‘Batter’ replaces ‘batsman’ in laws of cricket

MCC removes last genderspecific term from official rules in an attempt to make the sport more inclusive

MARYLEBONE Cricket Club has long been regarded as one of sport’s last great bastions of traditionalism – but not for much longer.

Just weeks before Clare Connor takes over as the first female president in the MCC’S 234-year history, the club announced another historic move as they formally replaced the term “batsman” with the gender-neutral label “batter” in the Laws of Cricket.

The MCC justified the change as a means of making cricket more inclusive, building on the advances that have been made in the women’s game in recent years.

There are now no gender-specific terms in the Laws of Cricket, with terms such as “third man”, “nightwatchman” and “12th man” not forming part of the rules of the game, and therefore falling outside the club’s remit.

“MCC believes in cricket being a game for all and this move recognises the changing landscape of the game in modern times,” said Jamie Cox, the assistant secretary (cricket and operations) at the club. “Use of the term ‘batter’ is a natural evolution in our shared cricketing language and the terminology has already been adopted by many of those involved in the sport. It is the right time for this adjustment to be recognised formally and we are delighted, as the guardians of the Laws, to announce these changes.”

The decision was taken by the MCC Laws sub-committee, which periodically reviews the rules. During the last review into the matter, in 2017, the subcommittee elected to keep the terms “batsman” and “batsmen”. “We expect and encourage others to adopt the updated terminology following today’s announcement of the change to the Laws,” an MCC statement said.

There are 10 members of the MCC Laws sub-committee, only one of whom, Deborah Burns, an umpire, is a woman. The sub-committee includes fellow umpires Simon Taufel and Sundaram Ravi, and is chaired by Alan Fordham, a former England cricketer. These changes have been approved by the MCC Committee, which Connor sits on.

The use of the term “batter” has already grown noticeably in recent years. The International Cricket Council – the sport’s global governing body – has encouraged commentators to use the gender-neutral term. Greater promotion of the women’s game was also a crucial reason for the launch of the new Hundred cricket competition in England this year, during which the term “batter” was also encouraged by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The decision is likely to prompt accusations that the MCC is adopting an increasingly “woke” agenda, although it is in keeping with a general move to promote more gender equality.

In 1998, women were finally allowed to become MMC members, and therefore to sit in the Pavilion at Lord’s. Last year, the MCC announced that Connor would succeed Kumar Sangakkara as president in October, while last month the club confirmed that Rachael Heyhoe Flint, the great England women’s cricketer, would have a set of gates named after her at Lord’s.

Reaction from within the sport to the change in the Laws has been positive. Michael Vaughan, the former England captain, said: “I have no problems with it at all if it’s for the game to be better and more inclusive.” Darren Lehmann, the former Australia player and coach also expressed approval, tweeting: “Well done MCC – like it.”