In a significant boost to women’s cricket, it has been announced recently that the finals of Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy will reach to million fans by Sky Sports. Media reports have suggested that Sky Sports will be broadcasting and the finals.
The tournament is slated to begin on Saturday and will end with the finals being played on the 27th of September.
Why is it called ‘Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy’?
(2/8) pic.twitter.com/KBoe2HA3zC
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) August 28, 2020
This, interestingly, is the first return of domestic women’s cricket for English fans. The previous tournament was Kia Super League whose final was played on September 1 last year. As per the ideal schedule, this year was supposed to see the launch of The Hundred. It was to be broadcasted by BBC but the global pandemic assured that the tournament was eventually called off.
England Cricket Board have, however, adapted to the change and manipulated the schedule accordingly. Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy being one-off tournament takes the worry of women’s cricket aside as the season won’t go on without seeing women in action.
Clare Connor who directs the women’s cricket at England Cricket Board was thankful to regional directors for enabling the tournament to take place and was reported to be delighted after the involvement of Sky with the tournament.
She said “[Sky] have for a long time been excellent partners and champions of the women’s game and we’re hugely grateful to them for their continued support”.
She further added that “Edgbaston is a brilliant venue for the final, with a great track record of hosting domestic finals. It’s also a great fit for this summer because of Rachael’s links to the West Midlands”.
She praised the English board and other stakeholders as well. She said “The impacts of Covid-19 have demonstrated just how vital it is to have a sustainable and competitive domestic structure that gives our domestic women’s cricketers the chance to make a living from the game and also raises the standard of women’s cricket in England and Wales. We’re proud of the work we’ve done to protect the momentum of the women’s game across this challenging period.”
It has to be noted that this a second announcement made by ECB relating to broadcasting this week. Earlier, it was told that the West Indies tour of England would be covered by BBC after a great time of 27 years.
The 3rd T20I on 26th September (Saturday) between @englandcricket and @windiescricket will be simulcast live on the @BBC and @SkySports, the first time women’s international cricket in the UK has been on free-to-air television since the 1993 Women’s World Cup final. #ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/JBrekz0zO3
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) August 26, 2020
The RHF trophy will see a total of eight teams compete against each other. They will be divided into two groups and the winners of five rounds of fixtures will move ahead to the finals. Fans should note that all eight regional teams will broadcast the matches live on their websites respectively.
To know more about the Schedule of this tournament, click here.
To know more about the teams, click here:
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