Who Is Sally Barton? Why Is World Cricket Suddenly Talking About Her?

Just how commonly has one heard and perhaps for countless many years that for as long as there’s true love, age is hardly a factor?  In other words, age hardly matters where there is true love. 

But the moment you throw a cricketing spin or construct to the age old slice of wisdom, perhaps it only appears to make more sense. 

How about- for as long as you have true love for the game, age is hardly a factor? 

And if that’s true, then perhaps it best explains a certain Sally Barton. For age in her case, it must be said, hardly seemed to be of any contention where it came to her most recent or latest cricketing adventure. But first up, let us dive into a pool of truth. 

Sally Barton. Not a name you’ve heard commonly from any cricket-riddled corner. Sally Barton. Not a star player. Not a commonly recounted name of the likes or stature of Perry, Williamson, Hayley, Nida, Smith, Kohli, Mignon, Bumrah, Stafanie or Healy either. And most definitely, not a World Cup winner or the gatherer of sublime cricketing records. 

Truth, however, certainly is that in Sally Barron’s ebb rests a rather enviable cricketing achievement that would put any of the contemporary or ‘have-been’ big names of the sport in awe.  

At an age where cricketers are as much into retirement as is a decade-old sculpture on the museum wall or let’s say, a dust-ridden trunk containing used clothes down in the basement, Sally Barton has risen as the game’s riveting and brand new story.  

At 66-years of age- and your eyesight is perfectly fine- Sally Barton made her international cricketing debut in a T20I game that was held in mainland Europe.  Most of us are quick to recount the name of the Great Rock when speaking or thinking about the nation of Gibraltar. 

However, for times to come, whenever it’ll come to the great game of cricket, one will hear about the Herculean will and unabashed passion of this 66-year-old cricketer who made her debut in the women’s game putting an end to any doubts, whatsoever, about concepts like old age  or fatigue associated with it in sport.  Making her national debut for the women’s Gibraltar team for whom she wicket kept,  Sally Barton made a bit of history in clinching the record for being the oldest active cricketer to play an official match between two countries. 

The cheerful and mild-mannered cricketer clinched the feat at 66 years and 334 days. 

But rather remarkably, Barton’s debut was an occasion to savour; as her Gibraltar women beat their Estonian counterparts by a whopping margin of 88 runs.   

The chasing side were bundled out inside 17 overs for a score no more than 48.  

Born in the month of May in 1957, one reckons, what is most impressive about Sally Barton is that at an age where several cricketers from their active days are often seen seeking back support or where they even face issues in walking about, the active Gibraltar cricketer wicket keeps. 

We see the crowds back in the famed IPL in India going ga-ga appreciating the legendary MS Dhoni, hitting sixes with great ease at 42. Here’s a cricketer, soon to be 65, who’s actively keeping the stumps and would certainly have walked out to bat had she got a chance in her team’s most recent win over the Estonians. 

There are cricketers who are impressive. Then there are some, of rare kind, who are inspiring. And here’s Sally Barton, who happens to be a bit of both in an enviable way.