The countdown continues and the open captain and one of his team have gone ahead to spy out the land in Bali. Reports so far indicate it is what we all expect: a rather nice, warm place.
If you look at the shirts of the England Cricket team they all have numbers representing when they first played for the team(W G Grace is 24 and Alastair Cook is 630). A list of the England Women who have played in World and European events since the first European Championship in 1935 has been produced and can be found here. (Thanks to Simon Cochemé for the research for this document). Nicola Smith is number 49, Sally Brock 59, Heather Dhondy 72, Nevena Senior 76, Fiona Brown 84 and Susan Stockdale 85.
A list for the open team will be produced soon. Any volunteer to help would be most welcome!
If you look at the file some of the early entries are in the form of Mrs X with no initials so if you have any knowledge of those far distant times then please let me know.
The forthcoming World Championships are the 41st. The series started in 1950 with the Bermuda Bowl. The Europe team in 1955 comprised 6 players from Great Britain and this is the only time we have won. We won a silver medal in 1987 in Jamaica and Tony Forrester was a part of that team.
The Women's event, the Venice Cup, started in 1974. We have won in twice in 1981 and 1985. Nicola Smith and Sally Brock were a part of both of those teams. We haven't yet won a medal since we became England not Great Britain but were 4th in the last Venice Cup in 2011 in Veldhoven.
Play starts in the early part of next week with a full round robin and you will be able to follow it all both on the WBF site here and also on BBO.
Didn't Liz McGowan play for us when we were Great Britain? She partnered Sandra Penfold, if my recollection is correct.
ReplyDeleteYes she did, David, the first occasion being in Venice in 1988 (you were there, weren't you?). She also partnered Heather Dhondy.
ReplyDeleteI presume that she has been omitted because she is Scottish, not English.
Also Vi Outred (Vi Mitchell as was) and Jill Casey, who both played in the legendary 1991 Venice Cup team that lost a QF on the last board due to a dubious appeals committee decision.
ReplyDeleteKitty Bethe wasn't terribly English as I recall, but I guess she'd paid,her EBU sub. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments. We should have made it clear that only English players are included; since it is now an English team, this seemed to make more sense. Others have pointed out a few duplicates, for example Pat Cohen (number 13) is the same person as Pat Gardener (number 31). How wise we were not to have had numbered shirts made for the team to wear in Bali! I will update the document shortly.
ReplyDeleteGood luck to the English Ladies ... may they all come back as Number 1.
I was puzzled by the inclusion of an american, Kitty Bethe in the list. She must have had british residency the year she played, but does that make her english?
ReplyDeleteKitty qualified to play for GB as did Liza Shaw, her partner. Hence they are both on the list.
DeleteOnly English players are included?? You mean English players like Nevena Senior? Presumably if she ever leaves England then her player number will be wiped from existence like the other players who don't live here any more.
ReplyDeleteSeveral past players live abroad now. Their record remains. The list comprises those who played for England or would have qualified to do so when the team was GB
ReplyDelete