While English Cricket Board’s ambitious 100-Hundred couldn’t be launched this year owing global pandemic of Coronavirus, South Africa cricket has come up new format of cricket.
It will be 3TCricket, in which only three teams, comprising of 8 players each, will play in a single match. This is totally new format and it was announced by Cricket South Africa on Wednesday.
South Africa board also revealed that it will host its first ever 3TC match on June 27 with three teams being captained by star cricketers AB de Villiers, Kagiso Rabada and Quinton de Kock.
A game of 3TC cricket consists of 36 overs divided into two halves of 18 overs each. In the first half, each team faces 6 overs from one of their opponents. In the second half of the game each team resumes batting, facing another 6 overs, but this time from their other opponents.
As per reports rules of game highlights that a match is contested between three teams of eight players each and the teams bat for one innings of 12 overs split between two 6-over periods, facing one opponent in the first half and the other opponent in the second half.
Teams’ turns in the first half will rotate from batting to bowling to dugout. With the starting positions determined by a draw and in the second half, teams bat in order of the highest scores in the first half.
The most interesting part of this 8-players-per-side contest is the last man standing.
“After the fall of the 7th wicket, the last batter stands alone and can only score in even numbers of runs. If the 7th wicket falls in the first half, the team forfeits the remaining balls in that half and the last batter resumes the innings in the second half says the official rules of the game,” the rules state.
“Most runs wins Gold, second Silver and third Bronze. If 2 teams tie with most runs, super overs decide Gold; if all 3 teams tie, all get Gold; and, in a tie for second, Silver is shared,” it adds.
Graeme Smith, the former South Africa captain and now the director of CSA, believes that this new format will bring back the excitement of cricket.
“I know that the players are itching to get back into action as well, which is why we as CSA are so excited about the Solidarity Cup. It’s a thrilling new format and a match that is working towards a greater good. We are proud to partner with 3TeamCricket on this project.” Smith said in a statement issued by the board.