Of the female Notts-Born/Notts-Based Test players whose pictures adorn the walls of Trent Bridge’s pavilion, few can claim to still be touring Australia for cricketing endeavours.
82-year-old Enid Bakewell, however, can.
The ICC Hall of Famer’s exploits for East Anglian Veteran Ladies in the Southern Hemisphere have been chronicled upon her return to home shores.
She scooped the player of the match award for her contributions against Queensland Veterans Cricket Club, before playing further fixtures against Australian sides and Kiwi outfits across the Tasman.
The trip down under was a small part of her ongoing playing journey.
A trailblazer in the women’s game, the 1973 World Cup winner took 287 wickets across 40 First-Class fixtures and 96 List A career appearances.
In addition, the top-order batter scored 4,740 runs in 140 innings for club and country, including six international centuries.
Now, the Newstead Village-born all-rounder represents a Nottinghamshire-based walking cricket side, her club and, occasionally, her daughter Lynn's eight-a-side team.
Her lifelong involvement in the game can be attributed to one key factor.
“Cricket gives you something to keep your mind active and hopefully stop it from going senile,” she jokes.
“It's very much a mind game and you've got to try and be a partner for the batter at the other end. 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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England at Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge will host three international matches in 2023, with the sole Test Match of the Women’s Ashes taking place at Nottinghamshire’s historic home, before England’s men face New Zealand and Ireland in IT20 and ODI contests respectively.
Secure your seats at trentbridge.co.uk/internationals.