Rachael Heyhoe Flint facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Right Honourable
The Baroness Heyhoe Flint
OBE DL

In the House of Lords in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Rachael Heyhoe Flint
Born	(1939-06-11)11 June 1939 Wolverhampton, England
Died	18 January 2017(2017-01-18) (aged 77)
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm leg break
Role	Batter
International information
National side	England (1960–1982)
Test debut (cap 51)	2 December 1960 v South Africa
Last Test	1 July 1979 v West Indies
ODI debut (cap 4)	23 June 1973 v International XI
Last ODI	7 February 1982 v Australia
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1963–1985	West Midlands
1976–1982	West
Career statistics
Competition WTest WODI WFC WLA Matches 22 23 51 43 Runs scored 1,594 643 3,356 1,110 Batting average 45.54 58.45 46.61 42.69 100s/50s 3/10 1/4 8/18 1/8 Top score 179 114 179 114 Balls bowled 402 18 870 64 Wickets 3 1 7 5 Bowling average 68.00 20.00 66.42 7.80 5 wickets in innings 0 0 0 0 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0 Best bowling 1/3 1/13 2/29 2/16 Catches/stumpings 13/– 6/– 30/– 12/–
Source: CricketArchive, 7 March 2021

Rachael Heyhoe Flint, also known as Baroness Heyhoe Flint, was a famous English cricketer, businesswoman, and charity worker. She was born Rachael Heyhoe on June 11, 1939, and passed away on January 18, 2017.

Rachael is best known for being the captain of England's women's cricket team from 1966 to 1978. During her time as captain, her team never lost a Test series. She played for the English women's cricket team from 1960 to 1982.

She led her team to victory in the very first 1973 Women's Cricket World Cup, which England hosted. Rachael was also the first female cricketer to hit a six in a Test match. She was one of the first ten women to become a member of the famous MCC.

Besides cricket, she also played as a goalkeeper for the England national field hockey team in 1964. Many people consider her a pioneer who helped shape women's cricket into what it is today.

Early Life and Education

Rachael Heyhoe was born in Wolverhampton, England. Her parents, Roma Crocker and Geoffrey Heyhoe, were both physical education teachers. They met while studying in Denmark.

Rachael attended Wolverhampton Girls' High School from 1950 to 1957. After that, she went to Dartford College of Physical Education until 1960. This college later became part of the University of Greenwich.

Cricket Achievements

Rachael Heyhoe Flint was mainly a right-handed batter. She also sometimes bowled leg spin. She played in 22 Women's Test cricket matches between 1960 and 1979. Her batting average was 45.54.

She scored three Test centuries, which are 100 runs or more in one game. Her highest score was 179 not out, which means she was still batting when the game ended. This was a world record when she achieved it in 1976 against Australia. She batted for over 8 and a half hours to help her team get a draw and save the series.

Rachael also played in 23 Women's One Day International (WODI) matches. Her batting average in these games was 58.45, and her top score was 114.

Captaining England's Team

Rachael was the captain of the England women's cricket team for 12 years, from 1966 to 1978. While she was captain, her team never lost a match.

In 1963, she hit the first ever six in a women's Test match. This happened at the Oval against the Australian team.

She played a key role in making the first Women's World Cup happen. She even helped get money for it from her friend, Jack Hayward. She captained the England team in this tournament. England won the final against Australia on July 28, 1973. It's interesting to note that the women's World Cup happened two years before the men's first Cricket World Cup!

Rachael was also captain when the first England women's team played at Lord's Cricket Ground in 1976. After she was replaced as captain in 1978, she played her last Test match in 1979. She continued to play in the 1982 World Cup. Her last WODI game was the final of that World Cup.

Domestic Cricket Career

In domestic cricket, Rachael mainly played for the West Midlands. She also played for teams like West of England, East Midlands, and Warwickshire.

Other Sports and Career

Rachael was a talented all-around athlete. In 1964, she played as a goalkeeper for the England national field hockey team. She was also a very good golfer. She played hockey, squash, and golf for Staffordshire.

From 1997 to 2003, she served on the board of directors for Wolverhampton Wanderers football club. She later became a vice-president for the club.

Life Outside Sport

After her sports career, Rachael worked as a teacher of physical education from 1960 to 1964. She taught at Wolverhampton Grammar School and Northicote School.

She then became a journalist for the Wolverhampton Chronicle. She also worked as a freelance sports writer for the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers. In 1973, she became TV's first woman sports presenter on ITV's World of Sport.

After retiring from cricket, she continued her work as a journalist and broadcaster. She also became a successful after-dinner speaker, businesswoman, and board director. In 1973, she was named the Best After Dinner Speaker by the Guild of Professional Toastmasters.

Awards and Recognition

Rachael Heyhoe Flint received many honors for her contributions.

• In 1972, she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
• In 1999, she was one of the first ten women to be given honorary life membership to the MCC.
• In 2004, she was the first woman elected to the full committee of the MCC. She later became a Trustee.
• In 1997, she was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of the West Midlands.
• She was President of the Lady Taverners charity from 2001 to 2011.
• In 2008, she was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
• In October 2010, she became the first woman to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
• In 2010, she became one of the first female directors of the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Becoming a Baroness

On November 19, 2010, it was announced that Rachael would become a peer in the House of Lords. This meant she would become a member of the UK Parliament as a Conservative Party peer.

She officially became a life peer on January 21, 2011. Her title was Baroness Heyhoe Flint, of Wolverhampton. She was excited to join such a historic institution and hoped her background in sport and charity would help her make a positive contribution.

In April 2011, Rachael Heyhoe Flint was given the freedom of Wolverhampton.

In 2021, the MCC announced they would name a gate at Lord's Cricket Ground after Rachael Heyhoe Flint. This gate was officially opened in August 2022 by her son, Ben, and Clare Connor, the MCC president.

Personal Life

Rachael Heyhoe married Derrick Flint on November 1, 1971. Derrick was also a cricketer who played for Warwickshire CCC. After marriage, Rachael used the double-barrelled surname Heyhoe Flint.

Their son, Ben, was born in 1974 and also played cricket. Ben moved to Singapore in 2001, where he runs sports and entertainment businesses. Rachael was also a stepmother to Derrick Flint's children: Simon, Hazel, and Rowan.

Legacy

Rachael Heyhoe Flint passed away on January 18, 2017, after a short illness. She was remembered during the in memoriam section at the 2017 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards.

To honor her memory, in 2017, the International Cricket Council (ICC) named their ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year award the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award. In 2020, the women's domestic 50-over cricket competition in England was named the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.

See also

• List of residents of Wolverhampton