Cricket: Rochdale-born Heather Knight captains England women to a 69 run one-day international win

Photo: Getty Images

Captain Heather Knight

England won by 69 runs to level the one-day international series against South Africa on Tuesday (12 June).

The team, led by Rochdale-born Captain Heather Knight OBE, levelled on the three-day series at 1-1, helped by centuries from Tammy Beaumont and Sarah Taylor.

The final score was 331-6 for England, and 262-9 for South Africa, after South Africa won the first match on 9 June by seven wickets with 193-3 to England’s 189-9.

27-year-old Knight began playing cricket in boys’ and men’s teams when she was just eight-years-old after moving to Plymouth as a young girl. A talented right-handed batswoman, she played for Plymstock Cricket Club and at county level for Devon. She was part of the England squad which reclaimed the Ashes against Australia in 2013 and helped retain them in 2014.

Knight received an OBE on this year’s New Year’s honour list and was named among Wisden Almanack’s Five Cricketers of the Year for 2017 after she led the women’s team to a triumphant World Cup victory last summer.

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/4/sport-news/115085/heather-knight-awarded-obe-for-leading-england-to-women%E2%80%99s-world-cup-victory

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/4/sport-news/117954/cricket-heather-knight-named-one-of-wisdens-five-cricketers-of-the-year

One of the closest finals in the tournament's history, only the 2000 final between Australia and New Zealand was decided by a narrower margin of four runs.

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/4/sport-news/111488/cricket-rochdaleborn-heather-knight-captains-england-to-womens-world-cup-victory-over-india

The final women’s one day international between England and South Africa will take place on Friday (15 June) at The Spitfire Ground in Canterbury.