Rachael Heyhoe Flint remembered with reunion planned at Wolverhampton cricket club

Maggie Leath, who played alongside Rachael for more than 20 years at Wolverhampton Ladies Cricket Club, helped organise the event happening on June 17.

Mrs Leath said only three of Rachael’s former team-mates from the club were able to attend her funeral and this sparked the idea of a reunion of ex-players, to celebrate her contribution to WLCC and women’s cricket as a whole.

Former England cricket captain Rachael, who died in January, was Mrs Leath’s idol in her early cricketing days and she said it was ‘surreal’ to have turned out alongside an icon of the game – who later became a friend.

Mrs Leath said: “I started playing with Rachael in 1972 and actually moved to Wolverhampton because I wanted to play cricket with her.

“Going out and playing on the same pitch as her as captain was surreal.

“It was a lovely experience and she was a fantastic person – she never put anybody down and would encourage everyone. She was a lovely person and so enthusiastic about everything she did. When we played it was a very different era – the cricket we played on the whole was friendly cricket.

Around 60 ex-players are travelling from across the UK to attend the reunion – five of whom played with Rachael in the early 1950s.

Others played for WLCC between the 1950s and 2000s. Mrs Leath said she is still trying to track down other players – particularly Sheila Grant, Marge Pettitt and Dawn Francis.

But anyone else who turned out for WLCC between 1952/53 and 2000s is welcome. All money raised at the evening will go to the Birch Thompson Memorial Fund.

• Anyone who played alongside Rachael and wants to attend should call the Express & Star on 01902 319688 and talk to David Cosgrove.