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)
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