by Diana Ching
Thursday, November 22, 2001

The author of the Punter's Point piece who objected to Wisden.com's picture of women wearing bikini tops at a cricket match is skating on very thin ice.

Her wrath was incurred because, she said, the site had "sunk to a new low" by publishing such a picture, which was used as a generic shot to illustrate a piece on the Women's Page.

It's actually common practice for TV cameras worldwide to home in on women, particularly bikini-clad ones, at cricket matches, because their audience is mostly men, and men - whether we like it or not - appreciate these shots. It's the novelty factor. It brings a little light relief from a predictable batting collapse, helps to keep them tuned in instead of turning off and going down the pub. For this reason, the media will continue to show such pictures as long as women continue to wear such clothes in what is, after all, a public place. If women aren't prepared to be singled out like this, then they shouldn't encourage it by wearing - or should that be nearly wearing - clothes that exaggerate their femaleness. Boys will be boys, you know.

All right, comes the riposte - what are we girls supposed to wear when it warms up out there? If male spectators can strip to the waist without a bit of ogling by women (they should be so lucky), then we should be able to do so too, within the grounds of decency, of course. Oh, but get real. Unless you look like the back end of a bus you can't stop men casting an appreciative eye and that's a simple fact of life. To repeat: if you can't take a compliment, wear something a little less revealing. If you insist on wearing a bikini, expect to get a bit more attention than you might have bargained for. It's the way the world goes round.

Wisden.com had a clear reason for introducing its Women's Page. It was to recognise that cricket has its female supporters and to cover issues that often get neglected in a male-dominated field. In doing this, editor Tim de Lisle and his colleagues have blazed something of a trail and their efforts, and the continuing existence of the page, are to be applauded, not criticised.

We all agree that women in bikinis is not the best way to illustrate a story about cricket, but the point has been taken and we move on. Women who wear bikinis to matches must take what's coming to them (which may include a touch of sunburn in a tender area, too). And female cricket fans everywhere should take heart that Wisden recognises and values women's involvement in the game, and not tempt them into giving up on that now.

Diana Ching is a freelance writer and a keen Hampshire fan.

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