Janet Bairstow takes her place at top table of Yorkshire CCC

So said the outgoing Yorkshire chairman Robin Smith after Janet Bairstow was elected as the first female vice-president of Yorkshire CCC.

Janet, the mother of the Yorkshire and England batsman/wicketkeeper Jonny, and the widow of David, has given years of loyal service to the club.

Her work in cricket administration has been widely praised and the conferment of this honour is just reward for her outstanding efforts and commendable acknowledgement on the club’s part.

Also elected as a vice-president at Saturday’s annual general meeting was Mike Cowan, the former Yorkshire pace bowler of the 1950s/1960s.

Smith described him warmly as “a stalwart of the Yorkshire scene going back into the days of Fred Trueman, and who often opened the bowling with Fred.”

He added that he’s “someone who’s devoted the rest of his life to entertaining people as an after-dinner speaker at club functions” and further described him as “a first-rate man”.

Of Geoff Cope, the former Yorkshire and England off-spin bowler re-elected club president, Smith called him “a servant of the club beyond the realms of duty”, adding that he does “an enormous amount for the club and continues to do so.”

The elections of all the above mentioned were overwhelmingly in favour, as was that of Roger Hutton, who was elected to the board, and those of chief executive Mark Arthur and Katherine Mathew, who were re-elected to the board.

Charlotte Evers was re-elected to the members’ committee, another appointment that met with overwhelming approval.