Enid Bakewell

Enid Bakewell is, in short, one of England's all-time greats. In an assured Test debut in 1968, she struck a confident 113 against Australia which set the tone for her Test success. As one of England's best allrounders, her left-arm spin captured 50 wickets at an average of 16.13 in only 12 Tests. She scored a total of 1,078 runs, including four centuries and seven 50s in her Test career which spanned 11 years. Bakewell scored a fifty in both innings four times, a century and 50 in the same Test twice and is one of only two players to have scored back-to-back Test centuries - Jan Brittin is the other. And the records just keep coming. She twice amassed more than 300 runs in a three-Test series, hitting 412 in five innings against New Zealand in 1968 and 309 in six innings against the West Indies in 1979. She scored a ton and took five wickets in three Tests, a feat achieved by only two other players. And, in 1979 against the West Indies she became the first English player, male or female, to score a ton and take 10 wickets in the same Test, which was also her last appearance. Only Ian Botham and Australian Betty Wilson have since achieved that feat. She scored 118 in England's World Cup final defeat of Australia in 1973 - and her one-day career was something to write home about, too. She played 23 one-day internationals, taking 25 wickets and scoring 500 runs, which included two centuries. Bakewell continued to play for East Midlands into her 50s and, now in her 60s, she still turns out for her club Redoubtables, in Surrey - where she opens the bowling. She is also an ECB-qualified coach and her teams have included England U21.
Jenny Thompson September 2004