Nurse makes history at Lord's

Cathy Rawson is a well-respected scorer

A nurse has made cricket history by becoming the first woman to keep official score at an international match at Lord's.

Cathy Rawson, 55, who taught herself to score while watching her husband play local cricket, kept score during England's seven-wicket win over South Africa in the Nat West series final on Saturday.

While many women now keep score, Mrs Rawson, from Kent, is the first to do so at an international game at the famous ground in north-west London.

The decision had to be endorsed by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which only admitted its first women members in 1999, after 212 years.

Now they are keen to promote female role models to increase women's interest.

Graham Rickman, from the MCC, said he believed Mrs Rawson was one of only a few women scorers worldwide who had reached test status.

There is quite an atmosphere and an air about being at Lords Cathy Rawson, cricket scorer

He said: "I think there are a number of women who have scored at a high level, but it is not common and I think this is a good step for Cathy to set a good example for young girls who would like to score."

Mrs Rawson is a highly-qualified scorer who is also on the executive committee of the Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers.

She told BBC London said: "It is referred to as the 'Cathedral of Cricket' and it is definitely the home of cricket, so there is quite an atmosphere and an air about being at Lords.

"And of course I am not used to scoring with these vast crowds."