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Worcestershire have appointed lifelong supporter Cynthia Crawford as the county's first female president.

Mrs Crawford, who followed the Pears even before moving in the 1960s to live in Worcestershire, succeeds her great friend, the late Cecil Duckworth CBE.

She will become the 40th club president at Worcester since Lord GW Lyttelton first held the position in 1865.

"I was first taken to New Road as a young girl with friends of my parents, who were from Claines," she said.

"We thoroughly enjoyed every minute, and I could not wait to go back the next day.

"After leaving school, my sister went to work in Shrewsbury but I opted for Worcester so that I could see more cricket - a great decision.

"I've enjoyed every minute of being at New Road, like winning back to back County Championship titles. I hope to see more exciting days ahead."

She has also been president of the Worcestershire Supporters' Association for the past eight years and worked on the benefit committees of numerous former players including Basil D'Oliveira, Vanburn Holder, Alan Ormrod and Graeme Hick.

Born in Powys, she is best known for her 35 years spent as personal assistant to Margaret Thatcher, right up to the former British prime minister's death in 2013.

"I'm sure she'd be patting me on the back," she told ´óÏó´«Ã½ Hereford & Worcester. "I don't know if there have been any other lady presidents in the cricket world but I'm certainly the first at Worcester.

"She came to Worcester to stay with us three years running after Sir Denis died. She came to the cricket each time, and enjoyed looking at the beautiful ground, the cathedral and all the spires.

"On one occasion, when John Elliott was chairman, she even had lunch with the board, signed autographs and talked to people and thoroughly enjoyed it."

Cynthia Crawford was talking to ´óÏó´«Ã½ Hereford & Worcester's Andrew Easton.