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| Rachael Heyhoe Flint: 'It's amazing … women are almost on parity with men' | |
| (2 days later) | |
| If the rumours were to be believed, this week could have been a historic marker for cricket and for the extraordinary polymath that is Rachael Heyhoe Flint, former England captain, ECB director, Wolverhampton Wanderers vice president and a life peer in the House of Lords. According to the whispers, Heyhoe Flint was expected to have been elected the first female president of the MCC on Wednesday. | If the rumours were to be believed, this week could have been a historic marker for cricket and for the extraordinary polymath that is Rachael Heyhoe Flint, former England captain, ECB director, Wolverhampton Wanderers vice president and a life peer in the House of Lords. According to the whispers, Heyhoe Flint was expected to have been elected the first female president of the MCC on Wednesday. |
| Instead, the outgoing president, Mike Gatting, appointed the former International Cricket Council president, David Morgan. Where did the rumours come from? Heyhoe Flint laughs riotously. "They've been going ever since I've been at the MCC, since 1998 when the vote to allow women members came through," she says. | Instead, the outgoing president, Mike Gatting, appointed the former International Cricket Council president, David Morgan. Where did the rumours come from? Heyhoe Flint laughs riotously. "They've been going ever since I've been at the MCC, since 1998 when the vote to allow women members came through," she says. |
| "I suppose every journalist has got a little red flag that comes up on their screen a month before the AGM. 'Let's find out who's going to be president of that male bastion' – which, of course, it was until 1998, and then: 'Oh, I wonder if one of the women might become president …' | "I suppose every journalist has got a little red flag that comes up on their screen a month before the AGM. 'Let's find out who's going to be president of that male bastion' – which, of course, it was until 1998, and then: 'Oh, I wonder if one of the women might become president …' |
| "If it happens to me one day – fantastic – if it doesn't I'll just carry on knitting and cooking," she says, mischievously. Domestic chores? One of the greatest female pioneers in sport? Give over. "Well, you've got to make people laugh a bit, haven't you? If people think it is right that I should be appointed to one of the best positions in cricket, if I live long enough, that will be fantastic, but you don't go around lobbying for it." | "If it happens to me one day – fantastic – if it doesn't I'll just carry on knitting and cooking," she says, mischievously. Domestic chores? One of the greatest female pioneers in sport? Give over. "Well, you've got to make people laugh a bit, haven't you? If people think it is right that I should be appointed to one of the best positions in cricket, if I live long enough, that will be fantastic, but you don't go around lobbying for it." |
| In an election process "as secret a nomination as for the next Pope", not even the MCC general committee knew of Morgan's election until Wednesday afternoon, an appointment Heyhoe Flint fully endorses. "Excellent choice, wonderful administrator," she says. | In an election process "as secret a nomination as for the next Pope", not even the MCC general committee knew of Morgan's election until Wednesday afternoon, an appointment Heyhoe Flint fully endorses. "Excellent choice, wonderful administrator," she says. |
| A tiny woman, with huge energy and presence, the 74-year-old has become renowned for pioneering change. From securing sponsorship for women's cricket in the 1960s, to influencing the corridors of power, those who know her have invented a verb: "to Rachaelise". "Oh yes," she says, giggling, having adjusted the TV set in the Lord's Tavern. "I'm always fiddling, Rachaelising." | A tiny woman, with huge energy and presence, the 74-year-old has become renowned for pioneering change. From securing sponsorship for women's cricket in the 1960s, to influencing the corridors of power, those who know her have invented a verb: "to Rachaelise". "Oh yes," she says, giggling, having adjusted the TV set in the Lord's Tavern. "I'm always fiddling, Rachaelising." |
| Over the past 50 years, the Baroness of Wolverhampton has repeatedly broken new ground – from becoming TV's first female sports commentator, for ITV's World of Sport, to being the first woman inducted into the ICC's Hall of Fame, one of the two first women appointed to the board of the ECB, in 2010, and among the first female members admitted to the MCC in 1998. | Over the past 50 years, the Baroness of Wolverhampton has repeatedly broken new ground – from becoming TV's first female sports commentator, for ITV's World of Sport, to being the first woman inducted into the ICC's Hall of Fame, one of the two first women appointed to the board of the ECB, in 2010, and among the first female members admitted to the MCC in 1998. |
