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.[1]
| Dates | 29 May 2021 – 25 September 2021 |
|---|---|
| Administrator(s) | England and Wales Cricket Board |
| Cricket format | 50-over cricket |
| Tournament format(s) | Round-robin and playoffs |
| Champions | Southern Vipers (2nd title) |
| Participants | 8 |
| Matches | 30 |
| Most runs | Sophie Luff (417) |
| Most wickets | Kirstie Gordon (16) |
| Official website | ECB |
Southern Vipers finished top of the group stage, and as a result, they qualified automatically for the final. Northern Diamonds and Central Sparks finished second and third respectively, and so contested the playoff, which was won by the Diamonds to qualify for the final. In the final at the County Ground, Northampton, Southern Vipers won their second Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in two years, beating Northern Diamonds by 3 wickets with 2 balls to spare.
Background and format edit
The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy was a 50-over cricket tournament created in 2020 so that English women's cricket could be played in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] A full season was scheduled for 2021, and, due to the popularity of the decision to name the trophy after Rachael Heyhoe Flint, the name was retained.[1] The fixtures took place in two blocks, with the inaugural Charlotte Edwards Cup and The Hundred taking place in between.[3]
The competition featured eight teams that represent regional hubs. Teams played each other once in a group of eight, with the top three qualifying for the knock-out stage. The second-placed team played the third-placed team on the 22 September, with the winner advancing to play the first-placed team in the Final on the 25 September.[4] The Final was played at the County Cricket Ground, Northampton.[5]
Teams edit
The teams were as follows:[4]
- Central Sparks (representing Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire)
- Lightning (representing Loughborough University, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire)
- Northern Diamonds (representing Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland)
- North West Thunder (representing Lancashire, Cheshire and Cumbria)
- South East Stars (representing Surrey and Kent)
- Southern Vipers (representing Hampshire, Sussex, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Dorset, Isle of Wight and Oxfordshire)
- Sunrisers (representing Middlesex, Essex, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Huntingdonshire, Norfolk and Suffolk)
- Western Storm (representing Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Cornwall, Devon, Wiltshire and Cricket Wales)
Standings edit
Teams received 4 points for a win. A bonus point was given where the winning team's run rate was 1.25 or greater times that of the opposition. In case of a tie in the standings, the following tiebreakers would be 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.[4]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | NR | BP | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Vipers (Q) | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 0.417 |
| 2 | Northern Diamonds (Q) | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 1.182 |
| 3 | Central Sparks (Q) | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 22 | 0.822 |
| 4 | Lightning | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0.274 |
| 5 | South East Stars | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | −0.226 |
| 6 | Western Storm | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | −0.462 |
| 7 | North West Thunder | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | −0.620 |
| 8 | Sunrisers | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1.598 |
Group stage edit
Source:[3]
Northern Diamonds
279 (49.2 overs) |
v
|
Central Sparks
283/8 (48.2 overs) |
- Central Sparks won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Central Sparks 4, Northern Diamonds 0
North West Thunder
291/8 (50 overs) |
v
|
Western Storm
295/9 (50 overs) |
- Western Storm won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Western Storm 4, North West Thunder 0
South East Stars
324/7 (50 overs) |
v
|
Sunrisers
189 (39.2 overs) |
- Sunrisers won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: South East Stars 5, Sunrisers 0
Lightning
214/9 (50 overs) |
v
|
Southern Vipers
215/6 (46.5 overs) |
- Lightning won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Southern Vipers 4, Lightning 0
Northern Diamonds
151 (45.5 overs) |
v
|
Lightning
145 (48.1 overs) |
- Lightning won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Northern Diamonds 4, Lightning 0
Central Sparks
295/7 (50 overs) |
v
|
Western Storm
254/9 (50 overs) |
- Western Storm won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Central Sparks 4, Western Storm 0
South East Stars
137 (39.5 overs) |
v
|
Southern Vipers
138/3 (28.4 overs) |
- Southern Vipers won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Southern Vipers 5, South East Stars 0
North West Thunder
247/9 (50 overs) |
v
|
Sunrisers
211 (45.2 overs) |
- North West Thunder won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: North West Thunder 4, Sunrisers 0
- Sonali Patel (Sunrisers) took a hat-trick.
Western Storm
245/8 (50 overs) |
v
|
South East Stars
249/4 (43.1 overs) |
- South East Stars won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: South East Stars 4, Western Storm 0
Sunrisers
53 (29.1 overs) |
v
|
Northern Diamonds
54/1 (7.4 overs) |
- Northern Diamonds won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Northern Diamonds 5, Sunrisers 0
Central Sparks
224 (49.2 overs) |
v
|
Southern Vipers
104 (27.5 overs) |
- Central Sparks won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Central Sparks 5, Southern Vipers 0
- Emily Arlott (Central Sparks) took a hat-trick.
