3 Teams, 2 halves, 1 match: Cricket to resume in South Africa with Solidarity Cup on June 27

More than three months after the sporting activities across the world were distrupted due to coronavirus pandemic, cricket is all set to return in South Africa on Saturday with an innovative and first-of-its-kind 3TCricket.

The competition will see three teams playing in a single match at SuperSport Park in Centurion for the inaugral Solidarity Cup.

The Solidarity Cup, which will be the first live sporting event since coronavirus-forced lockdown in the country, will see 24 South African cricketers split into three teams and  playing two halves in one match.

The three teams featuring in the competition include the Eagles captained by former South African skipper AB de Villiers, Kingfishers led by fast bowler Kagiso Rabada  and the Kites captained by current skipper Quinton de Kock.

It will be a total of 36-over match, divided into two halves of 18 overs each.

Each team will get a chance to bat for one innings of 12 overs, which will also be split into two 6-over periods–each of which will be bowled by a different opponent.

The starting positions will be find out by a draw. 

While each team will rotate from batting to bowling in the first half, the teams wwill bat in order of highest score in the second half of the match.

The team who manages to notch up most runs will clinch gold, while the second and third side will settle for silver and bronze, respectively.

Reflecting on the competition, CSA Director of Cricket, Graeme Smith said that the brand-new cricket format will surely bring back the excitement of cricket. 

“It’s been quite some time since the South African public and fans of cricket worldwide have been able to consume the game we all love. 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,” the CSA official statement quoted Smith as saying.

Notably, Rabada will make his much-anticipated return to the game with the Solidarity Cup after being ruled out of action with a groin injury since late February 2020.

The match will be broadcast on SuperSport 2.