The women played a cricket World Cup two years before the men did. That was in England in 1973.

England, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, besides an International XI and Young England, took part. The host won the inaugural edition, beating Australia by 92 runs in the final.

But, not many bothered.

The world’s first recorded women’s cricket match may have been played in 1745 in Surrey between two villages of that county, Bramley and Hambledon, but for centuries, the women in cricket were invisible and not getting too much attention.

England’s World Cup heroine of 1973 had to grow and sell potatoes so that she could play cricket. The players had to drive to their day jobs after the game, and one of them was so exhausted, she fell asleep on the wheel. There were occas

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