Baroness Rachael Heyhoe Flint's historic cricket collection to go under the hammer at Lord's
Around 50 items from the Wolverhampton-born sporting icon's private collection will go under the hammer
A remarkable collection of cricket memorabilia belonging to one of England's greatest sporting pioneers is set to be auctioned next month.
The personal collection of the late Baroness Rachael Heyhoe Flint, the legendary England captain who transformed women's cricket, will be sold by specialist auctioneers BUDDS at Lord's Cricket Ground on August 2.
Around 50 items from the Wolverhampton-born sporting icon's private collection, expected to fetch between £10,000 and £15,000, are being offered for sale by her son, Ben Heyhoe Flint.
Heyhoe Flint, who captained England between 1966 and 1978, never lost a Test match as skipper and famously led the team to victory in the inaugural Women's Cricket World Cup in 1973. She represented England in both cricket and hockey before becoming one of the sport's most influential administrators and campaigners.
Her determination helped pave the way for women to play at Lord's, where she captained England to a historic victory over Australia in the first women's international held at the famous ground in 1976. She later became one of the first female directors of the England and Wales Cricket Board and, in recognition of her services to sport, was appointed to the House of Lords in 2011.
Following her death in 2017, aged 77, she was widely recognised as one of the most influential figures in the history of women's cricket, with Australian writer Jarrod Kimber famously describing her as "the W.G. Grace of women's cricket".
Among the standout lots in the auction is a silver presentation cricket bat awarded to Baroness Heyhoe Flint by the ECB in 2016 in recognition of her six years as an ECB Board Director. The engraved bat, made by Camelot Silverware Ltd, carries an estimate of £500 to £800.
Another unique item is a Concorde flight certificate signed by Sir Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney and actor Christopher Reeve, complete with a hand-drawn Superman logo by Reeve. The certificate recalls a memorable 1983 fundraising trip organised by Heyhoe Flint, who surprised members of the England women's team with Concorde flights to New York for a charity cricket match. It is expected to sell for between £200 and £300.
The sale also includes:
- A match-worn white Slazenger cricket helmet (£150-£200).
- Her England Women's Cricket Association blazer (£250-£350).
- Original MCC membership application papers with endorsements from Lord Colin Cowdrey and Sir Tim Rice, alongside correspondence from figures including Margaret Thatcher, John Major, David Cameron and Buckingham Palace (£150-£200).
- An original Giles cartoon dedicated and signed to Heyhoe Flint (£500-£800).
- Historic presentation cricket balls marking key moments in her playing career, including her 113-run innings against New Zealand in 1966 (£150-£200).
- A silver Wolverhampton Wanderers presentation salver dating from 1996, estimated at £800-£1,200.
David Convery, Head of Sporting Memorabilia at BUDDS Auctions, said: "We are truly honoured to have been chosen by the family of Baroness Rachael Heyhoe Flint to bring this historic and fascinating collection to market.
"She was one of the most important sporting personalities of the 20th century, whose achievements both on and off the field transformed women's cricket forever. This collection reflects an extraordinary life dedicated to the game."
The auction will take place at Lord's Cricket Ground on Saturday, August 2, offering collectors and cricket enthusiasts a rare opportunity to own pieces associated with one of the sport's true trailblazers.