Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy 2022: All you need to know

The Cricketer provides all the information you need ahead of the 2022 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy

What is it?

Introduced in 2020, the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy is the premier 50-over tournament in women's domestic cricket in England.

What’s the format?

The eight women’s regional teams compete against each other in a round-robin competition before a two-match knockout stage. 30 matches will be played in total, with each side playing seven group games.

The first-placed side automatically qualifies for the final with second and third contesting a playoff match to determine the second finalist.

Teams receive four points for a win, while a bonus point is on offer if the winning side’s run rate is at least 1.25x greater than the opposition. In the case of a tie, the team with the highest net run rate are awarded the points.

^{Northern Diamonds have finished in second place twice [Tony Marshall/Getty Images]}

When is it?

This year’s tournament starts on Saturday, July 2, with the group stages running until Saturday, September 17.

The playoff match is scheduled for Wednesday, September 21, while the final will be played at Lord's on Sunday, September 25.

Who are the teams involved?

The eight teams involved are Southern Vipers, Northern Diamonds, Central Sparks, Lightning, Thunder, Sunrisers, South East Stars and Western Storm.

Southern Vipers are the team to watch. They have won the previous two editions of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and are on the hunt for a domestic double after winning the Charlotte Edwards Cup in June.

Northern Diamonds will be looking to go one better this year after losing in the final in 2020 and 2021 while Thunder (representing the north-west) and Lightning (East Midlands) will be hoping to progress beyond the group stage for the first time.

Sunrisers have failed to win any of their 13 games in the competition during the last two editions while South East Stars have only won four themselves.

West Midlands representatives Central Sparks qualified for the playoff in 2021, losing to Northern Diamonds.

Western Storm, based in the south-west, are yet to replicate their KSL form in the regional era.

^{Sophie Luff topped the run-scoring charts in 2021 [Alex Davidson/Getty Images]}

What happened last year?

Southern Vipers made it two in a row last year by beating the Northern Diamonds by three wickets in the final. A low-scoring thriller, Vipers chased 183 with just two balls to spare. Central Sparks finished third after losing to Diamonds in the playoff.

Sophie Luff was the leading run-scorer in 2021, with 417 runs at 69.50 for Western Storm. However, Luff’s top score of 157 not out wasn’t the highest score of the competition. That accolade went to Amy Jones, who scored two tons in three matches, including an unbeaten 163 from just 114 balls against Western Storm.

Lightning’s Kirstie Gordon was the leading wicket-taker, taking 16 wickets at 15.43 from 70 overs. Issy Wong finished second in the wicket-taking charts alongside Thunder spinner Hannah Jones. Central Sparks' Emily Arlott claimed the best figures of the competition, taking 5 for 29 against Southern Vipers. 

Who are the players to watch?

Central Sparks: Eve Jones

Eve Jones was the third-highest run-scorer in last year's tournament, scoring 299 runs at 42.17. And it was no fluke, with the opener scoring a colossal 334 runs in just six innings 12 months earlier. The left-hander anchors Sparks with the bat, oozing confidence and consistency, and also chips in with the ball on occasion. Her performances will be even more important with Amy Jones, Sarah Glenn and potentially both Issy Wong and Emily Arlott on England duty.

Lightning: Kathryn Bryce

After playing second fiddle to her sister with the bat in 2020, Kathryn Bryce made an impression last season, scoring 353 runs at 50.42 - including a career-best List A knock of 162 against Central Sparks. An all-round threat, the captain also picked up 10 wickets and now has 24 List A dismissals across two seasons for Lightning. The Scotland international will be hoping for a return to form - both individually and for her team - after a below-par Charlotte Edwards Cup.

Northern Diamonds: Beth Langston

Beth Langston is a banker for Northern Diamonds. The medium pacer took 13 wickets at 20.69 in 2021 and was also highly economical, conceding just 3.64 runs per over. She was also among the top-five bowlers in 2020. No duck egg with the bat either - she scored 141 runs at a strike rate of 130.55 in 2021 - she's a genuine match-winner for Diamonds.

South East Stars: Aylish Cranstone

Cranstone failed to make an impression in this tournament last year, scoring just 123 runs across six innings, but she comes into the 2022 edition off the back of a positive Charlotte Edwards Cup. The batter scored 235 runs at an average of 58.75 in the T20 tournament, a haul bettered by only Amy Jones, and will be a key player for South East Stars if she can translate her T20 form into the longer format.

^{Aylish Cranstone, Beth Langston and Grace Scrivens [Ben Hoskins/Gareth Copley/Nathan Stirk/Getty Images]}

Southern Vipers: Freya Kemp

With so many players on international duty, Southern Vipers will have to make use of their squad depth this year. Coming off an admirable Charlotte Edwards Cup campaign, Freya Kemp could be key to bowling success for the two-time champions.

The 17-year-old sensation took nine wickets at an average of 17.66 throughout the T20 tournament, including 1 for 13 from three overs in the final to restrict Sparks in the final. Kemp will be playing in her first Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, and all eyes will be on her performances throughout the tournament.

Sunrisers: Grace Scrivens

For Sunrisers to break their losing duck in the tournament, they need someone to step up, and that someone could be teenage allrounder Grace Scrivens. Last season, she scored 161 runs and picked up four wickets and comes into the tournament in impressive form. In the Charlotte Edwards Cup, she scored 147 runs - second only to Naomi Dattani among her teammates - and collected seven wickets, with best figures of 4 for 33. Her value to Sunrisers belies her young age.

Thunder: Hannah Jones

Often forgotten behind Sophie Ecclestone, spinner Hannah Jones is devastating with ball in hand. Although her economy (4.78) was the highest of the top-10 wicket-takers last year, it's still pretty miserly, and her 14 wickets at a strike rate of 21.4 are not to be sniffed at. Earlier this year, she took nine wickets in just 19 overs in the Charlotte Edwards Cup, with a best figures of 3 for 23.

Western Storm: Sophie Luff

No prizes for guessing that Sophie Luff is the one to watch for Western Storm. In 2020, she scored 339 runs in six appearances; in 2021, she was the only player to pass the 400-mark, scoring 417 runs at 69.50. And worryingly for bowling attacks up and down the country, she's in good form, scoring 158 runs at a strike rate in excess of 115 in the Charlotte Edwards Cup. Reliable.