75-661: Playing kit The Southern Vipers were a women's cricket team that represented the South of England. The Vipers wore an orange and black kit and primarily played their home matches at the Rose Bowl and the County Ground, Hove . They were coached by former England captain Charlotte Edwards . Southern Vipers were partnered with Hampshire , Sussex , Berkshire , Buckinghamshire , Dorset , Oxfordshire and
150-414: A field , at the centre of which is a 22-yard (20-metre; 66-foot) pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails (small sticks) balanced on three stumps . Two players from the batting team, the striker and nonstriker, stand in front of either wicket holding bats , while one player from the fielding team, the bowler, bowls the ball toward the striker's wicket from the opposite end of
225-456: A public school education who had then gone to one of Cambridge or Oxford University . Society insisted that such people were "officers and gentlemen" whose destiny was to provide leadership. In a purely financial sense, the cricketing amateur would theoretically claim expenses for playing while his professional counterpart played under contract and was paid a wage or match fee; in practice, many amateurs claimed more than actual expenditure, and
300-565: A collared shirt with short or long sleeves; long trousers; woolen pullover (if needed); cricket cap (for fielding) or a safety helmet; and spiked shoes or boots to increase traction. The kit is traditionally all white, and this remains the case in Test and first-class cricket, but in limited overs cricket, team colours are now worn instead. i) A used white ball. White balls are mainly used in limited overs cricket , especially in matches played at night, under floodlights (left). The essence of
375-454: A fence, part of the stands, a rope, a painted line, or a combination of these; the boundary must if possible be marked along its entire length. In the approximate centre of the field is a rectangular pitch (see image, below) on which a wooden target called a wicket is sited at each end; the wickets are placed 22 yards (20 m) apart. The pitch is a flat surface 10 feet (3.0 m) wide, with very short grass that tends to be worn away as
450-621: A highly popular format, putting the longer formats at risk. The new shorter format also introduced franchise cricket, with new tournaments like the Indian Premier League and the Australian Big Bash League . The ICC has selected the T20 format as cricket's growth format, and has introduced a T20 World Cup which is played every two years; T20 cricket has also been increasingly accepted into major events such as
525-416: A winner or tie.) The wicket-keeper (a specialised fielder behind the batter) and the batters wear protective gear because of the hardness of the ball, which can be delivered at speeds of more than 145 kilometres per hour (90 mph) and presents a major health and safety concern. Protective clothing includes pads (designed to protect the knees and shins), batting gloves or wicket-keeper's gloves for
600-539: Is aimed at a mark (the wicket) and driven away from it". It is generally believed that cricket originated as a children's game in the south-eastern counties of England, sometime during the medieval period . Although there are claims for prior dates, the earliest definite reference to cricket being played comes from evidence given at a court case in Guildford in January 1597 ( Old Style , equating to January 1598 in
675-453: Is certain that cricket was being played c. 1550 by boys in Surrey . The view that it was originally a children's game is reinforced by Randle Cotgrave 's 1611 English- French dictionary in which he defined the noun " crosse " as "the crooked staff wherewith boys play at cricket", and the verb form " crosser " as "to play at cricket". One possible source for the sport's name
750-423: Is drawn four feet in front of the bowling crease and parallel to it; although it is drawn as a 12 ft (3.7 m) line (six feet on either side of the wicket), it is, in fact, unlimited in length. The return creases are drawn at right angles to the popping crease so that they intersect the ends of the bowling crease; each return crease is drawn as an 8 ft (2.4 m) line, so that it extends four feet behind
825-656: Is known, through numerous references found in the records of ecclesiastical court cases, to have been proscribed at times by the Puritans before and during the Commonwealth . The problem was nearly always the issue of Sunday play, as the Puritans considered cricket to be "profane" if played on the Sabbath , especially if large crowds or gambling were involved. According to the social historian Derek Birley , there
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#1732782829540900-570: Is the Old English word " cryce " (or " cricc " ) meaning a crutch or staff. In Samuel Johnson 's Dictionary , he derived cricket from " cryce , Saxon, a stick". In Old French , the word " criquet " seems to have meant a kind of club or stick. Given the strong medieval trade connections between south-east England and the County of Flanders when the latter belonged to the Duchy of Burgundy ,
975-464: Is the earliest mention of adult participation in cricket and it was around the same time that the earliest known organised inter-parish or village match was played, at Chevening, Kent . In 1624, a player called Jasper Vinall died after he was accidentally struck on the head during a match between two parish teams in Sussex. Cricket remained a low-key local pursuit for much of the 17th century. It
