Ladies v Gents cricket in Sussex – a snapshot in time

The cricket season is nearing its end but before the stumps are pulled for the final time it’s worth looking back on a sporting idea that was seemingly popular in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries – Ladies v Gents matches.

While the reports of the matches were not completely misogynistic there were phrases or comments that tended to suggest that women performing well was something of a surprise.

Women’s cricket can be traced back to 1745, with a match between two villages in Surrey and the first women’s club was formed in 1887 in Yorkshire.

However, the Ladies v Gents matches tended to be held as more social events.

One such was in 1888 in Pulborough, when ‘an amusing and interesting match was played’ in front of a large number of spectators.

The report said: “The scoring tent and ground was decorated with flags, and the various coloured dresses of the ladies made a very pretty and attractive scene.” The two innings match was won by the men.

Another was in 1896 in Horsham between lady and gentlemen teachers in a field at the rear of the local vicar’s house.

The 12 women batted first and made 18, while the seven men scored 44. One man was run out with the report saying ‘whisper it gently; it was a “lady’s run out”.’

A year earlier, over in Lingfield in Surrey, there was an interesting (return) match between 11-a-side teams. The men were handicapped by the fact that they had to bat with “broomsticks” and use their left hand in both batting and bowling.

Not surprisingly, the ladies won, with Miss E. Churchill making a rather fine 21.

The idea of handicapping the men was evident later, in 1905, when the season started in Slinfold, with matches including Ladies v Gentlemen.

The men were again restricted to “broomsticks” and playing with their left hand (or right if left-handed).

Apparently, “there were many amusing incidents in the match, not the least being the many fruitless attempts of the gentlemen to bring off left-handed catches.”

That same year “there were rare doings at Broadbridge Heath” when the recently formed Ladies Cricket Club challenged the men.

Played under regular rules, the women amassed 121 runs, while the men could only muster 112. The evening was rounded off with dancing to the Horsham Town Prize Band.

A cursory search for more of these matches tends to suggest that there were numerous fixtures taking place across the country up to the First World War but that they mostly fizzled out after hostilities ended.