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.
| Dates | 29 August 2020 – 27 September 2020 |
|---|---|
| Administrator(s) | England and Wales Cricket Board |
| Cricket format | 50-over cricket |
| Tournament format(s) | Group stage and final |
| Champions | Southern Vipers (1st title) |
| Participants | 8 |
| Matches | 25 |
| Most runs | Georgia Adams (500) |
| Most wickets | Charlotte Taylor (15) |
| Official website | ecb.co.uk |
The competition was won by Southern Vipers, who beat Northern Diamonds in the final.
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.[1][2] All matches took place behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] The England and Wales Cricket Board made some matches available to watch online,[3] and the final was shown live on Sky Sports.[4] The competition was named after former England captain Rachael Heyhoe Flint, Baroness Heyhoe-Flint, who died in 2017.[1]
The competition featured eight teams, who represented regional hubs,[1][2] which were formed during an overhaul of the English women's domestic cricket structure.[5] 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.[2][6] The competition began on 29 August, and ended with the final on 27 September.[7][8] Originally the final was scheduled for 26 September at the ground of the team with the most points, but the fixture was moved back to 27 September to avoid a clash with an England women's T20 match against the West Indies. Edgbaston was chosen as the venue for the final.[9]
Teams
editThe teams were as follows:[6][10]
- North Group
- 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 Group
- 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)
Squads
editEach team had a squad of 15 players, and players on England central contracts were available for the competition.[2] All players were paid for participating in the competitions, excluding those already on central contracts.[10] After the squad announcements, England centrally contracted players were added to their teams. England players on a regional retainer contract were assigned to their regional team, and centrally contracted players were assigned appropriately.[4] England players in the squad for the West Indies series were only available for the first two rounds of fixtures.[11]
Southern Vipers were the first team to announce their squad. Their regionally contracted players were Lauren Bell, Georgia Adams, Tara Norris, and Paige Scholfield.[12] Northern Diamonds' squad included former England international cricketer Jenny Gunn and Dutch international cricketer Sterre Kalis. Their centrally contracted players were Hollie Armitage and Beth Langston.[13] South East Stars were captained by Tash Farrant, and their 14 women squad included England players Sophia Dunkley, Alice Davidson-Richards, and Bryony Smith.[14] Lightning's squad included Scottish sisters Kathryn and Sarah Bryce.[15] North West Thunder's squad included England cricketer Alex Hartley, as well as Georgie Boyce and Ellie Threlkeld who received regional retainers.[16] Western Storm were captained by Sophie Luff, and their squad included regionally contracted players Fi Morris and Danielle Gibson.[17] Central Sparks' squad included regionally contracted players Evelyn Jones, Marie Kelly and Issy Wong.[18] Sunrisers were captained by Amara Carr, and their squad included regionally contracted players Naomi Dattani, Cordelia Griffith who received regional retainers, and also included England international cricketer Fran Wilson and Mady Villiers.[19]
Standings
editTeams received 4 points for a win. A bonus point was 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 were 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.[20]
North Group
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | NR | BP | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Diamonds | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 1.000 |
| 2 | Central Sparks | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | −0.285 |
| 3 | North West Thunder | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | −0.515 |
| 4 | Lightning | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | −0.113 |
South Group
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | NR | BP | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Vipers | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 1.017 |
| 2 | Western Storm | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 0.510 |
| 3 | South East Stars | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | −0.197 |
| 4 | Sunrisers | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1.365 |
Group stage
editThe fixture list was compiled so that every team played twice on the August Bank Holiday weekend.[3]
Source:[24]
North Group
editCentral Sparks
144 (38.1 overs) |
v
|
Northern Diamonds
145/1 (24.1 overs) |
- Central Sparks won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Northern Diamonds 5, Central Sparks 0
North West Thunder
206/9 (50 overs) |
v
|
Lightning
146 (35.5 overs) |
- North West Thunder won the toss and elected to bat.
- Lightning were set a revised target of 151 runs from 36 overs due to rain.
