Countries | England Wales |
---|---|
Administrator | ECB |
Format | 50-over cricket |
First edition | 2020 |
Latest edition | 2024 |
Tournament format | Group stage and knockout |
Number of teams | 8 |
Current champion | Sunrisers (1st title) |
Most successful | Southern Vipers (3 titles) |
TV | Sky Sports |
The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy was an English and Welsh women's cricket domestic competition, named after former England captain Rachael 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] The final edition was played in 2024, with the ECB announcing it would be replaced by a new One-Day Cup as part of a restructuring of women's domestic cricket in England and Wales. [4]
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. [5] [6]
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. [7] [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. [8] 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. [9]
Ahead of the 2023 season, it was announced that the tournament was expanding, with teams now playing each other team home and away. [10] Southern Vipers won the tournament, their third title, beating The Blaze in the final. [11] Sunrisers defeated South East Stars in the 2024 final. [12] [13]
The teams for the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy are as follows: [7] [14]
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 |
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. [15] [7] 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] [16] In 2023, the tournament was expanded, with teams playing each other twice, home and away, in a double round-robin format. [10] Ahead of the 2024 season, full semi-finals were added, with four teams now qualifying from the group stage. [17]
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. [18]
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 | [19] [20] |
2021 | County Ground, Northampton | Sophie Luff (Western Storm) | 417 | Kirstie Gordon (Lightning) | 16 | [21] [22] | ||
2022 | Northern Diamonds | Southern Vipers | Lord's, London | Lauren Winfield-Hill (Northern Diamonds) | 470 | Grace Scrivens (Sunrisers) Linsey Smith (Northern Diamonds) | 13 | [23] [24] |
2023 | Southern Vipers | The Blaze | County Ground, Northampton | 663 | Georgia Davis (Central Sparks) | 27 | [25] [26] | |
2024 | Sunrisers | South East Stars | Grace Road, Leicester | Alice Davidson-Richards (South East Stars) | 650 | Phoebe Turner (Northern Diamonds) | 23 | [27] [28] |
The Southern Vipers were a women's cricket team that represented the South of England. The Vipers wore an orange and black kit and primarily played their home matches at the Rose Bowl and the County Ground, Hove.
Western Storm were a women's cricket team that represented South West England and Wales, one of eight regional hubs in English domestic cricket. They primarily played their home matches at the County Ground, Taunton, the County Ground, Bristol and Sophia Gardens. They were captained by Sophie Luff and coached by Trevor Griffin. The team were partnered with Somerset, Gloucestershire, Glamorgan, Devon, Cornwall, Wiltshire and Cricket Wales. Originally formed to compete in the Women's Cricket Super League in 2016, Western Storm won the competition twice, in 2017 and 2019. When women's cricket in England was reformed in 2020, the Western Storm brand was retained, and they competed in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the Charlotte Edwards Cup.
Linsey Claire Neale Smith is an English cricketer who plays for Sussex, Southern Vipers, Northern Superchargers and Sydney Sixers. A slow left-arm orthodox bowler, she originally played for Berkshire before moving to Sussex ahead of the 2017 season. In October 2018, she was named in the England women's cricket team squad for the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 tournament, and made her Women's Twenty20 International cricket (WT20I) debut in the tournament against Bangladesh.
Georgia Louise Adams is an English cricketer who is the captain of Sussex and Southern Vipers, as well as playing for Southern Brave, Adelaide Strikers and New South Wales. Adams has previously played for Loughborough Lightning in the Women's Cricket Super League and Oval Invincibles in The Hundred. Adams is an all-rounder.
The 2020 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy was the first edition of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, an English women's cricket domestic competition, which took place between 29 August and 27 September 2020. It featured eight teams in two groups, and had a final. The tournament was named after former England captain Rachael Heyhoe Flint, Baroness Heyhoe-Flint, who died in 2017.
Sunrisers were a women's cricket team that represented the London and East region, one of eight regional hubs in English domestic women's cricket. They played their home matches at various grounds, including the County Cricket Ground, Chelmsford. They were captained by Grace Scrivens and coached by Andy Tennant. The team were partnered with Middlesex, Essex, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire, as well as Marylebone Cricket Club.
