JOHANNESBURG – The South African domestic season will kick off in Kimberley in September with the CSA Provincial T20 Knock Out Competition featuring all 15 provincial teams and the SA under-19 side.
The 16 teams will be split into four groups, and face each other in three day cycles, with the competition culminating in a playoff series with quarterfinals, semifinals and a final. The teams in Pool A will start the competition on September 24, with the Pool D matches taking place between October 8 and 10. The final will take place on October 22. Bloemfontein will also host two of the pools in the competition.
It’s the first competition to incorporate Cricket SA’s new domestic structure, of 15 provincial teams. Last season was the final one for the six team franchise structure. The 15 provinces have been split into a first and second division, which will remain in place for the next two seasons, before promotion/relegation takes place from the third season onwards.
The SA under-19 side, which has had very little game time lately, will be using the tournament as an opportunity to get some miles into their legs ahead of the under-19 World Cup that is scheduled to take place in the West Indies next year.
Meanwhile the SA women’s team will be touring the West Indies at the end of the month to play five One-Day and three T20 Internationals. The three T20 matches and the last two ODIs will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, while the first three ODIs will be played at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.
POOLS (division in brackets)
Pool A
Date: 24 - 26 September
Venue: Kimberley
Teams: Northern Cape Heat (2), Six Gun Grill SWD (2), Imperial Lions (1), Six Gun Grill Western Province (1)
Pool B
Date: 28 - 30 September
Venue: Bloemfontein
Teams: Mpumalanga Rhinos (2), Hollywoodbets Tuskers (2), Itec Knights (1), Momentum Multiply Titans (1)
Pool C
Date: 08 - 10 October
Venue: Bloemfontein
Teams: Eastern Storm (2), SA U19s, North West Dragons (1), Hollywoodbets Dolphins (1)
Pool D
Date: 04 - 06 October
Venue: Kimberley
Teams: Eastern Cape Inyathi (2), Limpopo Impalas (2), Warriors (1), The Rocks (1)
SA Women’s Tour to West Indies
1st 20 - Aug 31
2nd T20 - Sept 2
3rd T20 - Sept 4
1st ODI - Sept 7
2nd ODI - Sept 10
3rd ODI - Sept 13
4th ODI - Sept 16
5th ODI - Sept 19
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