AB de Villiers vs Chris Gayle in #T20GL Newlands opener!

CAPE TOWN – The T20 Global League unveiled a whirlwind start to its inaugural season when the final match schedule was released in Cape Town on Monday.

The League starts with a typical north-south derby between the Cape Town Knight Riders and the Pretoria Mavericks at Newlands on Friday, November 3 (6.30pm start).

This will be followed by two double-headers on the Saturday and Sunday. In all, five different venues will host the opening weekend of matches which will see all eight franchises in action.

There will be double-headers every weekend as well as several in midweek as the League holds 57 matches in the space of 44 action-packed days.

There are three built-in rest/travel days, similar to the famous Tour de France cycle race schedule, to give the squads some respite in a tournament that is going to test the endurance of all the squads.

To add to the excitement there is a one-off final between the top two finishers on the log and no opportunity for teams to get in through the back door of an eliminator or qualifier.

“There is quite literally going to be non-stop action of the highest international quality from the League opener on November 3 right through to the final on December 16,” commented T20 Global League Tournament Director Russell Adams.

Cricket South Africa CEO Haroon Lorgat and T20 Global League tournament director Russell Adams announce the fixture list in Cape Town on Monday. Photo: @T20GL_ via Twitter

“South African sport has never experienced anything quite like this before and I am absolutely confident that the T20 Global League will take the sport entertainment industry in this country to a new level.

“Can you imagine the excitement on our opening night at iconic Newlands, when two of the greatest players in the history of the T20 format, AB de Villiers of the Pretoria Mavericks, and Chris Gayle of the Cape Town Knight Riders, go head-to-head?

“There will be similar excitement as the League moves around the country to our other host venues with a myriad of international and South African stars in action.

“And watch out for the emergence of exciting young South African talent as our rookies are inspired by some of the big names in their squads. This has been a feature of the franchise T20 tournaments around the world,” concluded Adams.