Meet the England legend touring Australia in her 80s

Enid Bakewell, bottom right, with other members of East Anglian Veteran Ladies

Not many 82-year-olds have spent their winter travelling to Australia from the UK to play cricket.

The 1973 World Cup winner is considered one of the greatest female players of all time, having averaged almost 60 and taken 50 wickets at 16.62 in a Test career which ran from 1968 until 1979.

But Bakewell's playing career isn't over yet.

Fast forward 53 years, and the ICC Hall of Famer has once again returned from touring Australia and New Zealand - this time representing the East Anglian Veteran Ladies who played several fixtures against other veteran sides.

"We didn't win many games but that didn't matter, people felt good about it," said Bakewell.

"We played over-70s men, and they were very chivalrous, but they didn't want to lose.

"The New Zealand men seemed to be more friendly and approachable than the Australians. Of course, Australians always want to win."

Playing in the opening match against Queensland Veterans Cricket Club, the Nottinghamshire-born trailblazer was named player of the match.

"I got given a bottle of wine, I can't remember that I did anything brilliant," said Bakewell, rather humbly.

Enid Bakewell with her player of the match award

Also in the East Anglian team was Janet Southgate (nee Allen), a former England team-mate and later captain who represented her country between 1976 and 1985.

"Enid played and was agile in the field," said 67-year-old Southgate. "At one stage she opened the batting, she was legitimately getting runs and they were not giving her anything. She batted in a couple games and fielded in all of them.

"She's absolutely loving it and she's a joy to be with and so many stories were shared from the past."

You'd imagine retirement would be an appealing option for the stalwart whose only playing breaks have been when she started a family or when the occasional injury has struck, the latest a second knee operation.

Bakewell laughed: "I did play when I was five-and-a-half months pregnant, and I fielded. I didn't want runs to be hit off my bowling.

"I did have to have a bit of a break when the children were born to recover. I used to run down the road with the pram to try and keep fit. It does work - but don't let go."

In the summer, contracting Covid-19 prevented the then-81-year-old from attending Cricket Week, an annual tournament in Colwall, Herefordshire, featuring many prominent players of the past and present.

But that hasn't deterred the octogenarian. She's joined a Nottinghamshire-based walking cricket side, plays club cricket and occasionally helps her daughter's eight-a-side team.

Bakewell named her second daughter Lynne after her mainstay batting partner Lynne Thomas. Despite the inspired name, Lynne has only recently decided to follow in her mother's footsteps.

"Ironically, Lynne is in her 50s and she's taken it up for the first time and is enjoying it," said Bakewell. "They were short, and we arrived early, and she said 'mum do you want a game?'.

"So, I kept wicket, but everyone had to bowl so I bowled underarm as my arm isn't quite right.

"I managed to catch a wicket behind the stumps, and we actually won.

"There's another grandma who plays with her granddaughter and normally they don't win. So, they won their first game and then they won three games for the first time."

While there may not be many 82-year-old women donning their whites, the message is clear: age doesn't have to be a barrier to playing cricket.

And Enid's secret to longevity in the game?

"Keep the interest," she smiles. "Cricket gives you something to keep your mind active and hopefully stop it from going senile.

"It's very much a mind game and you've got try and be a partner for the batter at the other end, and of course then when you're in the field, they're all your partners in the game.

"It's a great stimulus to the brain as well as the body."

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