The Original English Lady Cricketers were a professional team of women cricketers that formed in 1890 and was briefly a huge success as it toured Britain. Formed as a cross between entertainment, music hall and sport, it was the first professional women's cricket team and it ignited a ferocious debate about whether women should play sport. Despite the doubts, the team was quickly accepted and some of its players became relatively famous in a short time. But it all collapsed in acrimony — and in mysterious circumstances — the following year. It was over a hundred years before professional women's cricket became established.

The talk, based on my book Forgotten Pioneers, sets the scene, introduces the characters and discusses the intersection of sport, gender and commercialism that resulted in the formation of this unique team.