| It took nine years to reach a majority vote on the latter, a process that Heyhoe Flint says required diplomacy and wit. "It was no use going in with a strident attitude saying: 'I'm a woman, I demand the right that after 204 years you have a woman member.' I just chat to people, get them on my side, with a light-hearted sense of humour – even though it's a very serious matter you're dealing with – and eventually you have people like Richie Benaud, Colin Cowdrey and Sir Jack Hayward supporting the concept of women members." | It took nine years to reach a majority vote on the latter, a process that Heyhoe Flint says required diplomacy and wit. "It was no use going in with a strident attitude saying: 'I'm a woman, I demand the right that after 204 years you have a woman member.' I just chat to people, get them on my side, with a light-hearted sense of humour – even though it's a very serious matter you're dealing with – and eventually you have people like Richie Benaud, Colin Cowdrey and Sir Jack Hayward supporting the concept of women members." |
| As a lifelong advocate of equality, she says that the notion of women playing alongside men at county level, a possibility raised for Sarah Taylor at Sussex last year, is not a new one. | As a lifelong advocate of equality, she says that the notion of women playing alongside men at county level, a possibility raised for Sarah Taylor at Sussex last year, is not a new one. |
| "Enid Bakewell, who played in my day for England, she used to practise an enormous amount at Nottinghamshire with their county staff. On ability alone they used to say she could have easily got into their second XI. To be honest, the men might find it a bit more difficult to accept than the women. They may be a little perturbed at the thought of their place being given to a woman, albeit one who merited playing selection on her ability alone." | "Enid Bakewell, who played in my day for England, she used to practise an enormous amount at Nottinghamshire with their county staff. On ability alone they used to say she could have easily got into their second XI. To be honest, the men might find it a bit more difficult to accept than the women. They may be a little perturbed at the thought of their place being given to a woman, albeit one who merited playing selection on her ability alone." |
| The habit of using the men's game as a yardstick for women's cricket is seen by some as unhelpful to progressing the sport, but Heyhoe Flint believes the experiment could be a real positive for the game. "If [Taylor] was selected for official matches and she did incredibly well that would be a bonus. So many people think women's cricket is a sort of watered-down version of men's cricket, I would think people would say: 'Blimey'. When one of the England men's wicketkeepers missed a catch last summer, Mike Atherton immediately referred to Sarah Taylor's wonderful catch against the Australian women the week before in commentary." | The habit of using the men's game as a yardstick for women's cricket is seen by some as unhelpful to progressing the sport, but Heyhoe Flint believes the experiment could be a real positive for the game. "If [Taylor] was selected for official matches and she did incredibly well that would be a bonus. So many people think women's cricket is a sort of watered-down version of men's cricket, I would think people would say: 'Blimey'. When one of the England men's wicketkeepers missed a catch last summer, Mike Atherton immediately referred to Sarah Taylor's wonderful catch against the Australian women the week before in commentary." |
| Had it been an option for Heyhoe Flint in her day, she wouldn't have had given a second's thought to joining the male playing staff at the crease. She chuckles. "I used to play for our local newspaper team, the Express and Star. I would change in the fertiliser shed with the lawnmowers. You'd be batting and you'd get the wicketkeeper chatting you up, asking you out for a drink that night, probably another way of getting a batsman dismissed. But I just treated it as terrific practice for me." | Had it been an option for Heyhoe Flint in her day, she wouldn't have had given a second's thought to joining the male playing staff at the crease. She chuckles. "I used to play for our local newspaper team, the Express and Star. I would change in the fertiliser shed with the lawnmowers. You'd be batting and you'd get the wicketkeeper chatting you up, asking you out for a drink that night, probably another way of getting a batsman dismissed. But I just treated it as terrific practice for me." |