- Points: North West Thunder 4, Lightning 0
North West Thunder
135 (46.1 overs) |
v
|
Central Sparks
136/6 (44 overs) |
- North West Thunder won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Central Sparks 4, North West Thunder 0
Northern Diamonds
226/9 (50 overs) |
v
|
Lightning
217/7 (50 overs) |
- Northern Diamonds won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Northern Diamonds 4, Lightning 0
North West Thunder
166/8 (50 overs) |
v
|
Central Sparks
167/2 (38.1 overs) |
- North West Thunder won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Central Sparks 5, North West Thunder 0
Lightning
226 (49.1 overs) |
v
|
Northern Diamonds
229/8 (48.5 overs) |
- Northern Diamonds won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Northern Diamonds 4, Lightning 0
Northern Diamonds
248/8 (50 overs) |
v
|
North West Thunder
175/8 (50 overs) |
- North West Thunder won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Northern Diamonds 5, North West Thunder 0
Lightning
233/8 (50 overs) |
v
|
Central Sparks
227/9 (50 overs) |
- Central Sparks won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Lightning 4, Central Sparks 0
North West Thunder
188/9 (50 overs) |
v
|
Lightning
116 (39.1 overs) |
- North West Thunder won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: North West Thunder 5, Lightning 0
Northern Diamonds
217 (50 overs) |
v
|
Central Sparks
218/4 (46.4 overs) |
- Northern Diamonds won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Central Sparks 4, Northern Diamonds 0
North West Thunder
143 (42.5 overs) |
v
|
Northern Diamonds
144/4 (29.4 overs) |
- North West Thunder won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Northern Diamonds 5, North West Thunder 0
Lightning
303/5 (50 overs) |
v
|
Central Sparks
248 (49.4 overs) |
- Central Sparks won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Lightning 4, Central Sparks 0
South Group
editSunrisers
202 (46.1 overs) |
v
|
Southern Vipers
208/3 (36.2 overs) |
- Southern Vipers won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Southern Vipers 5, Sunrisers 0
South East Stars
166 (48.1 overs) |
v
|
Western Storm
167/4 (39.5 overs) |
- Western Storm won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Western Storm 5, South East Stars 0
Southern Vipers
261/7 (50 overs) |
v
|
Western Storm
239 (47.5 overs) |
- Western Storm won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Southern Vipers 4, Western Storm 0
South East Stars
289/8 (50 overs) |
v
|
Sunrisers
212 (45.5 overs) |
- South East Stars won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: South East Stars 5, Sunrisers 0
Western Storm
265/6 (50 overs) |
v
|
Sunrisers
179 (45 overs) |
- Sunrisers won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Western Storm 5, Sunrisers 0
Southern Vipers
209/8 (50 overs) |
v
|
South East Stars
98 (36.5 overs) |
- Southern Vipers won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Southern Vipers 5, South East Stars 0
South East Stars
212/9 (50 overs) |
v
|
Western Storm
215/3 (46.1 overs) |
- South East Stars won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Western Storm 4, South East Stars 0
Southern Vipers
232 (49.5 overs) |
v
|
Sunrisers
183 (43.5 overs) |
- Southern Vipers won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Southern Vipers 5, Sunrisers 0
Southern Vipers
288/1 (50 overs) |
v
|
Western Storm
256 (50 overs) |
- Southern Vipers won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Southern Vipers 4, Western Storm 0
Sunrisers
198 (48.4 overs) |
v
|
South East Stars
199/4 (37.1 overs) |
- Sunrisers won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: South East Stars 5, Sunrisers 0
South East Stars
227 (48.3 overs) |
v
|
Southern Vipers
230/6 (47.2 overs) |
- South East Stars won the toss and elected to bat.
- Points: Southern Vipers 4, South East Stars 0
Western Storm
288/6 (50 overs) |
v
|
Sunrisers
241 (49 overs) |
- Sunrisers won the toss and elected to field.
