New cricket season kicks off in September with T20 competition in Kimberley and Bloem

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