MY FIRST CAR
Dr Jane Powell
Yorkshire County Cricket Club president Dr Jane Powell says her first car was an Austin Princess, which she loved.
“It was brown and it was big,” she said. “I wanted a car with space to carry my cricket equipment and it was certainly big enough for that.
“It was a cheap car to buy but it was all I could afford at the time. I quite enjoy driving but I prefer to be off the motorways if I can. It’s more enjoyable that way.”
Dr Powell recently look over as president of Yorkshire CCC, a role she relishes.
Sheffield-born, Powell is a former Yorkshire and England women’s captain, also coaching the latter team.
She is a Championship winner with her county and, for her country, she scored a Test century against India at Blackpool’s Stanley Park in 1986 and captained them two years later in a World Cup final against Australia at the MCG.
Dr Powell, whose twin sister Jill also played Test cricket for England, also played hockey for England, was a junior representative badminton player and has worked in lacrosse. She still enjoys driving and has moved to fully electric with a Vauxhall Mokka. “It leads to a very different style of driving,” she said.
Over the years she has had some interesting cars. A Lada Samara sticks in her mind, as does a Dacia Sandero.
“I quite liked the Samara,” she said. “It was a good, solid car.”
Born in Yorkshire, she is currently based in Formula One country, Silverstone.
“I’ve actually just bought a caravan in Hawkesworth,” she said.
“I decided I needed a base up here, so I’m now the proud owner of a brand new caravan in Moor Valley Country Park.”
She was raised in Sheffield in the same class at school as Lord Sebastian Coe.