte saw the West Indies to a four wicket victory. The Second Test at Trent Bridge was drawn. Enid took one for 26 in 15 overs and one for 24 from eight, and scored 54 and 16 not out. England however won the third, at Edgbaston. Enid made 68 in the first innings but then in the second carried the innings (and her bat) with 112 not out in a total of 164. She then took seven for 61 in 28.4 overs to bowl England to a narrow 24 run victory; ‘a long spell of accurate bowling’ said the Guardian . She had taken three for 14 in the first innings, so achieving the rare double of a century and ten wickets in a match. She was to have been presented with the match ball at the farewell reception, but it had not been mounted in time. West Indies won the third ODI (the second at Maidstone having been completely rained off), England making 167 for six in 50 overs (Enid 57) and West Indies 169 for eight. Enid bowled her ten overs for 14 runs but did not take a wicket. The series was tied at one-all but England took the trophy on run rate over the two games. So overall this had been a highly successful season for Enid, though she said the fast bowling was the liveliest she had ever faced. On the day after the last ODI she captained the North against West Indies again, this time for a two-wicket victory. She only bowled four overs, taking one for four, and made 17 as the North just managed to pass the West Indies’ score of 108. The crucial innings was 29 not out by Sandy Lister of Yorkshire, later to captain Great Britain’s Olympic hockey team. Though Enid will have played club cricket as well, there are no surviving records. From 1979 the WCA published an annual report but East Midlands failed to come up with anything. Nottingham were soundly beaten by Edgbaston in the first round of the National Club Knockout, 207 for six to 67 all out (Enid 24). Again, though, the tent was unfurled and she led her own team at the After ‘76