1050-402: Is thought, a " wicket gate " through which sheep were herded), that the batter must defend. The cricket historian Harry Altham identified three "groups" of "club ball" games: the "hockey group", in which the ball is driven to and from between two targets (the goals); the "golf group", in which the ball is driven towards an undefended target (the hole); and the "cricket group", in which "the ball
1125-579: The Asian Games . The resultant growth has seen cricket's fanbase cross one billion people, with 90% of them in South Asia. T20's success has also spawned even shorter formats , such as 10-over cricket (T10) and 100-ball cricket , though not without controversy. Outside factors have also taken their toll on cricket. For example, the 2008 Mumbai attacks led India and Pakistan to suspend their bilateral series indefinitely. The 2009 attack on
1200-702: The British Empire had been instrumental in spreading the game overseas, and by the middle of the 19th century it had become well established in Australia , the Caribbean , British India (which includes present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh ), New Zealand , North America and South Africa . In 1862, an English team made the first tour of Australia. The first Australian team to travel overseas consisted of Aboriginal stockmen who toured England in 1868 . In 1876–77, an England team took part in what
1275-465: The Dukes of Richmond , exerted their honour code of noblesse oblige to claim rights of leadership in any sporting contests they took part in, especially as it was necessary for them to play alongside their "social inferiors" if they were to win their bets. In time, a perception took hold that the typical amateur who played in first-class cricket, until 1962 when amateurism was abolished, was someone with
1350-855: The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the newly-formed Twenty20 competition, the Charlotte Edwards Cup . In the Charlotte Edwards Cup the side progressed to Finals Day as the best second-placed team, winning four of their six matches in Group A. However, they lost to Northern Diamonds in the semi-final, being bowled out for 117 in response to the Diamonds' 135/6. In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Southern Vipers progressed directly to
1425-455: The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy . At the end of the 2024 season, following reforms to the structure of women's domestic cricket, the team was effectively replaced by a professionalised Durham team. In 2020, women's cricket in England was restructured, creating eight new 'regional hub' teams, with the intention of playing both 50-over and 20-over cricket. Northern Diamonds were one of
1500-515: The Riverside . They were captained by Hollie Armitage and coached by former England cricketer Danielle Hazell . The team carried over elements of the WCSL team Yorkshire Diamonds , and were partnered with Yorkshire and North East Warriors . The Diamonds reached the final of the first three tournaments that they competed in, but lost each time. They won their first title in 2022, winning
1575-472: The West Indies . Women's cricket , which is organised and played separately, has also achieved international standard. The most successful side playing international cricket is Australia , which has won eight One Day International trophies, including six World Cups , more than any other country, and has been the top-rated Test side more than any other country. Cricket is one of many games in
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#17327828295401650-401: The "club ball" sphere that involve hitting a ball with a hand-held implement. Others include baseball (which shares many similarities with cricket, both belonging in the more specific bat-and-ball games category ), golf , hockey , tennis , squash , badminton and table tennis . In cricket's case, a key difference is the existence of a solid target structure, the wicket (originally, it
1725-708: The 19th century. The game's governing body is the International Cricket Council (ICC), which has over 100 members, twelve of which are full members who play Test matches. The game's rules, the Laws of Cricket , are maintained by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London . The sport is followed primarily in South Asia , Australia , New Zealand , the United Kingdom , Southern Africa , and
1800-583: The 2022 season, Southern Vipers launched the South Central Counties Cup , a 50-over tournament for the counties that make up the Vipers region. That season, they won their first Charlotte Edwards Cup , going unbeaten in the group stage before beating Central Sparks in the final. They again qualified for the final of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy , this time via the play-off, beating South East Stars by 6 wickets after qualifying third in
1875-406: The 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy , beating Northern Diamonds in the final both times. They won their first Charlotte Edwards Cup in 2022 , beating Central Sparks in the final, before retaining their title the following year , beating The Blaze in the final. After losing in the final of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy in 2022 , they won the tournament for the third time in 2023 . At
1950-591: The Isle of Wight Cricket Board. The Vipers were originally formed in 2016 to compete in the Women's Cricket Super League , and won the inaugural competition, winning all but one of their group games, and then defeating Western Storm at the finals day held at Chelmsford by 7 wickets. In 2020, women's cricket in England was reformed, but the Southern Vipers brand was retained, and they won the first two editions of
