A WOMAN was today celebrating winning £15,000 compensation from Lancashire CC after successfully winning a sex discrimination case against club bosses.

Maria Grant (pictured), 45, of Blackburn, took legal action after she failed to make the shortlist for the £24,000-a-year position of assistant secretary/development co-ordinator in July last year.

The selection committee favoured a man with an undergraduate degree rather than Miss Grant, who is studying for a doctorate.

The employment tribunal in Manchester found she had been discriminated against on the grounds of her sex and approved the compensation, which was settled between the parties.

Announcing the panel's decision, chairman Peter Russell said that the people who decided the shortlist for the job had used subjective criteria which led to the discrimination.

He said the club had admitted Miss Grant was marked down because some of the traditional elements in Lancashire would not want meetings chaired by a woman. Mr Russell added that some people would resent a woman chairing a committee and disciplining them.

Mr Russell also said that the selection committee were influenced by their personal knowledge of the candidate and had said if Miss Grant, of Ryburn Avenue, had a less assertive personality she may have been acceptable.

Following the decision Ms Grant said: "I'm absolutely delighted. It's been a long 12 months preparing and fighting for this case, but it's been well worth it. "I hope that other women who are interested in careers in sports administration will come across fewer barriers in the future."

With her compensation, Ms Grant intends to travel to New Zealand to cover the Women's Cricket World Cup for the League Cricket Review magazine.

During the three-day hearing the tribunal heard that Lancashire Cricket Board and Lancashire County Cricket Club failed to follow equal opportunity guidelines and some members of the selection committee had not even read them.

During the hearing Ms Grant told the panel that she had about 40 years' experience with the sport and was more than qualified for the job, but out of the 30 applicants, she failed to make the shortlist of eight.

Ms Grant, who was executive director of the Women's Cricket Association, was then told she lacked experience of the men's game.

A spokesman for Lancashire Country Cricket Club said: "We have resolved the matter amicably. Obviously we are disappointed but we accept the decision of the Tribunal with the dignity of an organisations with the international reputation of Lancashire County Cricket Club.

"New procedures have been adopted in respect of recruitment policy since notification of this claim, and both Lancashire Country Cricket Club and the Lancashire Cricket Board remain proud of their support to womens cricket, which has been recognised as progressive and considerable.

"This can be emphasised by statistical evidence which illustrates the commitment and dedication to womens cricket by Lancashire County Cricket Club and the Lancashire Board of the game in this area."