CHISWICK WOMEN’S Cricket TEAM

Looking for members

Chiswick Women’s Cricket team are to start playing league matches for the first time this summer.

The team, who came together initially for a bit of fun and exercise during the Covid pandemic, have so far played two matches - both friendlies against the Shepherd’s Bush women’s team, who had similar beginnings to them and are at a similar stage in their development.

That experience has emboldened them to join the Derek Morgan T20 league, so-called after the Derbyshire and England player who was one of the biggest supporters and the instigator of women’s and girl’s cricket in Middlesex.

“We realised we had enough skills and understanding of the game to play” said Chiswick Women’s team captain Leonora Yorath.

For cricketing purposes Chiswick comes under the county of Middlesex and the league is described as being ‘the entry point for emerging clubs wishing to play league cricket’.

“I’m hoping they are true to their word,” said Leonora, a little anxious that the other teams may not be quite as new to it as they are.

It is slightly nerve-wracking signing up for eight matches - four home and four away - throughout the summer, when you have only just learned how to hold the ball properly.

“The hardest thing about learning cricket is learning how to bowl” she said.

I asked how well she now understands the game.

“I’m getting there” she said, cagily. “I know the rules. I know the basics, but it’s the tactics, there are so many levels to it.”

Leonora’s husband Jim is one of three trustees of the Chiswick Cricket Club, and has been instrumental in regenerating the club, winning an ‘Outstanding Contribution to Cricket’ award from the English Cricket Board in 2015 for the regeneration of the ground in Dukes Meadows, just off the A316.

As well as being leading lights of their respective cricket teams, Leonora and Jim run the Duck & Ball pub in the old cricket pavilion, where we were served a stupendous roast beef and Yorkshire pudding while we talked.

Having women in the club has changed the dynamics in the club house too. “Not that it was ever too laddish, but it has helped the balance,” said Jim. The women’s team start practising for a couple of hours on Wednesday evenings on 19 April and welcome new members.

Pat Davies is now 99. As a young woman during the Second World War she worked at listening stations around the coast, eavesdropping on German naval radio transmissions and relaying the content to the code breakers at Bletchley Park.

“It was interesting work – exciting and serious in equal measure. We didn’t know the significance of the messages we passed on, but we knew the work we were doing was important,” she says.

Pat spoke fluent German, as a result of spending time with refugees from Germany and Austria who had worked for her family.