Cricket 2021: MCC replace batsman with batter; could 3rd man, 12th man, nightwatchmen be next?

First the batsman made way for ‘batters’, but one of the most influential women in cricket believes that could just be the tip of the iceberg as the sport seeks to be more inclusive.

Rachael Haynes and Meg Lanning walk off the field after Australia’s victory against India in a one-day international at Great Barrier Reef Arena Mackay. Picture: Albert Perez/Getty Images

One of the most influential women in cricket, Christina Matthews, expects the “12th man”, “third man” and “nightwatchman” to be the next terms to fall as the sport moves to being more inclusive.

“I think that‘ll be easy to change as most people nowadays refer to it as twelfth and third,” Matthews said.

“A nightwatchman is a little bit more difficult but someone will come up with a way of changing that.”

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WACA CEO Christina Matthews (R) with Chair of the WACA, Ken Michael, and Australian cricket coach Justin Langer. Picture: AAP

Four years ago it was Matthews who publicly called for the Marylebone Cricket Club to officially change the law and embrace the term “batters” rather than “batsman” to create a more gender-neutral cricket environment.

While the Western Australia Cricket Association chief executive and former international wasn’t successful in her push for change then, she said Wednesday was a “great day” for the sport following the formal MCC announcement the laws had changed.

She also recounted the fierce backlash when she first called for the laws to be changed in February 2017.

“In 2017 someone said to me I was; ‘stealing the game of men’ and trying to ‘ruin the game’, just ridiculous things,” Matthews said.

“Back then it was a controversial call. For me today, and a lot of people, is a great day. It‘s a really strong signal that cricket is really changing.

“Four years ago there were those people who were hanging onto the past and I had a number of people say to me; ‘well it‘s the laws of cricket and we will always say this’.

“Well, today, it is not the laws of cricket anymore.”

Trailblazer Christina Matthews (l) and with former teammate Zoe Goss in 1991.

Matthews also slammed those like controversial media personality Piers Morgan who has described the official move to use the description of “batters” rather “batsman” as going “all PC”.

Others have accused cricket of being “ultra-woke” and Matthews describes those vehemently opposing the move to “batters” as “dinosaurs”.

“Woke is the dumbest word I have ever heard,” Matthews said.

“Piers Morgan, who says it‘s just taking PC too far, people who now use the words political correctness are dinosaurs hanging onto the past, because political correctness is in fact balancing the ledger, making sure that everybody is included, that the right language is used, so forth, it’s usually an indication of people not wanting to change.

“You‘re going to get people who will say that, same way as people who voted for women to be continually excluded from the Australian club….but younger people don’t care for this. You don’t hear many people under 40 calling things politically correct because they’ve grown up in a different world.”

OK, if we're going all PC with cricket terminology, what happens to 'maidens', 'third man', 'bunny rabbit', 'Chinaman', 'duck', 'flat-track bully', 'jockstrap', 'Michelle' (5-for),'Nelson', 'Nightwatchman', 'Dropped a Dolly', 'Twelfth Man', 'whites', & 'full toss in the crease' ? https://t.co/ELzHNhe72v

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 22, 2021

While some may not see why the move from “batsman” to “batters” is important, Matthews has seen and heard first hand why it is crucial to the game.

“I mean you get lots of women who go; ‘I don‘t care’ but having been out in the field and in cricket a long time, I have seen enough young girls left confused, when you say; ‘batsmen go over there’, and they say; ‘where do I go?’

“[The MCC law’s change] it‘s a symbol that the game’s changing. If we want to show we are truly a sport for all, we’ve got to change the language we use, and that’s what’s really important, words mean things.

“And, you know, something that‘s always been a term is not necessarily going to cut the mustard now and into the future.”

The Australian team is smashing records and breaking new ground for the women’s game. Picture: Getty

Matthews expects the change into the future around cricket terminology to be easier and even before the MCC’s call there were signs of a new dawn in the game.

“You only hear ‘third man’ and ‘fourth man’ in a public sense with more traditional commentators and those who are sticking to the little letter of the law,” she said.

“We‘re about to release our annual report and I was reading Adam Voges coach’s report, as I flipped through the pages, I saw that he referred to his players as batters - and I thought my work here is done.”

BATMAN’S OUT: CRICKET’S GENDER NEUTRAL CHANGE

By Robert Craddock

It was only a matter of time and now it’s finally happened. The batsman has been dismissed, seemingly for good.

Cricket’s lawmakers, the Marylebone Cricket Club, have changed the rules of the game to allow the gender neutral word “batter’’ to replace “batsman.’’

Many commentators and players, paying respect to the blossoming profile of the women’s game, had started to make the change but now it is official with the rule taking effect immediately.

Rachael Haynes and Meg Lanning walk off the field after Australia’s victory against India in a one-day international at Great Barrier Reef Arena Mackay. Picture: Albert Perez/Getty Images

The MCC said in a statement it wanted to emphasise cricket’s status as “an inclusive game for all.’’

The MCC’s assistant secretary Jamie Cox, the former Tasmanian opener, said the change was part of the game’s natural progression.

“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,” Cox said.

“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 today.”

The next challenge for cricket will be debating terms like Nightwatchman and 12th man.

Several satirical Twitter voices also playfully suggested the term Mankad might be replaced by Personkad but given it was named after a player – Indian allrounder Vinoo Mankad – that may be a step too far.