The first Canterbury-born English test cricketer, Cecilia Robison passed away at the age of 97 last month.
In a national career spanning from 1949 to 1963, Robinson played 14 test matches for England scoring a total of 829 runs which includes two centuries (both against Australia with the highest score of 105) as well as the same number of half-centuries at 33.16. She captained the side once against Australia in a match that ended in a draw, back in 1958. Robinson, who is known for her pioneering role in women’s cricket, also represented Kent in domestic cricket for additional four years after retiring from international cricket. She scored over 1000 runs at a 50.00 plus average, playing in 30 officially scored matches for the county, and captained the side in six officially scored matches. All these stats are from the recorded matches, as per the data given in an article on Kent Cricket’s website, she would have played more outstanding knocks and captained more matches.
After retiring from cricket, Robinson became Games Mistress at Roedean School in East Sussex and then the head of Roedean’s Junior House. She also became the ladies captain of her local golf club, Tenterden. Last year in March, she was awarded Kent Women Cap number 7 for her services to Kent Cricket.
After the news of her sad demise on November 8, 2021, Kent Cricket’s Chairman, Simon Philip, said, “Cecilia was one of the pioneers of women’s cricket in our county, and will always be remembered as the first Canterbury-born cricketer to play a Test match for England.
“The longevity of her career and her performances, especially in Ashes Tests, make her a real legend of women’s cricket in Kent.
“She will have inspired many future generations of female cricketers in our county and is an intrinsic part of the history of the most successful women’s county side in England.”
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