In the autumn of 2008 we witnessed a significant marker for women’s cricket in England and Wales when Clare Connor came to speak to the Society, presenting us with a valuable and informative insight into it, both via her talk and via the question and answer session.
Charlotte Edwards had been vice-captain to Clare and in due course took over the captaincy when Clare retired, already bearing the eye-catching credits of being the then youngest woman to play for England (in 1995), and the accumulation of no less than 12 centuries in 1997, including one registered on the day before her 18th birthday!
Her maiden Test century, against India, came within another year, and many more followed, with Charlotte taking on the mantle of Claire Taylor as the mainstay of England women’s batting in spite of missing virtually a whole season with Kent and England due to a cruciate injury.
She played her 100th ODI during an Australian tour, and memorably led the team to victory in a one-off Test (at Bowral) before captaining England again down under in the 2009 World Cup, where, better still, her bowling contributions hit career best form.
Charlotte had already won the ICC’s Woman Player of the Year of 2008 at the Dubai ceremony, and was awarded an M.B.E. in the 2009 Birthday Honours.
Before long she had passed Karen Rolton’s ODI record total appearances, producing an even better career bowling best in the same match, versus Sri Lanka, this being her 142nd international cap.
In the same year she scored a landmark first Ashes century in a Test against Australia, hitting 114 not out as the major role in England’s first innings total of 207, having in the previous year led England to an Ashes-retaining draw in the Test at New Road, marking her own contribution with an unbeaten half century.
More recently, in the course of the 2013 World Cup, Charlotte became the highest-scoring batsman of all time in women’s ODI cricket, perhaps countering the disappointment of England so surprisingly missing out on the final.
The Society will be pleased to welcome a wonderful cricketer and leader, forever to be respected and admired as a superb role model for all youngsters.