England batting great Tammy Beaumont has announced that she will retire from international cricket after the upcoming Test against India at Lord’s, bringing the curtain down on an outstanding career that has lasted nearly 17 years.
The 35-year-old has represented England in 260 international matches since making her debut in 2009. During that time, she became one of the country’s greatest batters, finishing as England Women’s leading ODI century-maker with 12 hundreds. She is also one of only two England women, and only five England players overall, to score an international century in all three formats of the game.
The Lord’s Test against India will be a historic occasion as it will be the first women’s Test at the famous venue, making it a fitting stage for Beaumont’s final international appearance.
Looking back on her career, Beaumont said, “Playing for England for nearly 17 years has been the greatest honour. When I fell in love with playing cricket as a young girl, I barely knew that playing cricket for England was an option and it brings me so much joy to think how many girls and boys have been inspired, this summer especially, and how far the game has come in our country.
“We’ve always wanted to take the cap forward for the next generation and the time has come for me to hand over that privilege to the next generation of England players. This Test match at Lord’s – our first ever women’s Test at Lord’s – feels like the perfect occasion to sign off on a career that I could never have dreamt would be as special as it has been.
“I will still be playing domestic cricket, but I’d like to thank all the fans for your amazing support. I’d also like to say thank you to all the coaches and support staff who I’ve worked with over the years, to my teammates who I’ve shared so many amazing moments with, and to my friends and family – I couldn’t have got this far without your love and support all these years.”
Beaumont’s journey with England began in 2009 when she made her ODI and T20I debuts against the West Indies at just 18 years of age. At that time, she balanced international cricket with studying chemistry and sports science at Loughborough University.
She first entered the England side as a wicketkeeper after replacing Sarah Taylor during the West Indies tour. Later, she gave up wicketkeeping to focus completely on her batting. Although she found it difficult to make a big impact in her early international years, she continued scoring heavily for Kent and earned a professional central contract in 2014.
Her career took off during the 2016 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, where she became England’s first-choice opener. She followed that tournament with an outstanding home summer against Pakistan, scoring 484 runs across the ODI and T20I series, including her maiden international century.
Beaumont reached another level during the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup, where she finished as the Player of the Tournament after scoring 410 runs, the highest by any batter in the competition. Her performances played a huge role in helping England lift the World Cup trophy on home soil.
She continued her excellent form in the following years. During South Africa’s tour of England in 2018, she scored two ODI centuries before registering her maiden T20I hundred from just 47 balls.
One of the greatest moments of her career came during the 2023 Women’s Ashes Test at Trent Bridge. Beaumont scored 208, becoming the first England woman to score a Test double-century. Her innings also broke Betty Snowball’s England women’s Test record of 189, which had stood for 88 years.
Her career also had difficult periods. After the 2022 Women’s Ashes, Beaumont was dropped from England’s T20I squad, meaning she missed the home Commonwealth Games. She stayed out of the T20I side for two years, despite becoming the first woman to score a century in The Hundred with a brilliant 118 from only 52 balls. Even then, she remained an important player in England’s ODI team.
Her international numbers show her consistency over the years. Beaumont scored 4,738 runs in 140 ODIs at an average of 40.49, including 12 centuries and 24 fifties. In 109 T20Is, she made 1,975 runs, with one century and 11 half-centuries. She also scored 612 runs in 11 Test matches, highlighted by her unforgettable double-century.
England Women Managing Director Clare Connor praised Beaumont’s remarkable contribution to English cricket. “Tammy has made a remarkable contribution to the England Women’s cricket team and we will miss her incredibly.
“It is impossible to put into words or measure the impact Tammy has had on our sport. She played her first few years for England as an amateur, one of only a few players left whose international careers were forged through extraordinary levels of devotion and commitment and love of the game.
“She was in the group of 18 players who were the first to receive an England Women’s Central Contract in 2015 and by 2017, she was named Player of the Tournament in the home ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. The weight of runs she went on to score for England at the top of the order has put her in the category of one of the game’s great batters.
“I know how much it has meant to Tammy to pull on the three lions and to help England win. She has always remained connected to the grassroots of the game and why she herself started playing. In so doing, she has been a wonderful role model, always wanting to inspire the next generation.
“Always smiling, always fun, and always team-first, Tammy should be so proud of a stellar international career and we wish her every success and happiness as she leaves the England dressing room.”
Although her international career is coming to an end, Beaumont confirmed she will continue playing domestic cricket, allowing fans to continue watching one of England Women’s greatest batters in action.
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