Eileen Ash

Eileen Ash (née Whelan; 30 October 1911 – 3 December 2021) was an English cricketer who played primarily as a right-arm medium bowler.

She appeared in seven Test matches for England between 1937 and 1949. Ash, a supercentenarian, was the oldest lived international cricketer, and died at the age of 110.

Cricket career

Whelan played Test cricket both before and after World War II, making her debut against Australia at Northampton in June 1937, and playing her last game against New Zealand in Auckland in March 1949. Her best career performance came against a Victoria County XI in a tour match in 1949 with a all-round display scoring an unbeaten century and taking five wickets in the match which also propelled England to a comfortable 70 run win. She also met Australian cricketer Don Bradman in 1949 at a French restaurant in Sydney, and received a bat signed by him.

A specialist bowler, she took 10 Test wickets at an average of 23.00. Whelan also played domestic cricket for the Civil Service, Middlesex and South of England.

Working life

Ash was employed by the Civil Service from the age of 18 and was seconded to MI6 during World War II, and went on to work with the organisation for eleven years. Ash and her husband eventually retired to Norwich.

She took up golf in later life, only quitting at the age of 98.

Centenarian

In 2011, Ash became the first female test cricketer to live to 100 years old. She was made an honorary life member of the Marylebone Cricket Club to mark the occasion. Writing for the BBC in February 2017, Heather Knight, England's captain, said,

I had the absolute privilege of meeting Eileen Ash, the oldest living Test cricketer (male or female) for some filming before I left for Australia, and she is easily one of the most extraordinary ladies I've ever met. She's 105, does yoga every week and I've met teenagers who have a lot less energy than she does! It was amazing to hear some of her experiences of playing cricket for England, especially the boat trips they used to have to take to play in Australia, and she also took me through her yoga routine. My pride, and a number of my muscle groups, are still in tatters after being put to shame by a 105-year-old.

In July 2017, aged 105, Ash rang the bell at Lord's to signal the start of play at the 2017 Women's World Cup Final, which England won. She rang the bell for five minutes at Lord's in order to commemorate the 80th anniversary of her international  To mark her 106th birthday, she was taken for a flight in a Tiger Moth. In November 2018, she opened a sports hall named in her honour at The Hewett Academy in Norwich. In 2019, the Marylebone Cricket Club unveiled a portrait of her at the Lord's stadium.

In January 2021, at the age of 109, she became one of the oldest people in the UK to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Ash celebrated her 110th birthday on 30 October 2021 at the Norwich care home in which she resided.

Ash died on 3 December 2021, at the age of 110.