Esther Shakeshaft (née English) was a member of Kenilworth Cricket Club and was part of the Kenilworth Ladies side that played at our Warwick Road ground.
Born in 1908, Esther was a Club Member during the 1930’s and so much was her talent, as a wicket keeper, and quite unbelievably in today’s age, she was actually selected to play for England Ladies to tour Australia in 1939 but was deprived of the chance to represent her country, due to the outbreak of the Second World War. Esther will be unique in that she was, and perhaps will be the first and only person that will ever achieve such an accolade and honour, to be selected to wear the nation’s colours, whilst a current playing member of the Club.
She lived for many years in Kenilworth enjoying a happy and enjoyable life before finally moving to the Salvation Army’s Youell Court residences in Coventry.
She died at the age of 104, on 18th. February 2013.
The Club President, Gordon Went, and the Club Secretary, Roger Mortimore, attended her Memorial Service in Coventry on the 4th March 2013, on behalf of the Club, where they learnt that Esther had bequeathed £1000 (One thousand pounds) and a framed photograph of the 1930’s Kenilworth Ladies team to the Club. That is such a generous and heartfelt gift from someone that obviously had the Club at heart after all these years, although few of us knew of her or her connection with the Club.