| Several of the England women play in the men's leagues – Arran Brindle for Louth in Lincolnshire, and Dani Hazell for Durham, and Katherine Brunt and Taylor used to play at Darton. "There are women who can hold their own in the men's game," Heyhoe Flint says. "I wouldn't say to them don't do it, because it's very, very good practice for them. Sarah Potter [fast bowler for England in the 1980s, and Dennis Potter's daughter] played for Ross-on-Wye second XI and it brought her game on leaps and bounds." | Several of the England women play in the men's leagues – Arran Brindle for Louth in Lincolnshire, and Dani Hazell for Durham, and Katherine Brunt and Taylor used to play at Darton. "There are women who can hold their own in the men's game," Heyhoe Flint says. "I wouldn't say to them don't do it, because it's very, very good practice for them. Sarah Potter [fast bowler for England in the 1980s, and Dennis Potter's daughter] played for Ross-on-Wye second XI and it brought her game on leaps and bounds." |
| Taylor, Brindle and Hazell will turn out, under captain and Wisden Cricketer of the Year, Charlotte Edwards, for an MCC XI versus the Rest of the World as part of a series of matches celebrating 200 years of Lord's this month. Heyhoe Flint will manage the home side. "Well," she says, grinning, "they'd hardly let me play, would they?" | Taylor, Brindle and Hazell will turn out, under captain and Wisden Cricketer of the Year, Charlotte Edwards, for an MCC XI versus the Rest of the World as part of a series of matches celebrating 200 years of Lord's this month. Heyhoe Flint will manage the home side. "Well," she says, grinning, "they'd hardly let me play, would they?" |
| The thought is not so far-fetched. Heyhoe Flint is a woman of so many accomplishments you have to wonder, even as a septuagenarian, what she wants to achieve next. Heyhoe Flint smiles. It's already happened, she says beaming. Professional full-time contracts for 18 England women players, the names of whom were announced by the ECB this week. | The thought is not so far-fetched. Heyhoe Flint is a woman of so many accomplishments you have to wonder, even as a septuagenarian, what she wants to achieve next. Heyhoe Flint smiles. It's already happened, she says beaming. Professional full-time contracts for 18 England women players, the names of whom were announced by the ECB this week. |
| "That's absolutely amazing, it really brings life full circle back to the time when I would walk round the crowds collecting coppers, silver and pound coins to raise money for the team, and then drive home with it sitting in the footwell of my car. It's wonderful that those women are regarded almost on parity with the opportunities offered to men." | "That's absolutely amazing, it really brings life full circle back to the time when I would walk round the crowds collecting coppers, silver and pound coins to raise money for the team, and then drive home with it sitting in the footwell of my car. It's wonderful that those women are regarded almost on parity with the opportunities offered to men." |
| There is one other sporting reason for her to swoon this year, with the promotion of her beloved Wolves back to the Championship. Having supported the club since she was seven years old, "my brother and I used to stand in the Cowshed", and lived through decades of relegation and promotion across all four divisions, she is delighted to have found stability in the former Millwall manager Kenny Jackett. "He's very level-headed. No histrionics, no – how can I say this diplomatically? Well, I don't think I could live with a manager like José Mourinho." | There is one other sporting reason for her to swoon this year, with the promotion of her beloved Wolves back to the Championship. Having supported the club since she was seven years old, "my brother and I used to stand in the Cowshed", and lived through decades of relegation and promotion across all four divisions, she is delighted to have found stability in the former Millwall manager Kenny Jackett. "He's very level-headed. No histrionics, no – how can I say this diplomatically? Well, I don't think I could live with a manager like José Mourinho." |
| Let's get this straight: she would rather have Jackett than Mourinho? "Oh yes," she says, seriously. "That Mourinho, some of his outbursts are really not good for the game." She pauses. Then roars with laughter. "That's one I don't think I'd be able to Rachaelise, anyway." | Let's get this straight: she would rather have Jackett than Mourinho? "Oh yes," she says, seriously. "That Mourinho, some of his outbursts are really not good for the game." She pauses. Then roars with laughter. "That's one I don't think I'd be able to Rachaelise, anyway." |