Thank you and goodbye to Knight's game-changing legacy

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This video can not be played Figure caption, 'She departs the grand, old stage' - Knight's final dismissal By Ffion Wynne BBC Sport journalist at Lord's Published 5 hours ago The significance of Heather Knight's legacy is one that is difficult to measure. In a game of numbers, her impact goes far beyond that. The former captain has seen it all in a record 320 matches, 199 of them in charge over nine exhausting yet era-defining years. The euphoric high of that World Cup win at Lord's in 2017 , the same ground on which she is now walking away from the game , juxtaposed by the crushing low of a brutal Ashes thrashing that brought down the curtain on her captaincy. Throughout it all, the good and the bad, she was exemplary in her professionalism. She fronted up for difficult interviews after every defeat, never wavered in her support of her team-mates, endlessly put in hard graft after injuries threatened to end her career before she was ready. It is quite fitting and testament to her character, that when asked for the highlight of her career, Knight mentioned her work off the field rather than anything that the fans and media saw on it. Knight replaced the legendary Charlotte Edwards as captain in 2016, two years after England's first central contracts were introduced, and was tasked with leading the side through the transition from amateur to professional. She also spoke up about the huge gap in salaries between the men's and women's competitions in The Hundred. Alongside her predecessor Nat Sciver-Brunt, the sense of calm and safety when Knight was in the middle is one that very few have been able to replicate. And the Ashes humiliation should not, and does not, undo everything that she leaves behind. She has earned her farewell parade in the Lord's sun. From Heather Knight to English cricket, it is a goodbye. From English cricket to Knight, it is a thank you. Image gallery Skip image gallery Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Heather Knight made her one-day international debut in March 2010 Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Knight was part of England's squad at the 2010 T20 World Cup Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Knight's first international century was in a Test against Australia in the Ashes in 2013 Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Knight replaced Charlotte Edwards as captain in 2016 Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Knight led England to World Cup glory against India in 2017 Image source, Getty Images Image caption, She received an OBE in June 2018 Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Knight became the first England player, male or female, to be hit centuries in all three formats when she reached the landmark in the T20 World Cup against Thailand in 2020 Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Knight's last series as captain was a 16-0 defeat by Australia in the Ashes in 2025 Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Knight beca