Kate Cross requires just five balls to push back the boundaries

England woman makes history with three wickets in her Central Lancashire League debut

Kate Cross playing for Heywood against Clifton in the Lancashire League on Sunday

Her father won the FA Cup with West Ham, and now another member of the Cross family has every reason to be smiling broadly.

Striker David Cross was a member of the Hammers’ side that overcame the formidable barrier of Arsenal at Wembley in May 1980, but his daughter, Kate, hurdled an arguably even more significant obstacle in the Central Lancashire League on Sunday.

The England international became the first woman to play in the competition in 123 years, when she turned out for Heywood in their encounter with Clifton in the opening fixture of the Premier Division season.

Lining up alongside her brother, Bobby, and Stephen Parry – the Lancashire and England one-day left-arm spinner – it took Cross only five balls to create history in a league dating back to 1892.

“It was really special for us all: my mum was scoring, my dad was there and my sister came down to watch too,” says Cross, who was selected for the match purely on merit.

“I was really nervous going into the weekend. I played a friendly on Saturday and I was probably more nervous for that because I didn’t really know what to expect. I knew how I was going to bowl but I didn’t know how that was going to be received, whether my pace was going to be too easy for the men.

“In the end I took a wicket in the first over, which really calmed everything down. I obviously had the reassurance of a family member on the pitch, too.”

David Cross, Kate’s father, helped West Ham win the FA Cup against Arsenal at Wembley in 1980 (Getty)

Cross, a fast bowler, eventually took 3 for 19 off seven overs – three more wickets than the experienced Parry managed in his 10 overs.

Kate’s brother is one of the leading run-scorers in the Central Lancashire League and hit 75 as Heywood easily chased down Clifton’s 121. He will remember the game for an entirely different reason, though. “He was fielding at mid-off because I think he wanted to be near me when I was bowling, in case I was having a bit of a panic,” explains Cross.

“I bowled one that just sort of stopped on him [the batsman] and he chipped it. Bobby had to make a fair bit of ground and he dived forward. As the ball hit the ground it just bounced out. I’ve seen his excuse [on Twitter], saying he was too old, but he seemed to be moving quite well before that. It wasn’t an easy catch but I’ve seen him take harder.”

That drop aside, it was an afternoon to remember for the Cross’s – and a lucky pig which has followed the family since that famous final in 1980. David had the lucky miniature pig (handed to him by former West Ham physio, Rob Jenkins) in his palm throughout the final and passed on a replica to his children as they embarked on their own sporting careers. “I forgot it on Saturday and didn’t have time to go back and get it,” says Cross. “It was in the bag on Sunday, though.”

It did its job as Cross successfully followed in the footsteps of Arran Brindle, who created her own little piece of history back in 2011 when she became the first woman to score a century in top-level men’s club cricket, hitting 128 for Louth against Market Deeping in the ECB Lincolnshire Premier League.

England commitments aside, Cross – who is now a fully professional cricketer, courtesy of additional investment in the women’s game by the ECB – will hope to be a regular alongside her brother for Heywood this season. She certainly took her opportunity on Sunday with both hands.

The lucky pig, it seems, has worked its magic again. Now Heywood might feel they have a lucky charm of their own.

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