The ECB on Tuesday has announced that the upcoming Women’s domestic 50 over tournament will be named as “Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy” in honor of England’s pioneering World Cup Winning Captain.
The renowned competition has been created for this summer season to ensure that Women’s Domestic Cricket is played despite the challenges faced because of COVID-19. The competition will begin on the August Bank Holiday weekend and it will feature eight teams from the new elite domestic structure playing in two regionalized groups of four.
Each participating team will play six group matches with the top team in every group to progress to the finals which is scheduled on Saturday 26th September. The team with highest points at the end of the group stage will enter the finals.
“I’m delighted that, despite the obvious challenges of COVID-19, we have been able to continue to build the new women’s elite domestic structure to the point that we’ll see the eight regions playing 50-over cricket this summer. Off the back of appointing the eight Regional Directors of Women’s Cricket and awarding Regional Retainers, we have worked closely with colleagues across the men’s domestic game to ensure we are able to stage domestic women’s cricket safely and at high-quality venues,” ECB’s Managing Director of Women’s Cricket, Clare Connor, said in an official statement.
Baroness Rachael Heyhoe Flint OBE led England to the first ever Cricket World Cup title in 1973 while off field her tireless determination for equality in men’s & women’s cricket laid the foundations for the opportunities presented to modern day players.
Heyhoe Flint played 22 Tests and 23 ODIs during a 19-year England career and she is also a member of the ICC Hall of Fame. The Women’s Cricketer of the Year Award was created & named after Heyhoe Flint in 2017 as a tribute to her after her death in that same year. Heyhoe died at the age of 77 in 2017.
