Beaumont was part of England's winning 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup team, and was the leading run-scorer in the tournament. She was subsequently named player of the tournament, and awarded an MBE in recognition of her achievements. In 2019, she was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year. She is also one of only three women in history to score a century in all three international formats, and holds the record for the highest individual score by an English woman in Test cricket (208).
Early life and education
Beaumont was born in Dover, Kent.[1] She began playing cricket in nearby Sandwich,[2][3] where she also attended Sir Roger Manwood's School.[4] When she was eight years old, her mother, Julie, secured her very first selection in a cricket team.[1] Beaumont's brother, Michael, was captain of an Under-11 side coached by her father, Kevin, a research scientist. As Beaumont later explained to Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2019:[1]
"My mum tells the story quite proudly ... They were struggling for numbers. I sat on dad's armchair, looked at his notes and said: 'But I bowl better than him and I bat better than him! Why can't I play?' Dad looked at mum, who said: 'She’s right.' So then they had to pick me."
Before long, Beaumont, her brother and her father were all taking the field for the Sandwich Town Second XI, for which her father played as an off spin bowler.[1][2] According to Beaumont:[1]
"Michael was a very good fielder, so he'd be at cow corner and I'd be keeping ... The number of times it was 'stumped or caught Beaumont, bowled Beaumont' was ridiculous."
As a child, Beaumont suffered from food allergies that slowed her growth. She was therefore not selected for Kent's Under-11 cricket team. On her mother's initiative, she took up gymnastics with the aim of building up her muscles, and eventually became a National Schools Gymnastics Champion.[1][5][6] After leaving school, she studied chemistry and sports science at Loughborough University.[1]
Domestic career
In early 2007, Beaumont made her debut for Kent, batting at number five and scoring 13 not out.[7] Her first match for the county as wicket-keeper came two months later as Kent hosted Nottinghamshire, and Beaumont claimed two stumpings and a run out.[8] Later that summer, she was named in the England Development Squad side for the European Championship. She played in two matches, against Netherlands and Ireland, and made 7 & 8 respectively.[9][10]
Beaumont continued to make regular appearances for Kent through the 2008 and 2009 seasons, and scored her maiden century in August 2009, hitting 136 off 144 balls to help set up a 184 run victory for Kent against the visiting Surrey side.[11] The following month she was called up to the England squad to tour the West Indies, as Sarah Taylor withdrew from the squad to focus on her studies.[12] She made her international debut in the first One Day International of the tour, at Basseterre, on 4 November 2009.
She is the holder of one of the first tranche of 18 ECB central contracts for women players, which were announced in April 2014.[13] On 9 May 2014 she along with Kathryn Cross and Lauren Winfield joined Chance to Shine Programme as a coaching ambassador.[14] In April 2015, she was named as one of the England women's Academy squad tour to Dubai, where England women played their Australian counterparts in two 50-over games, and two Twenty20 matches.[15]
In August 2023, Beaumont became the first woman to score a century in The Hundred, scoring 118 for Welsh Fire. It is also the highest individual score in the history of either the men's or women's competition.[22]
On 18 June 2020, Beaumont was named in a squad of 24 players to begin training ahead of international women's fixtures starting in England following the COVID-19 pandemic.[42][43]
In June 2021, Beaumont was named as in England's Test squad for their one-off match against India.[47][48] In December 2021, Beaumont was named in England's squad for their tour to Australia to contest the Women's Ashes.[49] In January 2022, she was named as the ICC women's T20I Cricketer of the Year for 2021.[50] In February 2022, she was named in England's team for the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.[51]
On 23 June 2023, she scored her first Test century in the only Test of the 2023 Women's Ashes series. She broke several records, including becoming just the second woman in history (after Heather Knight) to score a century in all three international formats.[52] The following day, in the same innings, she finished with a score of 208, setting the highest ever score by an English female cricketer in Test history and becoming the first to score a double century. This eclipsed Betty Snowball's 189, a record that had stood since 1935.[53] Her score of 208 became the fifth highest score in Women's Tests.[54]
On 9 September 2024, Beaumont became the leading century maker for England in Women's One Day International cricket when she compiled her 10th ton in a match against Ireland at Stormont in Belfast, scoring 150 not out off 139 balls in a record 275 runs win.[55][56] During her innings, Beaumont passed 4,000 WODI runs, becoming the fastest English player to do so, having reached the milestone in 110 innings.[57]
Beaumont was named in England's squad for the their multi-format tour to South Africa in November 2024.[58][59] She top-scored with 65 not out as England won the third ODI by six wickets.[60][61]
Beaumont has a long term partner. His name is Callum. Beaumont's England teammate Katherine Brunt has said that "... he is a really great guy."[78]
According to the ECB, Beaumont's nickname is "Tambo",[5] but Kent Cricket lists her nicknames as "Tamwarr", "Tamzo", "Tams", "Titch" and "Squirrel".[79]