Lives in Cricket No 49 - Enid Bakewell

82 Chapter Thirteen Enid in South Africa In December 1983 Enid went to South Africa with the Unicorns, on the face of it a very surprising move for a convinced socialist. Enid says: In the 1980s apartheid was strong in South Africa and the Gleneagles Agreement was in force. However, unofficial ‘Unicorn’ tours had been out to South Africa to give the girls in South Africa competition so a team was got together for further unofficial tours in 1983 and 1985. Basically we wanted to keep women’s cricket alive out there. The argument that golfers and rugby players were free to visit persuaded us we were OK to go. She was moving in cricketing circles in which South Africa was just a pleasant place to visit. How it had come about for Enid was that Rachael Heyhoe Flint had organised a practice trip to cricket facilities at La Manga, where they had played against a men’s eleven organised by Don Wilson. There was some talk about driving to Heathrow. Enid had still been driving her 1955 Ford Consul and was persuaded to change it for a red Cortina. but that was written off when someone ploughed into the back of them on their way to Heathrow for the La Manga trip. This completely freaked Rachael Heyhoe Flint, who was a poor passenger anyway. Enid says Rachael (who had got the seats at the last minute) was not a good flyer Enid third from left, in South Africa with the Unicorns.