- Points: Western Storm 4, Sunrisers 0
Final
editSouthern Vipers
231 (49.5 overs) |
v
|
Northern Diamonds
193 (42.2 overs) |
- Northern Diamonds won the toss and elected to field.
- Southern Vipers won the 2020 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
Statistics
edit- Highest score by a team: Lightning – 303/5 (50 overs) v Central Sparks (19 September).[25]
- Top score by an individual: Georgia Adams – 154* (155) v Western Storm (13 September).[26]
- Best bowling figures by an individual: Charlotte Taylor – 6/34 (10 overs) v Northern Diamonds (27 September).[27]
Most runs
edit| Player | Team | Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | HS | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Adams | Southern Vipers | 7 | 7 | 500 | 83.33 | 154* | 1 | 3 |
| Sarah Bryce | Lightning | 6 | 6 | 395 | 79.00 | 136* | 1 | 4 |
| Sophie Luff | Western Storm | 6 | 6 | 339 | 67.80 | 104* | 1 | 3 |
| Evelyn Jones | Central Sparks | 6 | 6 | 334 | 66.80 | 115* | 1 | 2 |
| Marie Kelly | Central Sparks | 6 | 6 | 223 | 55.75 | 59* | 0 | 2 |
Source: ESPNCricinfo[28]
Most wickets
edit| Player | Team | Overs | Wickets | Average | BBI | 5w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Taylor | Southern Vipers | 44.0 | 15 | 10.13 | 6/34 | 1 |
| Kathryn Bryce | Lightning | 55.4 | 14 | 15.42 | 5/29 | 1 |
| Tara Norris | Southern Vipers | 44.5 | 12 | 17.91 | 4/45 | 0 |
| Beth Langston | Northern Diamonds | 56.1 | 12 | 19.41 | 3/18 | 0 |
| Alex Hartley | North West Thunder | 54.0 | 11 | 15.45 | 4/8 | 0 |
Source: ESPNCricinfo[29]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Women's cricket: Domestic 50-over competition named Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy". BBC Sport. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: The special-edition 50-over competition explained". The Cricketer. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ a b c "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy will begin on August 29, ECB announce". The Cricketer. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ a b "England players allocated for Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy". Women's CricZone. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- ^ "ECB announces women's 50-over tournament will be called Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy this summer". Sky Sports. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ a b "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: Finals Day on 26 September, venue to be decided". BBC Sport. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final to be shown live on Sky Sports". ecb.co.uk. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
- ^ "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: Edgbaston to stage final". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
- ^ "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: Edgbaston to stage final". ESPNcricinfo. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Women's domestic cricket to return in August with Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy". The Daily Telegraph. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final to be shown live on Sky Sports". Sky Sports. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- ^ "Southern Vipers Announce Their Squad for the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy". Women's CricZone. 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ "Northern Diamonds Announce Their Squad for the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy". Women's CricZone. 14 August 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ "South East Stars announce squad for Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy; Tash Farrant to lead". Women's CricZone. 18 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "Lightning announce squad for Rachael Heyhoe-Flint trophy". Women's CricZone. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
- ^ "Alex Hartley included in Thunder squad for Rachael Heyhoe-Flint trophy". Women's CricZone. 21 August 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
- ^ "Sophie Luff to lead Western Storm in the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint trophy". Women's CricZone. 24 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- ^ "Central Sparks name squad for the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint trophy". Women's CricZone. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- ^ "Sunrisers name squad for the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy; Amara Carr to lead". Women's CricZone. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ^ "Playing Conditions – The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy" (PDF) (pdf). England and Wales Cricket Board. 20 August 2020. p. 15. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ a b Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, BBC Sport.
- ^ a b Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2020, CricInfo.
- ^ a b Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Tables, England and Wales Cricket Board.
- ^ "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy fixtures 2020: Full schedule, dates". The Cricketer. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2020/Highest Totals". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2020/Highest Scores". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2020/Best Bowling Figures in an Innings". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2020/Most Runs". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2020/Most Wickets". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 3 October 2021.