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(Part two.) With 49 days to go to the 50th anniversary of West Indies’ triumph over Australia at Lord’s in the 1975 World Cup final, it is appropriate to acknowledge that this grand occasion was not the first global limited-over cricket tournament.
That honour goes to the women’s game which staged an international event two years earlier in England, with the hosts claiming the title ahead of Australia. They defeated their arch-rivals in the decisive final league game of a five-week, round-robin competition.
(via BBC.)
West Indies were not one of the seven teams involved as a regional representative side for women had yet to be established. However, it was the flags of Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica which flew at the tournament as squads led by Louise Browne and Yolande Geddes-Hall respectively ensured a Caribbean presence.
Not surprisingly, given their lack of exposure to the international game at that time, they struggled against England, Australia and New Zealand—but they were more competitive against Young England and an International XI.
That international team featured three West Indians who did not make their nations’ final squads in Gloria Farrell and Donna Carmino of Trinidad and Tobago together with Jamaican Paulette Lynch.
Five South African players were initially included in the International XI but were withdrawn after Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica threatened to pull out of the competition in protest.
(via ESPN.)
This of course was during South Africa’s isolation from international cricket which ran from 1970 to their re-entry in late 1991, due to the country’s racist apartheid policy at the time.
Trinidad and Tobago won two of their six matches, defeating Young England by five wickets and just getting past the Jamaicans by two wickets in a low-scoring Caribbean derby—Browne’s unbeaten 50 at the top of the order ensured they managed to overhaul a modest target of 98 with almost 12 overs to spare.
Like the first men’s World Cup two years later, matches were played 60 overs-per-side.
Jamaica’s lone victory came by a margin of 23 runs over Young England.
(via BBC.)
With almost no financial assistance given to the women’s game then, this first event only came about via the personal sponsorship of millionaire English businessman Jack Hayward, who had initially been persuaded by a “begging” letter from England captain Rachel Heyhoe Flint for an earlier tour of Jamaica.
None of the major international venues were used, except for that final game as Heyhoe Flint lifted the trophy in front of a packed grandstand at Edgbaston, following the 92-run whipping of the Aussies.
A modest start, but a start nevertheless… two years before the men.
(via CWI Media.)
Next: How limited-over cricket came about.
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Fazeer Mohammed is a journalist/broadcaster with almost 40 years’ experience across a range of media.
His interest in cricket, and particularly its history, started at home via his father’s small collection of autobiographies and magazines, offering perspectives and context which have informed his commentary and analysis on contemporary issues in the game.
