England players allocated for Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy

The England and Wales Cricket Board(ECB) have announced England player allocations for the Rachael Heyhoe Flint (RHF) Trophy on Thursday (August 26).



The 24-member England squad have been training for England's five-T20I series against West Indies and they will be available for the first two rounds of the competition.



Players who hold regional retainers with the eight sides will turn up for their respective sides in the competition. Once the squad for the series against West Indies is announced, those not a part of the side will return to represent their respective franchises for the final rounds of the RHF Trophy. All matches will be live-streamed by the home side and the final is set to be played at Edgbaston.



Katherine Brunt, Natalie Sciver and Lauren Winfield will join Northern Diamonds ahead of the opening day of the competition. Heather Knight and Anya Shrubsole will represent Western Storm - they represented Storm in the now defunct Women’s Cricket Super League (WCSL). Lancashire Thunder players Kate Cross and Sophie Ecclestone are allocated to Thunder.



Danielle Wyatt, who played for Southern Vipers in WCSL and Georgia Elwiss will join Vipers while Tammy Beaumont will join Lightning side and Fran Wilson is set to represent Sunrisers along with Mady Villiers. Leg-spinner Sarah Glenn and wicket-keeper Amy Jones will join Issy Wong at Central Sparks.



“We’re delighted that Sky have chosen to show the final of this special-edition Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy. They have for a long time been excellent partners and champions of the women's game and we're hugely grateful to them for their continued support,” said Clare Connor, managing director of women’s cricket ECB.



“Edgbaston is a brilliant venue for the final, with a great track record of hosting domestic finals. It’s also a great fit for this summer because of Rachael’s links to the West Midlands.”



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Connor lauded the efforts of all the regional directors of women’s cricket in their effort to get the special-edition domestic competition going.



“The impact of COVID-19 have demonstrated just how vital it is to have a sustainable and competitive domestic structure that gives our domestic women's cricketers the chance to make a living from the game and also raises the standard of women's cricket in England and Wales. I think it's important to thank the eight Regional Directors of Women's Cricket, their Chief Executives and their wider staff, for their efforts in getting us to this point.”



“We're proud of the work we've done to protect the momentum of the women's game across this challenging period. We're looking forward to 2021 when the eight regional teams will hopefully be playing even more cricket throughout the summer, along with the important addition of the profile opportunity of The Hundred,” Connor concluded.



England squad players allocation:



Northern Diamonds: Katherine Brunt, Natalie Sciver, Lauren Winfield, Linsey Smith

Thunder: Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Emma Lamb

Central Sparks: Amy Jones, Sarah Glenn, Issy Wong

Western Storm: Heather Knight, Anya Shrubsole, Katie George

Southern Vipers: Danielle Wyatt, Georgia Elwiss, Lauren Bell

South East Stars: Freya Davies, Allison Davidson-Richards, Bryony Smith, Sophia Dunkley

Sunrisers: Fran Wilson, Mady Villiers

Lightning: Tammy Beaumont, Kirstie Gordon