Sally Barton Makes Cricket History at 66

Sally Barton, aged 66 years and 334 days, made her debut in Gibraltar’s second T20 international against Estonia. A grandmother of three intends to continue playing cricket for as long as possible after becoming the oldest international cricketer on record. “The words ‘too old’ just aren’t in my vocabulary,” Barton told BBC Sport. “I never thought I would play international cricket in my sixties, but it goes to show that you should not let anyone tell you it is time to stop playing sport.” Barton surpassed the previous record held by Portugal’s Akbar Saiyad, who was 66 years and 12 days old when he played a T20 match in 2012.

The three-match series between ICC Associate members Gibraltar and Estonia marked the first time the British Overseas Territory had played a women’s T20 international. Barton adjusted her wicketkeeping technique to suit the bounce on Gibraltar’s artificial pitch, despite her significant age advantage. “I might not be as fast as I used to be, but my endurance and everything is still there. My overriding memory of my debut, though, is the efforts of my team-mates to get that win,” she said.

During the match, Sally Barton performed well as a wicketkeeper, allowing only one bye while seven of the ten Estonian wickets were lbw. She attributes her early cricket interest to her parents and twin brother, and she stays fit by participating in different sports. Barton relocated to Gibraltar in 2020 and began playing in the local men’s league. Her secret to longevity? “Two squares of dark chocolate,” she shared.

Barton’s debut set new records, surpassing Guernsey’s Philippa Stahelin as the oldest T20 international cricketer and Osman Goker as the oldest debutant in T20 internationals. Despite her achievements, Barton remains grounded, emphasizing the joy of playing the sport she loves.