England 1973: The Story of the First Women’s Cricket World Cup

07/10/2025

England 1973: The Story of the First Women’s Cricket World Cup.

‌The year 1973 became a landmark in world cricket. Long before the men’s game tested the format, women staged the first-ever limited-overs World Cup in England. From June 20 to July 28, seven teams battled across the country in a competition that reshaped the international cricket landscape. The event, funded mainly through the vision and support of Sir Jack Hayward, was revolutionary: it not only preceded the men’s version by two years but also established women as pioneers of the one-day international era.

Roots of the Tournament

Women’s cricket in England already had a strong tradition. Since 1926, the Women’s Cricket Association (WCA) had organized domestic cricket, while in 1958, the International Women’s Cricket Council (IWCC) brought structure at the global level. Test matches, such as the 1934 England–Australia clash, had already marked important progress, but by the early 1970s, international play was still limited and faced financial difficulties.

England captain Rachael Heyhoe Flint championed the idea of a world event. She understood the need for a global stage and worked tirelessly to realize it. However, without funding, the dream seemed distant. The decisive role was played by British businessman Sir Jack Hayward, who invested around £40,000. His support meant the world’s first women's cricket World Cup could go ahead in 1973 in England.

Tournament Framework

The 1973 Women’s World Cup was held under the administration of the IWCC. It was staged at grounds across England, using a format of 60-over matches. The competition followed a round-robin system: every side faced each other, and the champion was determined by total points rather than a single final. In all, 21 matches were scheduled. The seven teams included:

England: led by Rachael Heyhoe Flint
Australia: captained by Denise Ann Nicholas Knee
New Zealand: with standout player Glenys Page
Trinidad and Tobago
Jamaica
Young England: a youth side, future talents in focus
International XI: a “best of the rest” squad featuring players from countries not fielding full national teams

Captains and Key Figures

The squads were filled with pioneers who shaped the direction of the women’s game.

England: Rachael Heyhoe Flint’s leadership combined with Enid Bakewell’s consistency at the top order. Lynne Thomas played a decisive role with the bat, while Mary Pilling strengthened the bowling attack.
Australia: Denise Knee marshaled her team, which included players such as Tina Macpherson, Sharon Tredrea, and Margaret Jennings.
New Zealand: Glenys Page delivered the tournament’s best bowling figures, six wickets for 20 runs.
Young England: Rosalind Heggs stood out, finishing as the top wicket-taker with 12.
International XI: Their competitive spirit brought them fourth place in the standings.
Caribbean entrants: Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago gave the tournament its West Indian flair.

Chronology of Matches

The competition began on June 20 with Jamaica against New Zealand at Kew Green in London. Rain spoiled the opening; not a ball was bowled, but soon play resumed across the country.

First Round Highlights

The first full day of play on June 23, 1973, became a turning point in women’s cricket. After the opening match at Kew Green had been washed out, the tournament finally came to life across several venues. Three games were played on the same day, each carrying its own piece of history and setting the tone for what the World Cup would become.

At Bournemouth, Young England were dismissed for 57 against Australia; the Australians reached the target with ease.
On the same day, England faced the International XI. Lynne Thomas scored the first century in women’s ODI history, 134 not out, as England piled 258/1. International XI managed 123/8, handing England a victory by 135 runs.
New Zealand beat Trinidad and Tobago, scoring 197 before bowling them out for 61.

Second Round

On June 30, three more games followed.

Australia beat Trinidad and Tobago, chasing 124 successfully.
International XI edged past New Zealand in a close contest, winning by two wickets.
Jamaica triumphed over Young England, defending 124 and winning by 23 runs.

Momentum Builds in July

Through July, matches continued in different cities. England consolidated its lead by defeating Trinidad and Tobago and maintained its top position in the points table. By July 20, their path to the title looked strong.

Decisive Encounter

The final scheduled match on July 28 at Edgbaston became a virtual final: England against Australia. Enid Bakewell scored 118, while Heyhoe Flint contributed 64, propelling England to 279/3. Australia, under pressure from disciplined English bowling, finished at 187/9. England won by 92 runs. The trophy presentation by Princess Anne, followed by a reception at 10 Downing Street hosted by Prime Minister Edward Heath, underlined the national recognition of their achievement.

Final Standings and Records

The round-robin table ended with:

England: 20 points, five wins, one defeat, champions
Australia: 17 points, runners-up
International XI: 13 points, third place
New Zealand, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Young England followed behind

Key Achievements

The 1973 Women’s World Cup not only crowned England as champions, but it also produced individual feats that became part of cricket history. Performances with both bat and ball highlighted the quality of the players and set standards for future tournaments. Some of the most notable achievements were:

Top Run-Scorer: Enid Bakewell with 264 runs
Other Batting Stars: Lynne Thomas with 263 and Rachael Heyhoe Flint with 257
Top Wicket-Taker: Rosalind Heggs of Young England with 12 wickets
Historic Records:

Lynne Thomas registered the first-ever century in women’s World Cup history.
Bakewell and Thomas shared a 246-run opening partnership, a record that still stands in women’s World Cup cricket.

Defining Moments

Several stories from the tournament still resonate:

Pioneering spirit: women staged a global World Cup two years before men, a rare case in international sport.
The “final without a final”: the last round clash between England and Australia carried the weight of a championship decider.
Enid Bakewell’s mastery: with both bat and ball, she set the tone, highlighted by her 118 at Edgbaston.
Lynne Thomas’s century: a Welsh hockey international convinced by WCA to focus on cricket, her 134 not out became a timeless moment.
International XI’s opportunity: providing players without national sides a stage, it showed the inclusive vision of the early World Cup.

What the Tournament Changed

The 1973 Women’s World Cup did more than crown England. It proved the viability of the limited-overs format on the global stage.

It confirmed the Women’s ODI framework and helped build the foundation for a regular calendar of events.
It accelerated the growth of national bodies. In India, the Women’s Cricket Association of India was formed in the same year and soon joined IWCC.
It positioned Rachael Heyhoe Flint as the central figure in the reform of women’s cricket.
It opened the path for the men’s World Cup in 1975, showing organizers that such a tournament could be successful.

Looking Back: 50 Years Later

In 2023, the ICC marked the golden jubilee of the 1973 World Cup with a series of initiatives. On June 20, they released the feature “ICC celebrates 50 years of the first-ever Cricket World Cup”, followed by another retrospective on July 28 titled “The World Cup that pioneered Women’s cricket”.

Historical uniqueness: the women’s game was the first to hold a global limited-overs championship.
Detailed reflections: the round-robin format, the decisive England and Australia clash, and the feats of Bakewell and Thomas were revisited.
Personal voices: former players such as Margaret Jennings, Sharon Tredrea, and Louise Browne shared their memories.
Legacy: The 1973 event fueled global development, spurred the rise of women’s cricket in India, and eventually led to the merger of the IWCC with the ICC in 2005.

A digital archive was created, with photographs, oral histories, and rare footage. In October 2023, a reunion in Australia brought together surviving participants. These gestures restored the memory of 1973 as the spark that ignited modern women’s cricket.

Conclusion

The 1973 World Cup was more than a tournament; it was a statement of vision and resilience. England triumphed on the field, but every participant contributed to an achievement that reshaped the sport. By preceding the men’s event, it showed that women were not merely part of cricket’s story but authors of one of its most important chapters. The legacy endures through every World Cup that followed, and the 50th anniversary served as a reminder that the origins of one-day cricket at the global stage belong to the women who stepped forward in 1973.