Two of the greatest servants to England’s women’s cricket have retired. Tammy Beaumont decided to hang up her boots before the India Women vs England Women one-off Test at Lord’s Cricket Ground. It was a historic moment in women’s cricket, with the ‘Home of Cricket’ hosting their first-ever women’s Test.
Tammy Beaumont & Heather Knight sent into retirement with grace
Midway through the match, Heather Knight also decided to retire from the sport. The former England captain, with 320 caps to her name in international cricket, had made her debut 16 years ago and was part of England’s historic Women’s ODI World Cup victory in 2017 at home.
On the third day of the India Women vs England Women Test, Beaumont and Knight batted for England for one last time. The former was bowled by Kranti Gaud, who had become the first woman to claim a 5-wicket haul at Lord’s. In the first innings as well, it was Kranti who dismissed Beaumont.
It was just the 7th ball of the final innings as England embarked on a 457-run chase. As Beaumont walked off, all the Indian players gave her a guard of honour. That’s when Knight walked in. She resisted as Maia Boucher and Nat Sciver-Brunt both departed before even 10 overs were completed.
However, even Knight couldn’t last long against Kranti. The right-arm fast bowler had her caught behind as Richa Ghosh took the catch. Just like Beaumont, the Indian players ran to celebrate her career and sent her into retirement with a guard of honour.
