Association of Cricket Officials Issue 32 | Page 7

Umpires Deborah Burns and Jane Carpenter oversee captains Charlotte Edwards and Natasha Miles doing the toss. ‘Having been to Lord’s before, it was surreal sitting in the scorebox. It was one of the stands I hadn’t watched a game from, and the view was fantastic. Although the crease seemed a long way away, I was able to see the whole pitch in a way I’d never seen it before. Even though it may seem like an insignificant thing to many, a definite highlight of my day was seeing my name on the scoreboard – something I had dreamed of ever since I got involved in cricket scoring, many years ago.’ Pauline Hill ‘I suddenly understood what my students mean when they tell me they cannot remember a thing the night before an examination. Nerves and anticipation had momentarily crowded out all detailed preparation. As Lizzy and I were announced, as we stepped onto the field of play and the players emerged from the Pavilion to join us, we were in familiar territory, though the grandeur of the setting was frequently brought back into focus by the skill of the players drawing cheers from the crowd. My abiding memory will be of the joy on the faces of all those privileged to be involved in the day. The team at Lord’s could not have been more welcoming. It was an honour to be a tiny part of history being made.’ Tina Semmens ‘Captaining was a massive honour. The whole tradition of Lord’s gives me goose bumps. Walking along the corridors, sitting on the players’ balconies – the whole experience was amazing. Going out to toss with the umpires, with all the children cheering from the stands was amazing. Playing for MCC women gives you the opportunity to play cricket in matches on pitches you would never dream of playing on, with like-minded women cricketers who play cricket in the right spirit. This match at Lord’s was the embodiment of what playing for MCC is about for women. Being able to put on a show for the excited children was the icing on the cake. I hope they remember some of the excellent play.’ Marilyn Smith, captain of MCC Marylebone Maidens ‘Women’s Day at Lord’s was a showcase of the entire pathway in the women’s game and it was fantastic to have Lizzy, and her fellow female umpires, as part of this. I hope that this can be a springboard for females to get in to officiating; there is a lot of talent out there and we were pleased that we could demonstrate this on the day.’ Danni Warren, Head of Women’s Cricket, MCC and Middlesex ‘It was a lovely day and a privilege to sit in the Lord’s scorebox and look over the ground that h as seen such great history. A bit different from sitting on the boundary at my club (often in the rain) and trying to do the scorebook, the laptop and the scoreboard all at once.’ Alison Bruce ‘I have been involved in umpiring men’s cricket within Middlesex for over 35 years and more recently, well since 1999, women’s cricket for the MCC, but this day at Lord’s was without doubt one of the real highlights of my career and a huge honour to be part of such a historic day. I think it goes to show that you just never know when such a fantastic opportunity will come along and I am very grateful to MCC and Middlesex Women for asking me to represent a growing band of women umpires and officiate on the hallowed turf at Lord’s.’ Deborah Burns (née Murphy) email us at [email protected] contact us on 0121 446 2710 7