Lightning
259/5 (50 overs) |
v
|
North West Thunder
125 (39.2 overs) |
- Lightning won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Lightning 5, North West Thunder 0
South East Stars
250/6 (50 overs) |
v
|
Northern Diamonds
254/7 (49.2 overs) |
- South East Stars won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Northern Diamonds 4, South East Stars 0
Sunrisers
206/9 (50 overs) |
v
|
Lightning
210/5 (40.2 overs) |
- Sunrisers won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Lightning 4, Sunrisers 0
Central Sparks
203 (49.5 overs) |
v
|
North West Thunder
205/8 (48 overs) |
- Central Sparks won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: North West Thunder 4, Central Sparks 0
Western Storm
177 (49.3 overs) |
v
|
Southern Vipers
178/2 (34.5 overs) |
- Western Storm won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Southern Vipers 5, Western Storm 0
Western Storm
183 (38.1 overs) |
v
|
Northern Diamonds
184/3 (31.1 overs) |
- Northern Diamonds won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Northern Diamonds 5, Western Storm 0
South East Stars
293/9 (50 overs) |
v
|
Lightning
265 (49.2 overs) |
- South East Stars won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: South East Stars 4, Lightning 0
Sunrisers
204/7 (42 overs) |
v
|
Central Sparks
208/4 (37.2 overs) |
- Central Sparks won the toss and elected to field.
- Central Sparks were set a revised target of 206 runs from 42 overs due to rain.
- Points: Central Sparks 4, Sunrisers 0
North West Thunder
110 (32.5 overs) |
v
|
Southern Vipers
112/7 (33.5 overs) |
- Southern Vipers won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Southern Vipers 5, North West Thunder 0
Northern Diamonds
294/6 (50 overs) |
v
|
North West Thunder
189/8 (50 overs) |
- North West Thunder won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Northern Diamonds 5, North West Thunder 0
Central Sparks
229 (49.1 overs) |
v
|
South East Stars
114 (31.3 overs) |
- Central Sparks won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Central Sparks 5, South East Stars 0
Western Storm
228/7 (50 overs) |
v
|
Lightning
166 (41.2 overs) |
- Lightning won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Western Storm 5, Lightning 0
Southern Vipers
309/9 (50 overs) |
v
|
Sunrisers
308/6 (50 overs) |
- Sunrisers won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Southern Vipers 4, Sunrisers 0
Lightning
320/6 (50 overs) |
v
|
Central Sparks
296/9 (50 overs) |
- Central Sparks won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Lightning 4, Central Sparks 0
North West Thunder
185 (47 overs) |
v
|
South East Stars
130 (35 overs) |
- North West Thunder won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: North West Thunder 5, South East Stars 0
Western Storm
313/4 (50 overs) |
v
|
Sunrisers
277 (44.3 overs) |
- Western Storm won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Western Storm 4, Sunrisers 0
Northern Diamonds
256 (48.3 overs) |
v
|
Southern Vipers
260/5 (48.5 overs) |
- Northern Diamonds won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Southern Vipers 4, Northern Diamonds 0
Play-off edit
Northern Diamonds and Central Sparks finished second and third respectively in the group stage, and so contested the playoff.[7]
| Play-off | Final | ||||||||
| 1 | Southern Vipers | 187/7 | |||||||
| 2 | Northern Diamonds | 176/4 | 2 | Northern Diamonds | 183 | ||||
| 3 | Central Sparks | 175/7 | |||||||
Central Sparks
175/7 (50 overs) |
v
|
Northern Diamonds
176/4 (32.5 overs) |
- Central Sparks won the toss and elected to bat.
Final edit
Southern Vipers finished top of the group stage, and as a result, they qualified automatically for the final.[7]
Northern Diamonds
183 (49.2 overs) |
v
|
Southern Vipers
187/7 (49.4 overs) |
- Northern Diamonds won the toss and elected to bat.
Statistics edit
- Highest score by a team: South East Stars – 324/7 (50 overs) v Sunrisers (29 May).[8]
- Top score by an individual: Amy Jones – 163* (114) v Western Storm (31 May).[9]
- Best bowling figures by an individual: Emily Arlott – 5/29 (8 overs) v Southern Vipers (5 June).[10]
Most runs edit
| Player | Team | Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | HS | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sophie Luff | Western Storm | 7 | 7 | 417 | 69.50 | 157* | 1 | 3 |
| Kathryn Bryce | Lightning | 7 | 7 | 353 | 50.42 | 162 | 1 | 2 |
| Evelyn Jones | Central Sparks | 8 | 8 | 299 | 42.71 | 100* | 1 | 2 |
| Sterre Kalis | Northern Diamonds | 9 | 8 | 290 | 41.42 | 76 | 0 | 2 |
| Amy Jones | Central Sparks | 3 | 3 | 282 | 141.00 | 163* | 2 | 0 |
Source: ESPNCricinfo[11]
Most wickets edit
| Player | Team | Overs | Wickets | Average | BBI | 5w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirstie Gordon | Lightning | 70.0 | 16 | 15.43 | 4/23 | 0 |
| Hannah Jones | North West Thunder | 50.0 | 14 | 17.07 | 5/33 | 1 |
| Issy Wong | Central Sparks | 63.5 | 14 | 21.35 | 5/49 | 1 |
| Charlotte Taylor | Southern Vipers | 72.0 | 13 | 18.15 | 4/21 | 0 |
| Beth Langston | Northern Diamonds | 73.5 | 13 | 20.69 | 2/12 | 0 |
Source: ESPNCricinfo[12]
References edit
- ^ a b "Women's domestic fixtures announced: Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy returns alongside new Regional T20 competition". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
- ^ "Women's cricket: Domestic 50-over competition named Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy". BBC Sport. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Fixtures". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
- ^ a b c "Playing Conditions - Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy" (PDF). England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
- ^ "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final bound for Northamptonshire". The Cricketer. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
- ^ "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2021/Table". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: Southern Vipers into final after topping group". Sky Sports. 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
- ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021/Highest Totals". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021/Highest Scores". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021/Best Bowling Figures in an Innings". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021/Most Runs". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021/Most Wickets". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
External links edit