Before England’s test match against South Africa at Lord’s, the ground chose to honour an English cricket pioneer: Rachel Heyhoe Flint. During a small ceremony, the ground’s East Gate was renamed The Heyhoe Flint Gate in memory of the late cricketer. In attendance were her son Ben Heyhoe Flint, ex-English cricketer and current Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) President Clare Connor, among others. Club members also unveiled a sculpture and plaque adorning a wall beside the gate.

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Connor spoke effusively about the late Baronness. “Thrilled to have a permanent commemoration celebrating Rachael’s impact on and off the pitch,” she gushed. Her influence on women’s cricket, especially in England, has been immense, with generations of girls following in her wake:

“Rachael Heyhoe Flint was not only one of the best female players to have played the game, but her pioneering drive to further the cause of women’s cricket for future generations has left a remarkable legacy and impact on our sport,” acknowledged Connor.

Her son Ben admitted to “welling up” during the ceremony but did manage a few words:

“Mum gave her life to the game, so it’s wonderful that the game now chooses to honour her: her contributions then, and the legacy she leaves behind,” quotes the BBC.

Heyhoe Flint was a woman of many hues. In her 22-year career -from 1960 to 1982- she played 22 tests and 23 ODIs, averaging 45.54 and 58.45, respectively. In 1973, she managed to convince her friend Jack Hayward to fund the first Women’s Cricket World Cup, two years before the men’s edition. In the final against Australia, she scored 64 runs as England cruised to victory under her captaincy. In her twelve-year stint as captain- from 1966 to 1978- she remained unbeaten in six Test series.

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But for all her efforts popularizing the women’s game, her politics aligned with the conservatives. In the 1970s, she set up a fund to ensure police protection for players touring Apartheid South Africa. This comes in light of the Basil D’Oliveira affair- the trophy for the England-South Africa test series is also named after him- which ushered a sporting ban on white supremacist South Africa. Arguing that sports and politics should not mix- when they had already become one indistinguishable force- she advocated tours to the country. “Who are we to tell South Africans how to run their country?” she infamously argued.