2025-584: The Middle Dutch phrase for hockey, " met de (krik ket)sen " ("with the stick chase"). Gillmeister has suggested that not only the name but also the sport itself may be of Flemish origin. Although the main object of the game has always been to score the most runs , the early form of cricket differed from the modern game in certain key technical aspects; the North American variant of cricket known as wicket retained many of these aspects. The ball
2100-422: The Southern Vipers regional hub, and included some players who are also in the first team squad. Players in the 2023/24 Academy are listed below: As of the 2024 season. Cricket First-class cricket One Day International Limited overs (domestic) Twenty20 International Twenty20 (domestic) Other forms Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on
2175-575: The Sri Lankan team during their tour of Pakistan led to Pakistan being unable to host matches until 2019. In 2017, Afghanistan and Ireland became the 11th and 12th Test nations. In cricket, the rules of the game are codified in The Laws of Cricket (hereinafter called "the Laws"), which has a global remit. There are 42 Laws (always written with a capital "L"). The earliest known version of
2250-498: The Vipers won the inaugural Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. Adams and Taylor were the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker in the tournament, respectively. At the end of the season, five Vipers players were given full-time domestic contracts, the first of their kind in England: Georgia Adams, Tara Norris , Paige Scholfield , Lauren Bell and Maia Bouchier . The following season, 2021, Southern Vipers competed in both
2325-454: The ball hits the striker's wicket and dislodges the bails, and by the fielding side either catching the ball after it is hit by the bat but before it hits the ground, or hitting a wicket with the ball before a batter can cross the crease line in front of the wicket. When ten batters have been dismissed, the innings (playing phase) ends and the teams swap roles. Forms of cricket range from traditional Test matches played over five days to
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2400-474: The ball, which is a hard, solid spheroid made of compressed leather with a slightly raised sewn seam enclosing a cork core layered with tightly wound string. The earliest known definite reference to cricket is to it being played in South East England in the mid-16th century. It spread globally with the expansion of the British Empire , with the first international matches in the second half of
2475-449: The batting team are on the field at any given time. The order of batters is usually announced just before the match, but it can be varied. The main objective of each team is to score more runs than their opponents, but in some forms of cricket, it is also necessary to dismiss all but one of the opposition batters (making their team 'all out') in their final innings in order to win the match, which would otherwise be drawn (not ending with
2550-421: The bowling crease, but is also, in fact, unlimited in length. Before a match begins, the team captains (who are also players) toss a coin to decide which team will bat first and so take the first innings . "Innings" is the term used for each phase of play in the match. In each innings, one team bats, attempting to score runs , while the other team bowls and fields the ball , attempting to restrict
2625-489: The code was drafted in 1744, and since 1788, it has been owned and maintained by its custodian, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London . Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played on a cricket field (see image of cricket pitch and creases) between two teams of eleven players each. The field is usually circular or oval in shape, and the edge of the playing area is marked by a boundary , which may be
2700-561: The derisive term "shamateur" was coined to describe the practice. The game underwent major development in the 18th century to become England's national sport . Its success was underwritten by the twin necessities of patronage and betting. Cricket was prominent in London as early as 1707 and, in the middle years of the century, large crowds flocked to matches on the Artillery Ground in Finsbury . The single wicket form of
2775-405: The earliest known contest that is generally considered a First Class match. The patrons and other players from the gentry began to classify themselves as " amateurs " to establish a clear distinction from the professionals, who were invariably members of the working class , even to the point of having separate changing and dining facilities. The gentry, including such high-ranking nobles as
2850-470: The end of the 2024 season, following reforms to the structure of women's domestic cricket, the team was effectively replaced by a professionalised Hampshire team. Southern Vipers were formed in 2016 to compete in the new Women's Cricket Super League , partnering with Hampshire CCC , Sussex CCC and various cricket boards across South England . In their inaugural season , they topped the group stage, winning four of their five games, progressing straight to
2925-463: The existence of players like him who were nominally amateur but, in terms of their financial gain, de facto professional. Grace himself was said to have been paid more money for playing cricket than any professional. The last two decades before the First World War have been called the " Golden Age of cricket ". It is a nostalgic name prompted by the collective sense of loss resulting from
