Lives in Cricket No 49 - Enid Bakewell

77 1982 World Cup the only real highlight of the England innings was Bakewell’s stubborn 33 . Australia scored 120 for four though it took 53.5 overs and catches were put down that might have made a difference. Enid bowled steadily but without taking a wicket, 8.5-3-15-0. Then, still at Wellington, they met the International XI, who made 145 all out in 60 overs. The first three in the order were run out, and although New Zealander Sue Rattray made 68, Carol Hodges (12-2-32-4) and Enid (12-2-29-3) were too much for the others. England made 149 for one in 35.4 overs, Sue Goatman (63 not out) and Chris Watmough (54 not out) made most of the runs. A game against Wellington saw England make 302 for four, Enid 37 not out coming in at five. Wellington made 173, Enid taking three for 26. On January 27 it was New Zealand again, with New Zealand out for 169 (Enid 11-3-27-0), England 170 for five, Enid run out for eight at the end of the innings. They moved on to play India at Nelson. India were all out 61 (Enid 5-2-11- 0) and England won by ten wickets. On to Christchurch where they played Australia again and this time tied. England 167 for six (Enid run out three, once again trying to scamper runs at the end), Australia 167 all out (Enid 12-0-35-1). Then the International XI were well beaten again, England 242 for four (Enid did not bat), International XI 129 for seven (Enid 12-3-24-2). This had brought them to the final and another meeting with Australia. Australia, clear favourites, were unbeaten having won 11 games and tied one, England having won seven and lost three. England made 151 for five in their 60 overs, but it was probably too slow. Enid was padded up but did not bat as the fifth wicket fell to the last ball of the innings. England started well, as Australia had three out for 28 and it would have been 64 for four but a catch was dropped off Enid. ‘Bakewell was seen on TV urging the team on, teeth and fist clenched encouragingly.’ Australia’s 152 for seven took 59 overs; Enid bowled 12-3-26-0. Bowling the 59 th over she was hit for a four by Cornish and another single off the last ball of the over saw Australia home. The Canberra Times said that ‘with seven runs needed England had its two most impressive bowlers, Bakewell and Avril Starling, to bowl the last two overs’. Enid was not happy: I bowled the over from which Marie [Cornish] scored the winning runs. There was an over to go but I had nightmares for some time thinking about what I could have bowled differently. Fourteen wickets at 20.78 was a fair return for Enid, but England’s batting this time was led by Jan Brittin, Sue Goatman, and Rachael Heyhoe Flint. After the World Cup, Enid said: ‘ I actually wanted to go and live in New Zealand but my other half worked for Rolls Royce and he’d had a workmate go over there and come back after 18 months because his wife got homesick and you’d have to start at the bottom again so he didn’t want to move. And we’d have had to come back to look after mum and dad”; and ‘everybody in NZ seems to be friendly, I only met one person who didn’t say ‘hi’ back.’