Ebony-Jewel Cora-Lee Camellia Rosamond Rainford-Brent is an English former cricketer who is now a commentator and Director of Women’s Cricket at Surrey. She was the first black woman to play for England. She was also captain of the Surrey women’s team.
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Born on New Year’s Eve in 1983 at St Thomas’ Hospital, Lambeth, Greater London, Rainford-Brent was brought up in Herne Hill, southeast London. She was the youngest of four children; being the only girl, she was named after all her grandmothers and great-grandmothers, which led to her being called Ebony-Jewel Cora-Lee Camellia Rosamond Rainford-Brent to appease everyone.
Her introduction to cricket came through the charity Cricket for Change, which visited her primary school when she was aged 9. She later attended the Grey Coat Hospital school in Westminster. She showed considerable sporting prowess; successful at many sports including football and basketball, and represented London at the English Schools’ Athletics Championships in several disciplines, but she decided to focus on cricket.
However, her promising cricket career was interrupted by a serious back injury. At age 19, she was diagnosed with two prolapsed discs and a pars defect. Her injuries forced her to take a year out from her studies at University College London (UCL), and NHS doctors advised her to give up playing any form of sport.
After taking advice and support from her elder brother, she sought alternative opinions and treatment from numerous specialists. Eventually, the Talented Athletes Scholarship Scheme (TASS) programme made contact with her; they provided the necessary treatment and support to aid her recovery. Just under three years later, she recovered enough to represent her country at the 2007 World series in Chennai, India. She was named UCL Sportswoman of the Year in March 2007, and successfully completed her studies, graduating with a Masters in Chemistry.
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