VADODARA: Can the cricket trophy meant for young boys under 14 years, be given to grown up women many of whom are 20 years old? This is a question the Baroda Cricket Association ( BCA ) is unable to answer after the women’s team won two out of three matches in a local tournament.

In fact, history had been made when the women’s team played against the Kiran More Cricket Academy on January 4 in the first-ever official match between boys and women in the country in the under-14 DK Gaekwad tournament. This unique experiment was billed as the ‘battle of the sexes’ and gave women cricketers much needed match practice. But at that time BCA officials did not consider the consequences if the women entered the final and won it. Technically, a trophy meant for under-14 boys can’t be given to overage women. Many of the officials did not expect the women to win any of their matches.

But the problem is they have won two out of three matches — the first on first innings lead white the other was an outright win. BCA women cricket wing’s convenor Cavatina Patel says, “I feel the women should be given the trophy if they win the final although we have not discussed the possibility yet.”

“No one had thought of a situation where the women would win,” a BCA member admitted on condition of anonymity. “The women’s team was included just to help them improve their standards, but, no rules regarding their victory were laid down. Given the technical issues involved, we may reward the women suitably if they win.”

“What is the point if the women don’t get the prize after doing all the hard work?” questioned a BCA official.