| Eileen Ash | |
 Eileen Ash on her 108th birthday. | |
| Centenarian |
Eileen Ash (née Whelan; born 30 October 1911) is a English centenarian and former cricketer who played seven Test matches for England between 1937 and 1949. She is the oldest living international cricketer and the oldest living person in Norfolk.
Biography
Eileen Ash was born in Highbury, London, England, UK on 30 October 1911.
Career
She played Test cricket both before and after the Second World War, making her debut against Australia at Northampton in June 1937 and playing her last game against New Zealand in Auckland in March 1949. A specialist bowler, she took 10 Test wickets at 23 runs apiece. Whelan also played representative cricket for the Civil Service, Middlesex and South of England.
Outside of playing cricket, Ash was employed by the Civil Service from the age of 18. She was seconded to MI6 during World War II, and went on to work with the organisation for eleven years. Ash and her husband eventually retired to Norwich. She took up golf in later life, only quitting at the age of 98.
In 2011, Ash became the first female test cricketer to live to 100 years old. She was made an honorary life member of the Marylebone Cricket Club to mark the occasion.
In July 2017, aged 105, Ash rang the bell at Lord's to signal the start of play at the 2017 Women's World Cup Final, which England won. She passed her driving test at the age of 105, a feat covered on the ITV reality show 100-Year-Old Driving School. To mark her 106th birthday, she was taken for a flight in a Tiger Moth. In November 2018, she opened a sports hall named in her honour at The Hewett Academy in Norwich.
On 22 December 2020 at the age 109, she received her first dose of the Pfizer/BionTech vaccine, making her one of oldest people to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. On 12 January 2021, she is due to receive her second dose.
Eileen Ash currently lives in Norwich, Norfolk, England, UK, at the age of 112 years, 171 days.
References
- Oldest in Britain
- Player Profile: Eileen Whelan ESPNcricinfo, 25 November 2011
- Eileen and the gift of life Let's Talk, 14 September 2013
- 104-year-old woman keeps fit with yoga BBC News, 28 October 2016
- Norwich's Eileen Ash turns 105 – and puts long life down to yoga, driving and... wine YouTube, 7 November 2016
- Heather Knight column: Women's Big Bash League, Taylor Swift and the oldest living Test cricketer BBC News Online, 5 February 2017
- Eileen Ash to ring the bell at Lord’s International Cricket Council, 22 July 2017
- Eileen Ash - The oldest living Test cricketer turns 107 today Times of India, 30 October 2018
- Eileen Ash, 107, honoured with portrait at Lord's International Cricket Council, 18 August 2019
- Happy Birthday Eileen! Former spy and international cricketer celebrates 108th birthday ITV, 30 October 2019
- World’s Oldest Test Cricketer Eileen Whelan Turns 109 Ommcom News, 30 October 2020
- Former spy, 109, may be oldest recipient of Covid-19 vaccine EDP 24, 10 January 2021