On this day: The first-ever Women’s ODI at Lord’s
The first official Women’s One-Day International was played in 1973 which was also the inaugural World Cup in the format. The tournament was played in England and England Women won by beating Australia Women in the final at Birmingham. Interestingly, like the Men’s, the final of the mega event was not played at the Mecca of Cricket and it was only three years later when it hosted its first Women’s ODI.
On August 4 1976, England Women hosted Australia Women in the first-ever ODI at Lord’s. This was also the first ODI in Women’s Cricket after the World Cup in 1973 and overall the 22nd Women’s game in the format. The 60-over game saw the visitors winning the toss and opting to bat first. Australia didn’t get off to a great start with only Margaret Jennings reaching double figures among the top five.
They were reduced to 41/5, only for Sharon Tredrea and Wendy Hills to form a crucial 71-run partnership. But once this partnership was broken, there was another collapse as Australia were left reeling at 127/9 from 112/5. Tredrea scored a vital 54 but got out at the wrong time to leave the team struggling. It was the last-wicket pair of Marie Cornish and Wendy Blunsden that helped Australia post 161 runs on the board with the former getting run-out in the last over of the innings on 27.
England breeze past Australia losing only two wickets
After posting a relatively fighting total, Australia Women had to strike early to have any chance of restricting the strong England line-up. But it didn’t happen as the hosts’ openers Enid Bakewell and Lynne Thomas stitched 85 runs together. However, both of them got out in the space of seven runs with the former getting out after scoring exactly 50.
Australia had sensed a chance then to make a comeback but Chris Watmough and England Women skipper Rachel Heyhoe-Flint joined hands to steer the team to victory. Watmough remained unbeaten on 50 while her partner scored 17* as the home team won the game with eight wickets in hand in the 57th over of the innings.
