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Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy

Summary

The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy is an English and Welsh women's cricket domestic competition, named after former England captain Rachael Heyhoe Flint, Baroness Heyhoe-Flint, who died in 2017.[1] The first edition of the tournament took place during August and September 2020, with the Southern Vipers beating the Northern Diamonds in the final.[2] Initially started as a one-off tournament, in February 2021 the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced it would return for the 2021 season as a permanent part of the women's domestic structure in England and Wales, alongside the Charlotte Edwards Cup.[3]

Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy
Countries England
 Wales
AdministratorECB
Format50-over cricket
First edition2020
Latest edition2023
Tournament formatGroup stage and knockout
Number of teams8
Current championSouthern Vipers (3rd title)
Most successfulSouthern Vipers (3 titles)
TVSky Sports
2024 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy

History edit

In 2018, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced the launch of The Hundred in 2020, which would supersede the existing premier women's cricket tournament, the Women's Cricket Super League. To go alongside The Hundred, the ECB announced a plan to launch a new 'regional elite domestic structure for women's cricket', which would include the awarding of 40 new full-time professional contracts for non-England players.[4][5]

These plans were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy was eventually scheduled to begin in August 2020, with six new teams competing, alongside two teams carried over from the WCSL, Western Storm and Southern Vipers. The trophy was named after former England player Rachael Heyhoe Flint, and was intended to be a one-off, in light of the pandemic.[6][1]

Southern Vipers were the inaugural champions of the tournament, beating Northern Diamonds in the final.[2]

In February 2021, the ECB announced that the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy would continue for the following season, alongside a new Regional T20 competition, with a slightly altered format.[3] Southern Vipers and Northern Diamonds again reached the final, and Southern Vipers were again victorious, claiming their second title.[7] In 2022, the Vipers and Diamonds once again reached the final, but this time the Northern Diamonds won by two runs, claiming their first title.[8]

Ahead of the 2023 season, it was announced that the tournament was expanding, with teams now playing each other team home and away.[9] Southern Vipers won the tournament, their third title, beating The Blaze in the final.[10]

Teams edit

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Primary home ground of each team

The teams for the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy are as follows:[6][11]

Team County partners Home grounds (2023) Captain
Central Sparks
Evelyn Jones
Northern Diamonds
Hollie Armitage
North West Thunder
Eleanor Threlkeld
South East Stars
Bryony Smith
Southern Vipers
Georgia Adams
Sunrisers
Grace Scrivens
The Blaze
Kirstie Gordon
Western Storm
Sophie Luff

Competition format edit

In the 2020 season, the teams were separated into a North and South Group, and each team played six group stage matches, in a double round-robin format. The two group winners played each other in the competition's final.[12][6] In the following two seasons, the eight teams play each other once in a round-robin format. The second and third placed teams competed in a playoff, the winner of which played in the final against the first-placed team.[3][13] In 2023, the tournament was expanded, with teams playing each other twice, home and away, in a double round-robin format.[9] Ahead of the 2024 season, full semi-finals were added, with four teams now qualifying from the group stage.[14]

Teams receive 4 points for a win. A bonus point is given where the winning team's run rate is 1.25 or greater times that of the opposition. In case of a tie in the standings, the following tiebreakers are applied in order: highest net run rate, team that scored the most points in matches involving the tied parties, better bowling strike rate, drawing of lots.[15]

Tournament results edit

List of Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy winners
Season Winner Runners-up Final Venue Player (club) Runs Player (club) Wickets Notes
Leading run-scorer Leading wicket-taker
2020 Southern Vipers Northern Diamonds Edgbaston, Birmingham Georgia Adams (Southern Vipers) 500 Charlotte Taylor (Southern Vipers) 15 [16][17]
2021 Southern Vipers Northern Diamonds County Ground, Northampton Sophie Luff (Western Storm) 417 Kirstie Gordon (Lightning) 16 [18][19]
2022 Northern Diamonds Southern Vipers Lord's, London Lauren Winfield-Hill (Northern Diamonds) 470 Grace Scrivens (Sunrisers)
Linsey Smith (Northern Diamonds)		 13 [20][21]
2023 Southern Vipers The Blaze County Ground, Northampton Lauren Winfield-Hill (Northern Diamonds) 663 Georgia Davis (Central Sparks) 27 [22][23]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "ECB names new women's domestic competition after Rachael Heyhoe Flint". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Charlotte Taylor spins Southern Vipers to victory on back of Georgia Adams' 80". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Women's cricket: Domestic fixtures confirmed for 2021 season". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Women's Super League kicks off … before all six teams are kicked out". The Guardian. 17 July 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  5. ^ "ECB confirm 40 additional professional contracts for women's cricket". Wisden. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  6. ^ a b c "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: Finals Day on 26 September, venue to be decided". BBC Sport. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  7. ^ "Emily Windsor, Tara Norris rally Vipers to title defence". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  8. ^ "Lauren Winfield-Hill, Linsey Smith to the fore as Northern Diamonds break duck in thrilling final". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Schedule for 2023 domestic season announced". England and Wales Cricket Board. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  10. ^ "Final, Northampton, September 24 2023, Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: Southern Vipers v The Blaze". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  11. ^ "Women's domestic cricket to return in August with Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy". The Daily Telegraph. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  12. ^ "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: The special-edition 50-over competition explained". The Cricketer. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  13. ^ "Expanded Rachael Heyhoe Flint trophy to return for 2021, with regional T20 competition also lined up". The Daily Telegraph. 18 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  14. ^ "Domestic cricket schedule for 2024 season announced". England and Wales Cricket Board. 23 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  15. ^ "Playing Conditions – The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy" (PDF) (pdf). England and Wales Cricket Board. 20 August 2020. p. 15. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  16. ^ "RECORDS / RACHAEL HEYHOE FLINT TROPHY, 2020 / Most Runs". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  17. ^ "RECORDS / RACHAEL HEYHOE FLINT TROPHY, 2020 / Most Wickets". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  18. ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021/Most Runs". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  19. ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021/Most Wickets". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  20. ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2022/Most Runs". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  21. ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2022/Most Wickets". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  22. ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2023/Most Runs". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  23. ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2023/Most Wickets". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 September 2023.

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