South East Stars were a women's cricket team that represented the London & South East region, one of eight regional hubs in English domestic women's cricket. They played their home matches at various grounds, including the County Cricket Ground, Beckenham. They were captained by Bryony Smith and coached by Johann Myburgh. The team carried over many elements of the WCSL team Surrey Stars, but were partnered with both Surrey and Kent. The team won the inaugural Charlotte Edwards Cup, beating Northern Diamonds in the final.
Central Sparks were a women's cricket team that represented the West Midlands region, one of eight regional hubs in English domestic women's cricket. They primarily played their home matches at Edgbaston and New Road. They were captained by Evelyn Jones and coached by Darren Franklin and Justine Dunce. The team was partnered with Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire.
The Blaze, previously known as Lightning, are a women's cricket team that represent the East Midlands region, one of eight regional hubs in English domestic women's cricket. They play their home matches at various grounds, including Trent Bridge and Grace Road. They are captained by Kirstie Gordon and coached by Craig Cumming. The team carries over many elements of the WCSL team Loughborough Lightning. They are partnered with Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.
Northern Diamonds were a women's cricket team that represented the traditional areas of the North East and Yorkshire, one of eight regional hubs in English domestic women's cricket. They primarily played their home matches at Headingley and the Riverside. They were captained by Hollie Armitage and coached by former England cricketer Danielle Hazell.
North West Thunder, commonly referred to as Thunder, were a women's cricket team that represented Lancashire and North West England, one of eight regional hubs in English domestic women's cricket. They played their home matches at various grounds, including Old Trafford Cricket Ground. They were captained by Eleanor Threlkeld and coached by Chris Read. The team carried over many elements of the WCSL team Lancashire Thunder, but were partnered with Lancashire, Cheshire and Cumbria.
Charlotte Michelle Taylor is an English cricketer who plays for Hampshire and Southern Vipers, and has previously played for Southern Brave. Taylor is an off spin bowler, and was the top wicket taker at the 2020 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
Katie Ann Levick is an English cricketer who has played for Yorkshire, Yorkshire Diamonds, Northern Diamonds and Birmingham Phoenix. She is a leg spin bowler, and is the leading wicket taker in Women's County Championship cricket.
Paige Jamie Scholfield is an English cricketer who currently plays for Surrey and Oval Invincibles. An all-rounder, she is a right-handed batter and right-arm medium bowler. She has previously played for Sussex, Loughborough Lightning, Southern Vipers, South East Stars and Southern Brave.
Ella May McCaughan is an English cricketer who currently plays for Sussex and Welsh Fire. She plays as a right-handed batter.
Charlotte Ellen Dean is an English cricketer who currently plays for Somerset and London Spirit. An all-rounder, she is a right-handed batter and right-arm off break bowler. She made her international debut for the England women's cricket team in September 2021.
The 2021 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy was the second edition of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, an English women's cricket 50-over domestic competition, which took place between 29 May and 25 September 2021. It featured eight teams playing in a round-robin group, followed by a knock-out round. The holders were the Southern Vipers, who won the inaugural competition in 2020. It ran alongside the Charlotte Edwards Cup. The tournament was named after former England captain Rachael Heyhoe Flint, Baroness Heyhoe-Flint, who died in 2017.
The 2021 Charlotte Edwards Cup, initially named the 2021 Women's Regional T20, was the first edition of the Charlotte Edwards Cup, an English women's cricket Twenty20 domestic competition took place between 26 June and 5 September 2021. It featured eight teams playing in two double round-robin groups, followed by a Finals Day. South East Stars won the tournament, beating Northern Diamonds in the final. The tournament ran alongside the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
The Charlotte Edwards Cup, initially named the Women's Regional T20, was an English women's cricket Twenty20 domestic competition organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board. The first edition of the tournament took place in 2021. The tournament was named after England's former captain and most capped player, Charlotte Edwards.
The 2020 season saw Southern Vipers compete in the new 50 over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy following reforms to the structure of women's domestic cricket in England. The side topped the South Group of the competition, winning all six of their matches, therefore progressing to the final, where they played Northern Diamonds. The Vipers went on to become the inaugural winners of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy as they won by 38 runs, with bowler Charlotte Taylor taking 6/34. Taylor was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, with 15 wickets, whilst Vipers captain Georgia Adams was the leading run-scorer, with 500 runs.