Maxine Blythin - 2019 Kent Woman Player of the Year

[andyoldlabour]

I don't know how this passed me by, but transgender cricketer Maxine Blythin was awarded 2019 Kent Woman Player of the Year.
I have no words left to describe this situation, none at all.

www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/sport/stevo-wins-big-at-kent-awards-213134/

Either they're just fucking trolling us now.

But. Maybe, Kent Cricket, maybe you're not such a troll?

Because this isn't going to go as well as it might have a year or so ago!

Now we've moved on from #nodebate, this is properly being talked about.

Lord can you provide the link to Martina's comments?

Meanstreak baroness Heyhoe Flint sadly passed in 2017. I imagine she'd have been unimpressed, I was lucky enough to know her.

My pleasure to copy you in on the divine Martina 🥰

Yes I agree with Martina but I would go further and say anyone born male can never compete as a female in sport regardless of transition.

So depressing.

Responses to Kent's tweet

Ha! Just catching up on Twitter and saw Martina's tweet, googled the cricketer and this thread is the first hit! The photos, the 1.83cm height, really what more needs to be said??? Article from Australia about it here

Every day is peak-trans day

Great quote from Dr Nic Williams in the Daily Mail article.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7369619/Kent-transgender-cricketer-reignites-row-allowed-play-womens-sports.html

I'd probably get a strike if I quoted it here

No coincidence at all that this sort of thing is happening now the women's sport is garnering recognition and there are some professional, paid positions available. So certain people obviously feel it's now worth sauntering in and capitalising.

As one of the btl comments says pithily, it's just isn't cricket.

Apart from Roller derby, are any ‘traditional’ women’s sports in the same situation (gymnastics?). I seem to remember a ballet dancer.

Others joining this debate on Twitter have drawn attention to the American college (trans) athlete who was named 'female athlete of the month' - after coming SECOND in a cross country race. To a woman.

I think us women should refuse to play, set up our own races, matches and games and leave the men's b teams and failed male betas to it.

I do gymnastics. I don’t see any advantage for men competing in the female event apart from the fact that females have fewer events. But the asymmetric bars and balance beam would not appeal to most men and may actually disadvantage them. Men are naturally less flexible than women and I would wonder about centre of gravity/balance...and they’re generally a bit ungainly and would be hugely disadvantaged by their weight on those pieces. I can’t see it working out. Plus they’d look stupid 😂

Looking stupid never seems to stop any of this nonsense.

How to get a sporting legend to tweet about your club.
Oh dear.
(Martina didn't half obey that instruction to get educated well!)

A lot of anger aimed at Kent Cricket. The only person supporting them made a vaguely threatening remark towards someone who said she was a teacher.

Plus they’d look stupid

Because they look so sane right now.

So many replies now and lots from men. Cricket is known for its fairness so this feels even more wrong.

It’s just not cricket! I see that the ‘Australian women’s national soccer team will earn the same pay as their male counterparts and have an equal split of commercial revenues for the first time'. Now the cynic in me wonders about this turn of events...

"The photos, the 1.83cm height"

Apparently, Maxine is 6' 4" tall so that would be 1m 93cm. Just to recap on the differences between women's and men's cricket.
Women use a lighter, smaller ball, which can be propelled much faster by a male bowler - think about the differences between the women's 600g javelin and the men's 800g javelin.
Women's bats are much lighter.
The boundaries are much shorter in women's cricket.
This is all, so wrong, but the people in control of the game, seem to be deliberately ignoring logic and biology.

I was astounded by the responses on the Tweet. A year ago I don’t think many would’ve dared tell the truth. Things are definitely changing.
I saw the veiled threat towards the teacher too. MRAs still up to their old tricks

I saw the veiled threat towards the teacher too. MRAs still up to their old tricks

Posted by someone calling themselves 'Stupid' iirc - well who are we to argue? It was robustly challenged though.

It’s one of those days where I can’t seem to smack my head on my desk enough to end the madness.

I'm listening to radio 4 at the moment, listening to a male person tell the female presenter how he knew he was 'non binary' when he saw an aquatic tank full of fish. I. Don't. Know. Where. To. Start.