3000-433: The final after topping the group, winning six of their seven matches. In the final they again faced Northern Diamonds, in a repeat of the previous year's match. Bowling first, the Vipers restricted their opponents to 183, but were in turn reduced to 109/7 in reply. However, an unbeaten stand of 78 for the 8th wicket between Emily Windsor (47 * ) and Tara Norris (40 * ) saw Southern Vipers home with 2 balls to spare. Ahead of
3075-456: The final. In the final, the Vipers faced Western Storm , who they beat by 7 wickets to claim the inaugural WCSL title. 2017 saw continued success for Southern Vipers, as they again topped the group stage, with four wins. In the final, they faced Western Storm in a rematch of the previous year, but this time the result was reversed, as Storm were victorious by 7 wickets. The Vipers were unable to replicate their form in 2018 , finishing bottom of
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3150-646: The first limited overs Cricket World Cup in 1975 . Sri Lanka joined the ranks in 1982. Meanwhile, South Africa was banned by the ICC due to apartheid from 1970 until 1992. 1992 also brought about the introduction of the Zimbabwe team . The 21st century brought with it the Bangladesh Team , who made their Test debut in 2000. The game itself also grew, with a new format made up of 20-over innings being created. This format, called T20 cricket , quickly became
3225-524: The first of their kind in England: Hollie Armitage, Beth Langston , Linsey Smith , Phoebe Graham and Jenny Gunn . The following season, 2021, Northern Diamonds competed in both the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and the newly formed Twenty20 competition, the Charlotte Edwards Cup . In the Charlotte Edwards Cup, the side topped Group B with four wins from their six matches, just edging out Western Storm on Net Run Rate to qualify for
3300-450: The game at county level led to the creation of the county clubs , starting with Sussex in 1839. In December 1889, the eight leading county clubs formed the official County Championship , which began in 1890. The most famous player of the 19th century was W. G. Grace , who started his long and influential career in 1865. It was especially during the career of Grace that the distinction between amateurs and professionals became blurred by
3375-424: The game progresses (cricket can also be played on artificial surfaces, notably matting). Each wicket is made of three wooden stumps topped by two bails . As illustrated, the pitch is marked at each end with four white painted lines: a bowling crease , a popping crease and two return creases . The three stumps are aligned centrally on the bowling crease, which is eight feet eight inches long. The popping crease
3450-432: The game quickly grew from 500 tests in 84 years to 1000 within the next 23. Cricket entered a new era in 1963 when English counties introduced the limited overs variant. As it was sure to produce a result, limited overs cricket was lucrative, and the number of matches increased. The first Limited Overs International was played in 1971, and the governing International Cricket Council (ICC), seeing its potential, staged
3525-421: The greatest Test batter of all time. To curb his dominance, England employed bodyline tactics during the 1932–33 Ashes series . These involved bowling at the body of the batter and setting a field, resulting in batters having to choose between being hit or risk getting out. This series moved cricket from a game to a matter of national importance , with diplomatic cables being passed between the two countries over
3600-636: The group stage with seven victories in fourteen matches, before defeating The Blaze in the final. In 2024, the side reached the semi-finals of both competitions, finishing third in both group stages and losing to South East Stars in both semi-finals. 2024 was the side's final season, with reforms to the structure of domestic cricket in England meaning that the side was effectively replaced by a professionalised Hampshire team. Final squad, 2024 season. The Southern Vipers Academy team played against other regional academies in friendly and festival matches across various formats. The Academy selected players from across
3675-438: The group with five wins from their seven matches. They faced Central Sparks in the play-off, and beat them by 6 wickets thanks to Ami Campbell 's 76 to progress to the final, where they again faced Southern Vipers. Batting first in the final, the Diamonds made 183, with Campbell again top-scoring with 60. However, despite reducing Vipers to 109/7, the side went on to lose the final by 3 wickets with 2 balls to spare. In 2022,
3750-426: The group, with just two wins from ten games. In 2019 , however, Southern Vipers competed in their third Finals Day after qualifying third in the group, with four wins and a tie. After beating Loughborough Lightning in the semi-final, the Vipers again faced Western Storm in the final. Danni Wyatt 's 73 helped Southern Vipers to 172/7 batting first, but Storm chased down the target with one over to spare. Wyatt ended
3825-529: The hands, a safety helmet for the head, and a box for male players inside the trousers (to protect the crotch area). Some batters wear additional padding inside their shirts and trousers such as thigh pads, arm pads, rib protectors and shoulder pads. The only fielders allowed to wear protective gear are those in positions very close to the batter (i.e., if they are alongside or in front of him), but they cannot wear gloves or external leg guards. Subject to certain variations, on-field clothing generally includes
