Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: Edgbaston to stage final
Date shifted back by one day to avoid clash with West Indies T20I
ESPNcricinfo staff
26-Aug-2020
Edgbaston will host the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy final • Getty Images
Edgbaston will stage the final of England's new domestic 50-over women's competition, the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.
The final had originally been scheduled for September 26 at the home ground of the group winner with most points, but has been moved back by one day to avoid a clash with England's T20I against West Indies and will be broadcast live by Sky.
The tournament, which will be contested between teams from eight new regional centres, starts on August 29 with teams split into two groups of four.
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The 24 players in England's enlarged training group will be released to play for their teams in the first two rounds of games, and players not selected in the final squad for the West Indies series will be available for later rounds.
Clare Connor, the ECB's managing director of women's cricket, said: "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.
"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. We're looking forward to 2021 when the eight regional teams will hopefully be playing even more cricket throughout the summer, along with the important addition of the profile opportunity of the Hundred."
Stuart Cain, Warwickshire's chief executive, said: "It's great to support and showcase women's cricket by hosting a major national final in the city, particularly with the women's Commonwealth Games cricket at Edgbaston in 2022.
"This also means that the two of cricket's showcase domestic finals are coming to Birmingham as the Vitality Blast Finals Day will take place a few days after the Rachel Heyhoe Flint Trophy final."