On Sunday, the cricketing world bowed down before Sally Barton as she set a world record which may last for all eternity. It was Sally's debut at the international level as the Gibraltar women's team met Estonia for a T20 International. However, the debutant was the oldest player on the field. She was senior to not just all other players on the field, but anyone to ever play the game!
Sally Barton was reportedly 66 years and 334 days on Sunday -- the oldest player ever to play a T20I -- across men's and women's cricket.
Ahead of Sally's debut, it was Portugal's Akbar Syed who held the record for being the oldest international cricketer. He was 66 years and 12 days old when he represented his country last, the news report said.
Sally was a teacher at the Political Science Department of the prestigious London School of Economics (LSE). She has been a lifelong cricket fan. Unlike most kids, the present she got for for seventh birthday was a cricket scoring book. She played for Essex juniors and Kent Invicta ladies while at school. At Nottingham University, she even kept wicket for the men’s third team.
However, a decade-long stay in the Democratic Republic of Congo brought curtains to her time on the cricket field temporarily. But once she moved back to London, she reignited her passion for the game by playing for the Heronettes in Wanstead.
Her association with the cricket fraternity in Gibraltar began in 2020 after she moved there. Sally celebrated qualifying to play for Gib with a T10 series in which she took two catches.
Although Sally kept wickets throughout Sunday's match, the sexagenarian did not get a chance to bat in the game. However, the debutant can feel proud as Gibraltar ran away with a huge 128-run win over Estonia.