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#17327828295403900-528: The incident. During this time, the number of Test nations continued to grow, with the West Indies , New Zealand and India being admitted as full Test members within a four-year period from 1928 to 1932. An enforced break during the Second World War stopped Test Cricket for a time, although the Partition of India caused Pakistan to gain Test status in 1952. As teams began to travel more,
3975-428: The initial group stage. They again played Northern Diamonds in the final, the third consecutive encounter between the two sides, but this time Vipers lost by two runs. In 2023, Southern Vipers won the domestic double. In the Charlotte Edwards Cup , they finished second in the group stage before defeating North West Thunder in the semi-final and The Blaze in the final. In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy , they topped
4050-413: The modern calendar). The case concerned ownership of a certain plot of land, and the court heard the testimony of a 59-year-old coroner , John Derrick , who gave witness that: Being a scholler in the ffree schoole of Guldeford hee and diverse of his fellows did runne and play there at creckett and other plaies. Given Derrick's age, it was about half a century earlier when he was at school, and so it
4125-552: The name may have been derived from the Middle Dutch (in use in Flanders at the time) " krick " ( -e ), meaning a stick (crook). Another possible source is the Middle Dutch word " krickstoel " , meaning a long low stool used for kneeling in church that resembled the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket. According to Heiner Gillmeister, a European language expert of Bonn University , "cricket" derives from
4200-448: The newer Twenty20 format (also known as T20 ), in which each team bats for a single innings of 20 overs (each "over" being a set of 6 fair opportunities for the batting team to score) and the game generally lasts three to four hours. Traditionally, cricketers play in all-white kit , but in limited overs cricket , they wear club or team colours. In addition to the basic kit, some players wear protective gear to prevent injury caused by
4275-445: The pitch. The striker's goal is to hit the bowled ball with the bat and then switch places with the nonstriker, with the batting team scoring one run for each of these exchanges. Runs are also scored when the ball reaches the boundary of the field or when the ball is bowled illegally . The fielding team tries to prevent runs from being scored by dismissing batters (so they are "out"). Means of dismissal include being bowled , when
4350-483: The play-off on Finals Day. In the play-off, Diamonds beat Southern Vipers by 18 runs to qualify for the final, where they faced South East Stars . Batting first, Northern Diamonds made 138/4 with captain Armitage making 59 * . However, Stars chased the target down with 2 overs to spare to win by 5 wickets. In the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, Northern Diamonds again qualified for the knockout stages, finishing second in
4425-412: The scoring and dismiss the batters. When the first innings ends, the teams change roles; there can be two to four innings depending upon the type of match. A match with four scheduled innings is played over three to five days; a match with two scheduled innings is usually completed in a single day. During an innings, all eleven members of the fielding team take the field, but usually only two members of
4500-460: The side finished second in their Charlotte Edwards Cup group, with three wins from their six games, missing out on qualifying for Finals Day as the worst second-placed team. The side topped the group in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy , however, going unbeaten. They faced Southern Vipers in the final, for the third consecutive time in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, but this time emerged victorious by two runs. Diamonds batter Lauren Winfield-Hill
4575-407: The side finished sixth in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and finished top of the group in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy , before losing to Sunrisers in the semi-finals. Diamonds bowler Phoebe Turner was the leading wicket-taker in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, with 23 wickets. 2024 was the side's final season, with reforms to the structure of domestic cricket in England meaning that the side
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#17327828295404650-520: The sides created under this structure, effectively replacing the Women's Cricket Super League team Yorkshire Diamonds and representing the North East and Yorkshire , partnering with Yorkshire , Durham and Northumberland . The side was to be captained by Hollie Armitage and coached by Danielle Hazell . Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the 2020 season was truncated, and only 50-over cricket
4725-443: The sport attracted huge crowds and wagers to match, its popularity peaking in the 1748 season . Bowling underwent an evolution around 1760 when bowlers began to pitch (bounce) the ball instead of rolling or skimming it towards the batter. This caused a revolution in bat design because, to deal with the bouncing ball, it was necessary to introduce the modern straight bat in place of the old "hockey stick" shape. The Hambledon Club
