Finally in
MCC announces first 10 honorary female members
Posted: Tuesday March 16, 1999 03:49 PM
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Heyhoe Flint, who won 45 caps for England between 1960 and 1979, is one of the 10 women inducted into the Marylebone Cricket Club. Graham Chadwick/Allsport |
LONDON (AP) -- The Lord's-based Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), a bastion of male exclusivity for 212 years, on Tuesday announced its first 10 honorary female members.
Former England women's captain Rachael Heyhoe Flint, an active campaigner for the admission of women to the MCC since 1991, was on the ground-breaking list.
Heyhoe Flint, who won 45 caps for England between 1960 and 1979, was aware she was making cricket history.
"I might be referred to as the catalyst, who in 1991 had the temerity to apply to become a member," she said.
The world's oldest cricket club, which until 30 years ago was the governing body for the sport, voted in favor of admitting women in a ballot of members in September last year.
An original ballot in February last year failed to win a two-thirds majority but pressure from lobby groups and the government forced a second vote, where a 70 percent majority overturned the rule.
Not only had women been barred from membership, but with the exception of Queen Elizabeth II -- the club's official patron -- women also were not allowed to enter the club's pavilion during play.
Eight of the women attended the inauguration at the MCC's famous Long Room, where MCC president Tony Lewis said the club needed the experience of the women "as the culture of this great club changes."
"I can assure our 10 ladies that they have not been pawns in the popular game of social or political correctness," he said.
"The unanimous thinking of the committee was simply this...we could not claim to be a great cricket club unless we had a women's team and women members. A simple equation."
The first MCC women's team will play at Surrey on May 11.
The nine other women on the list all contributed to the development of womens cricket in England.
Betty Archdale, was a former England captain and tourist. Edna Barker played for England over 12 years.
Audrey Collins has had a 40-year association with the game and was president of the Women's Cricket Association for 12 years.
Carole Cornthwaite won 65 caps for England from 1985-93. Jackie Court played 40 matches for England.
Sheila Hill played for Oxford University and umpired the first Womens World Cup final between England and Australia at Edgbaston.
Norma Izard was a former president of the WCA and is the longest serving manager after managing 12 international before resigning in 1993.
Diana Rait Kerr was curator of the MCC museum from 1945-68 and Netta Rheinberg was secretary of the WCA for 11 years and was editor of the WCA magazine.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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