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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.

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

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. 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. The fixtures took place in two blocks, with the inaugural Charlotte Edwards Cup and The Hundred taking place in between.

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. The Final was played at the County Cricket Ground, Northampton.

Teams

The teams were as follows:

• 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

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.

  advanced to Final
  advanced to the Play-off

Group stage

Source:

• Central Sparks won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Central Sparks 4, Northern Diamonds 0

• Western Storm won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Western Storm 4, North West Thunder 0

• Sunrisers won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: South East Stars 5, Sunrisers 0

• Lightning won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Southern Vipers 4, Lightning 0

• Lightning won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Northern Diamonds 4, Lightning 0

• Western Storm won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Central Sparks 4, Western Storm 0

• Southern Vipers won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Southern Vipers 5, South East Stars 0

• North West Thunder won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: North West Thunder 4, Sunrisers 0
• Sonali Patel (Sunrisers) took a hat-trick.

• South East Stars won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: South East Stars 4, Western Storm 0

• Northern Diamonds won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Northern Diamonds 5, Sunrisers 0

• 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 won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Lightning 5, North West Thunder 0

• South East Stars won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Northern Diamonds 4, South East Stars 0

• Sunrisers won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Lightning 4, Sunrisers 0

• Central Sparks won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: North West Thunder 4, Central Sparks 0

• Western Storm won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Southern Vipers 5, Western Storm 0

• Northern Diamonds won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Northern Diamonds 5, Western Storm 0

• South East Stars won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: South East Stars 4, Lightning 0

• 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

• Southern Vipers won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Southern Vipers 5, North West Thunder 0

• North West Thunder won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Northern Diamonds 5, North West Thunder 0

• Central Sparks won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Central Sparks 5, South East Stars 0

• Lightning won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Western Storm 5, Lightning 0

• Sunrisers won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Southern Vipers 4, Sunrisers 0

• Central Sparks won the toss and elected to field.
• Points: Lightning 4, Central Sparks 0

• North West Thunder won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: North West Thunder 5, South East Stars 0

• Western Storm won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Western Storm 4, Sunrisers 0

• Northern Diamonds won the toss and elected to bat.
• Points: Southern Vipers 4, Northern Diamonds 0

Play-off

Northern Diamonds and Central Sparks finished second and third respectively in the group stage, and so contested the playoff.

• Central Sparks won the toss and elected to bat.

Final

Southern Vipers finished top of the group stage, and as a result, they qualified automatically for the final.

• Northern Diamonds won the toss and elected to bat.

Statistics

• Highest score by a team: South East Stars – 324/7 (50 overs) v Sunrisers (29 May).
• Top score by an individual: Amy Jones – 163* (114) v Western Storm (31 May).
• Best bowling figures by an individual: Emily Arlott – 5/29 (8 overs) v Southern Vipers (5 June).

Most runs

Source: ESPNCricinfo

Most wickets

Source: ESPNCricinfo

References

1. ^ "Women's domestic fixtures announced: Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy returns alongside new Regional T20 competition". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
2. "Women's cricket: Domestic 50-over competition named Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy". BBC Sport. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
3. ^ "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Fixtures". England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
4. ^ "Playing Conditions - Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy" (PDF). England and Wales Cricket Board. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
5. "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final bound for Northamptonshire". The Cricketer. 24 August 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
6. "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2021/Table". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
7. ^ "Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: Southern Vipers into final after topping group". Sky Sports. 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
8. "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021/Highest Totals". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
9. "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021/Highest Scores". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
10. "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021/Best Bowling Figures in an Innings". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
11. "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021/Most Runs". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
12. "Records/Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, 2021/Most Wickets". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2021.

External links

• Series home at ESPN Cricinfo

• Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy
• 2021 in English women's cricket
• Domestic cricket competitions in 2021