1973 World Cup champions from Australia come together to commemorate the golden jubilee of historic cricket tournament –

Patsy Fayne and Marg Jennings never really considered themselves as trailblazers. But in truth that’s exactly what they were. 

The year was 1973 and Fayne and Jennings played in a World Cup in England — the first tournament of its kind for both women and men.

“You get emotional thinking about it,” the 76-year-old Fayne said.

“‘Jeez, what did we do? It was really wonderful.”

Spawned by English champion Rachael Heyhoe-Flint and funded by wealthy British businessman Sir Jack Hayward, the round-robin tournament was unprecedented, and preceded the first World Cup for men in 1975.

Sport historian Dr Marion Stell said the idea for the event was completely independent from men’s cricket, which later copied the game-changing format.

For Fayne, Jennings and their 12 teammates, England was a long way from Australia.

In an amateur era, the Australian team paid their own way, fundraising about $1,600 to cover everything from airfares to shoes and uniforms.

“We were flying by the seats of our pants,” said Jennings, the side’s wicketkeeper who was this year inducted into Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.

“Because in those days you had 14 players, one manager and that was it. No coach, no nothing.”

After a gruelling tournament also featuring New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, ‘Young’ England and, oddly, an International XI, the deciding match pitted the hosts against the Australians.

It didn’t go to plan for the tourists. On a chilly Edgbaston afternoon, the English creamed Australia, compiling 3-279 from 60 overs before Australia replied with 9-187.

“It was very, very cold and after like six weeks of cricket a few of us were carrying injuries. England outplayed us on the day,” Fayne said.

“It was beyond us. We were bowling line and length and they still played well.”

Rare colour footage of the match shows Princess Anne presenting the trophy to the winning captain, Heyhoe-Flint, who is lifted on her teammates’ shoulders.

While the result didn’t go the way of the tourists, the once-in-a-lifetime trip was as much about the experience off the field as it was on it.

“[Visiting] 10 Downing Street, talking to Margaret Thatcher, playing at Lord’s, lots of good memories, and the friendships that you make,” Fayne said.

Fayne is credited with becoming the first Australian woman to take a wicket at Lord’s, although at the time members of the Marylebone Cricket Club barred women from entering the pavilion — a rule that “miffed” Fayne.

On Thursday, the surviving members of the ’73 team re-united in a special tribute at Junction Oval in St Kilda.

It coincided with an ODI match between Australia and the West Indies.

The event is part of a push from Cricket Australia to better recognise the country’s cricketing heritage.

“The [1973] team is a really special team. I think it’s really important as a group to always recognise that and the contribution that they’ve made to the game,” star all-rounder Ellyse Perry said.

And their contribution was significant.

Dr Stell said a “pay to play” scenario in women’s sport, with players forking out money for everything from plane tickets to playing gear, was common up until around a decade ago.

“Not only did women have to raise money for competitions, but many also had to resign from their jobs to represent Australia,” she said.

It’s a far cry from the sort of fame and acclaim someone like Perry enjoys now, but if you ask Fayne and Jennings whether they believed they were changing the game, you’ll get a shake of the head.

“We were just there playing a World Cup,” Fayne exclaimed.

“We didn’t realise what we were doing.”

Fayne did it for fun, a sentiment echoed by Jennings.

“It was just part of doing something I loved and whatever you put in you get out of it so it was well worth it,” Jennings said.

The duo, however, are pretty happy with the progress that’s been made in the half-century since.