Women cricketers who shone in other sports

The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 will showcase the biggest and brightest talents in the women’s game as Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka will battle it out to try and reach the final on 2 November.

To reach cricket’s pinnacle requires talent, hard work and a steadfast determination, but over the years, a handful of past and present stars have reached the top of other sports too.

We take this opportunity to highlight the achievements of these versatile sportswomen. Here is a selection of them:

Rachael Heyhoe Flint

Heyhoe Flint was captain of England between 1966 and 1978, becoming the first female cricketer to hit a six in a Test match in 1973.

The Wolverhampton native was instrumental in arranging the inaugural women’s World Cup in 1973, which came two years before the first men’s World Cup.

Heyhoe Flint last played for England in the 1982 World Cup final and was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in October 2010.

During her 22-year international career, Heyhoe Flint also played field hockey for England in 1964 as a goalkeeper. 

Ellyse Perry

Among the ultimate multi-sport specialists, the two-time ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup winner debuted for her country in both cricket and football at 16.

Perry played for Central Coast Mariners, Canberra United and Sydney FC during her footballing career and made 18 appearances for the Matildas.

She has played at each sport’s respective World Cups, scoring against Sweden at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Perry has been a top cricket star and a six-time world champion in T20Is.

Clare Taylor

Since making her England debut in 1988, Taylor carved out a reputation as a prolific fast bowler, ending her illustrious international career with 127 wickets in 121 matches.

Proud Yorkshirewoman Taylor, an ICC Hall of Famer, won the 1993 Women’s World Cup at Lord’s and then went on to represent England at the Women’s FIFA World Cup in 1995.

Domestically, Taylor spent 18 years at Yorkshire and played her club football for Bronte and Liverpool Ladies.

Suzie Bates

Former New Zealand captain Bates represented her country at the Beijing Olympics in basketball in 2008.

The Dunedin native juggled both sports until 2011 before deciding to pursue cricket.

It proved a shrewd decision. Bates collected the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year award in both 2013 and 2016 and the T20I Cricketer of the Year award, also in 2016.

Sunette Viljoen

The youngest player to represent South Africa in an ODI when she made her debut aged just 17 years and 10 days, Viljoen won a silver medal in javelin at the Rio Olympics.

The Rustenburg native has also won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 and 2010.

Viljoen, who played cricket for her country between 2000 and 2002, played in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2000 in New Zealand and made a return to the sport in 2021 with domestic side Northerns. She played most recently for Lions women.

Tazmin Brits

South Africa’s Brits qualified for the 2012 Olympics in javelin but just eight months before the Games, she was involved in a horrific car accident which resulted in her breaking her pelvis, dislocating her hip and bursting her bladder.

Brits spent three months in hospital and had to learn how to walk again as she missed the London showpiece.

In 2018, however, Brits represented her country on the cricket field as she made her debut in a T20 against Bangladesh. She has since gone on to become a two-time ICC Women’s T20 World Cup runner-up.

Betty Snowball

Snowball enjoyed a 15-year international cricket career between 1934 to 1949 and also umpired one women’s Test in 1951.

In 1935, Snowball hit 189 against New Zealand in what was just the fourth-ever women’s Test. Her score was the world record for the highest individual score at the time and wasn’t broken until 1986.

Away from cricket, Snowball represented Scotland in squash and lacrosse.

Jess Duffin

Australia were successful last time the tournament was played in India in 2013, with Jess Duffin (nee Cameron) top scoring in the final and earning the player of the match award.

Duffin has since juggled playing Aussie Rules, turning out for Collingwood, North Melbourne and Hawthorn, with cricket, before retiring from the latter in 2023.

She was also the first player to benefit from Cricket Australia’s parental leave scheme when she had her first child.