Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2021 – First Rounds

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The opening salvos of the second season of this 50-over competition take place this Saturday and Bank Holiday Monday with four matches each. Details below.

The eight hubs introduced last year bring together the best players across the country. There is a fascinating blend of generations involved, not least up north with the Diamonds, for whom Hollie Armitage has been honoured with the captaincy. The 23-year-old will be in charge of such luminous names as Jenny Gunn, Katherine Brunt and Nat Sciver. But head coaches lay weight of having a captain who is regularly available. England’s two series will get in the way of some fixtures. The Hundred starts on 21 July.

Vipers were the out-and-out winners last summer with skipper Georgia Adams leading the batting stakes with some 500 runs. But form is an unreliable friend, and other franchises have the talent to upset their chances of a repeat.

Let’s hope Lisa Keightley reacts to performances in this valuable competition. Last year it was a case of ‘as you were’; she stuck to the tried and tested when it came to picking her England teams. Now highly promising players varying in experience from Adams and Sophie Luff – both in their late twenties – to young hopefuls like Issy Wong (who went with the England squad to New Zealand), Lauren Bell, Bess Heath and Grace Scrivens, to name but four.

Fixtures

After these opening rounds two more follow on consecutive Saturdays, then there is a break till September while shorter forms of the game take over.

Saturday 29 May

Northern Diamonds v Central Sparks, Headingley
Southern Vipers v Lightning, Southampton
Sunrisers v South East Stars, Chelmsford
Western Storm v Thunder, Bristol

Monday 31 May

Lightning v Northern Diamonds, Kibworth CC, Kibworth
Central Sparks v Western Storm, Edgbaston
South East Stars v Southern Vipers, Beckenham
Thunder v Sunrisers, Boughton Hall CC, Chester

All start at 10.30