The Tornadoes swept to victory at the inaugural FairBreak Global Invitation T20 in Dubai on Sunday, capping off two weeks of extraordinary cricket from some of the world’s best female players. Sophie Devine, the No 1-ranked all-rounder in women’s T20 international cricket, smashed 51 from 35 balls to set up an eight-wicket win over the Falcons and leave a lasting impression that looked set to inspire players at future FairBreak tournaments. Co-sanctioned by the ICC and Cricket Hong Kong, the FairBreak Invitational featured players from 35 countries spread across six teams. Originally set to be held in Hong Kong, the event was moved to Dubai after the city’s strict Covid-19 restrictions kicked in. Cricket officials hailed the event as an overwhelming success, however, with a second tournament already announced for Hong Kong from March 11 to 26 next year. Ravi Nagdev, general manager of Cricket Hong Kong, said FairBreak had ushered in an exciting new chapter for cricket in Hong Kong. “The fact that Cricket Hong Kong is now working with FairBreak to deliver a tournament of this scale in Dubai and not in Hong Kong is testament to a lot of hard work and the relationship we are building with ICC as well as the Emirates Cricket Board,” he said. “There was a lot of scepticism over whether this event could even go ahead, but once the first ball was bowled we were past that. A lot of that scepticism turned into ‘wow, this is something that should be supported’. Cricket Hong Kong is the body that got this vision through.” Among the 90 players signed for the inaugural event were 12 of the city’s top female cricketers, including Hong Kong captain Kary Chan. Nagdev said a lasting memory from Dubai was the relationships developed between all of the players involved. “Probably not everyone expected them all to get along so well so quickly,” he said. “It’s just something pure about cricket that allows that to happen. “The tournament has purity about it. It’s about development, it’s about spreading the game and giving players an opportunity to compete at this level. If given the right opportunity and the right environment, there is no gap in talent, the gap is just about opportunity.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by FairBreak Global (@fairbreakglobal) That sentiment was echoed by some of the tournament’s top players, including Mignon du Preez, who captained South Africa from 2007 to 2018. “What an incredible couple of weeks,” she said. “I’ve met some amazing people and cricketers from all around the globe. Thank you for making the FairBreak Invitational 2022 a heartfelt tournament, will treasure these memories for a lifetime.” Chaya Mughal, the current UAE captain who represented third-placed Team Spirit in Dubai, said the learning experience had been invaluable. “If I talk about learning, it’s been tremendous,” Mughal said. “To be part of such a big tournament in itself is a big thing. Whether we finished first, second or third it doesn’t matter, the recognition that we are all getting is something beyond explanation. I’m really happy to be part of it and I’m looking forward to many more such tournaments.” Nagdev said many of the players from this year’s tournament were already asking to play in the 2023 event in Hong Kong. “This tournament is completely reflective of what Hong Kong is about. Cricket in Hong Kong is about all communities and this tournament was played in that ethos. We want to do something that makes a difference and I think that is what brand Hong Kong is about.”