Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is delighted to announce that it is tripling the number of artworks representing women in its collection with retrospective paintings and a portrait of former Australian captain, Belinda Clark being unveiled in the Long Room.
This landmark moment comes as Lord’s hosts its first ever Women’s Test match at the Home of Cricket, while also celebrating the 50th anniversary of when Rachael Heyhoe Flint first led out an England side to play a game on the Main Ground.
The retrospective artworks honour those that pioneered the sport and laid the foundations for the women’s professional game. The individuals painted by artist Angela Bell are Enid Bakewell, Mary Duggan, Jan Brittin and Myrtle Maclagan as well as a group painting by Kristian Evju depicting the England team that won the 1993 Women’s World Cup in which Karen Smithies (nee Hicken), Suzie Clarke (nee Kitson), Jo Chamberlain, Carol Hodges and Ruth Prideaux feature.
This follows the Evolution of Women’s Cricket exhibition that was on display in the MCC Museum from 2019-2021.
Charlotte Goodhew, MCC Collections & Programmes Manager commented: “We didn’t want the women’s story to be lost when the exhibition ended. The Women’s Cricket Association Archive which came to Lord’s in 2018 is a fundamental resource for telling the women’s story and all that they have achieved. We wanted to bring the archive to life by commissioning Angela Bell who specialises in paintings based on vintage photographs.”
Artist Kristian Evju works with the psychology of memory depicting a dreamscape of the women playing in the 1993 World Cup. In his work, play is depicted in progress on a raised stage inside the Long Room, the doors leading out to contemporary times are open, but the doors to the clubhouse and past are closed. Here he holds the subject in a vacuum between now and then.
MCC commissioned Australian artist, Andrew Greensmith to paint a portrait of former Australian Captain Belinda Clark, whose career spanned 11 years. A right-handed batter, Clark was a member of triumphant World Cup campaigns in 1997 and 2005 and the first player to record a double century in the One-Day International format of the game.
Belinda Clark commented: “It’s like being placed in a time capsule, which is a very special feeling. I’m thrilled with the outcome and grateful for the way Andrew has captured such an authentic representation of me. I really enjoyed the whole process — learning about the lighting, colours and technique, and getting to know Andrew, who was wonderful to work with and is an incredibly talented artist. To be the first overseas female cricketer included in the MCC Portrait Collection is a real privilege. I’m very grateful to MCC and am looking forward to visiting Lord’s and seeing it hanging in the iconic Long Room. The sport has evolved so much and will continue to do so. When I look at the portrait, I see the contrast of light and shade, the journey of the women’s game and the great possibilities the future holds for the game.”
MCC is also proud to announce today that it will commission a new installation within the Ground depicting a female cricketer, a first for a UK cricket ground, and completing the trilogy in one of its most famous sculptural displays. The Home of Cricket already has the famous bronze statues of an anonymous bowler and batter that stand at either end of the Barclays Media Centre at the Nursery End of the Ground. The new permanent installation will evoke a female fielder, representing the growth and importance of the women’s and girls’ game and inspiring future generations of girls to play cricket. It will complement existing women’s cricket pieces at the Home of Cricket including the Heyhoe Flint Gate and bas relief, and the women’s Ashes plaque.
MCC Chief Executive & Secretary, Rob Lawson, commented: “The retrospective artworks, the Belinda Clark portrait and the female cricketer sculpture are a true marker of MCC’s commitment to demonstrating leadership in gender equality. These new projects add to Lord’s tradition of visionary art and architecture and are crucial in ensuring our heritage is relevant and relatable to everyone who loves, plays or participates in cricket”.
The first Women’s Test match at Lord’s promises world-class cricket between two of the world’s best teams – England v India – however the occasion will extend far beyond the action in the middle, with Lord’s transformed into a celebration of women’s cricket, its history and its future. To read more, click HERE.