4800-413: The sport is that a bowler delivers (i.e., bowls) the ball from their end of the pitch towards the batter who, armed with a bat , is "on strike" at the other end (see next sub-section: Basic gameplay ). The bat is made of wood, usually Salix alba (white willow), and has the shape of a blade topped by a cylindrical handle. The blade must not be more than 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) wide and
4875-541: The total length of the bat not more than 38 inches (97 cm). There is no standard for the weight, which is usually between 2 lb 7 oz and 3 lb (1.1 and 1.4 kg). Northern Diamonds One-day T20 Northern Diamonds were a women's cricket team that represented the traditional areas of the North East and Yorkshire , one of eight regional hubs in English domestic women's cricket. They primarily played their home matches at Headingley and
4950-462: The tournament as the leading run-scorer and Player of the Tournament. In 2020, women's cricket in England was restructured, creating eight new 'regional hub' teams, with the intention of playing both 50-over and 20-over cricket. The Southern Vipers brand was retained after this restructuring, with some differences to the squad and coaching staff. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the 2020 season
5025-535: The war, but the period did produce some great players and memorable matches, especially as organised competition at county and Test level developed. In 1844, the first-ever international match took place between what were essentially club teams, from the United States and Canada , in Toronto ; Canada won. In 1859, a team of English players went to North America on the first overseas tour . Meanwhile,
5100-655: Was bowled underarm by the bowler and along the ground towards a batter armed with a bat that in shape resembled a hockey stick ; the batter defended a low, two-stump wicket ; and runs were called notches because the scorers recorded them by notching tally sticks. In 1611, the year Cotgrave 's dictionary was published, ecclesiastical court records at Sidlesham in Sussex state that two parishioners, Bartholomew Wyatt and Richard Latter, failed to attend church on Easter Sunday because they were playing cricket. They were fined 12 d each and ordered to do penance . This
5175-544: Was a "great upsurge of sport after the Restoration " in 1660. Several members of the court of King Charles II took a strong interest in cricket during that era. Gambling on sport became a problem significant enough for Parliament to pass the 1664 Gambling Act, limiting stakes to £ 100, which was, in any case, a colossal sum exceeding the annual income of 99% of the population. Along with horse racing , as well as prizefighting and other types of blood sport , cricket
5250-592: Was founded in the 1760s and, for the next twenty years until the formation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the opening of Lord's Old Ground in 1787, Hambledon was both the game's greatest club and its focal point. MCC quickly became the sport's premier club and the custodian of the Laws of Cricket . New Laws introduced in the latter part of the 18th century include the three-stump wicket and leg before wicket (lbw). The 19th century saw underarm bowling superseded by first roundarm and then overarm bowling . Both developments were controversial. Organisation of
5325-490: Was perceived to be a gambling sport. Rich patrons made matches for high stakes, forming teams in which they engaged the first professional players. By the end of the century, cricket had developed into a major sport that was spreading throughout England and was already being taken abroad by English mariners and colonisers—the earliest reference to cricket overseas is dated 1676. A 1697 newspaper report survives of "a great cricket match" played in Sussex "for fifty guineas apiece",
5400-503: Was played, in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy . Northern Diamonds won the North Group in the competition, winning five of their six matches to progress to the final. In the final, they faced Southern Vipers , who scored 231 batting first. However, Charlotte Taylor 's 6/34 helped bowl out the Diamonds for 193, meaning they finished as runners-up. At the end of the season, five Diamonds players were given full-time domestic contracts,
5475-481: Was retrospectively recognised as the first-ever Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia . The rivalry between England and Australia gave birth to The Ashes in 1882, which remains Test cricket's most famous contest. Test cricket began to expand in 1888–89 when South Africa played England. The inter-war years were dominated by Australia 's Don Bradman , statistically
5550-400: Was the leading run-scorer in the competition, and bowler Linsey Smith was the joint leading wicket-taker. In 2023, they finished fourth out of eight in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and sixth out of eight in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy . Diamonds batter Lauren Winfield-Hill was again the leading run-scorer in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, with 663 runs including one century. In 2024,
5625-724: Was truncated, and only 50-over cricket was played, in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy . Southern Vipers won all 6 of their group stage games, finishing top of the South Group and progressing to the Final, where they faced the Northern Diamonds . The Vipers, batting first, reached 150-1 before collapsing to 231 all out, with captain Georgia Adams top scoring with 80. Vipers spinner Charlotte Taylor then took 6/34 as Northern Diamonds were bowled out for 193, meaning that
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