Nearly three years after the first ever women’s ODI, the Lord’s hosted its first women’s international match on this day in 1976, with World Cup champions England taking on Australia in a 60-over contest.
However, the road to play at the ‘Home of Cricket’ was not an easy one for the side.
It took five years for the women, spearheaded by their skipper Racheal Heyhoe-Flint, to convince the authorities to host an international, with the battle going as far as a threat to bring the case to the Equal Opportunities Commission of United Kingdom. The England captain’s efforts, coupled by their victory in the first World Cup in 1973, earned them an opportunity to play at the iconic venue.
The match was played on the 50th anniversary of the Women’s Cricket Association, and the hosts emerged victorious against their arch rivals.
Electing to bat first, a half-century from Sharon Tredrea in the middle-order allowed the visitors to finish at a respectable 161 before getting bowled out. England had no hesitation chasing down the target, courtesy of half-centuries from Enid Bakewell and Chris Watmough.
The victory helped the hosts level the three-match series, which they would eventually go on to win 2-1.
Since that day, Lord’s has gone on to host 14 more women’s ODIs - the most recent one being the 2017 World Cup Final, in which England beat India by nine runs to lift their fourth title.
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