National under-19 team to play in Cricket SA T20 tournament

The national under-19 team will participate in the new Cricket SA domestic playing structure announced on Wednesday.

The organisation has launched and conducted the draw for the inaugural 15-team provincial T20 knockout competition.

Cricket SA announced in March that the six-team franchise structure would be replaced by a 15-team first-class system.

In the new format the teams are split 8-7 into division 1 and 2, which will remain the same for the first two years, before an automatic promotion and relegation system kicks in.

Under the new structure, the calendar for division 1 will be similar to the previous franchise system in which the eight teams will play four-day, one-day and the Twenty20 cricket, including the Mzansi Super League (MSL), all in a single round.

Cricket SA said at the time that the same eight teams will also compete in a domestic T20 knockout tournament with the seven teams from division 2, the season of which will comprise a four-day and one-day competition.

That T20 knockout tournament was launched on Wednesday, with pools for the inaugural provincial T20 knockout competition confirmed during a virtual draw.

The 15 teams across division 1 and 2, with the SA under-19s, were drawn into four pools of four each for the season-opening competition, which will be held in Kimberley and Bloemfontein from September 24 to October 22. 

Co-hosts the Northern Cape Heat were pitted against fellow division 2 side Six Gun Grill SWD and division 1 giants Imperial Lions and Six Gun Western Province in pool A.

Another co-host, Itec Knights, and another division 1 outfit, Momentum Multiply Titans, were grouped with division 2 sides Mpumalanga Rhinos and KZN’s Hollywoodbets Tuskers in pool B.

The SA under-19s were drawn with North West Dragons, Hollywoodbets Dolphins (both from division 1) and another division 2 side, Eastern Storm in pool C.

Eastern Cape’s Iinyathi (division 2), Limpopo Impalas (division 2), Warriors (division 1), The Rocks (division 1) comprise pool D.

Cricket SA director of cricket Graeme Smith provided the wisdom behind the inclusion of the under-19s.

“The inclusion of our national under-19 squad provides a great opportunity for them to compete against strong opposition as they prepare for next year’s ICC Under-19 Men’s World Cup in the West Indies,” said Smith.

Cricket SA added that the T20 Knock Out Competition is one of two T20 tournaments that will feature as part the 2021/2022 domestic season, with a premium T20 competition scheduled for later in the season. 

The organisation did not state whether the premium T20 competition scheduled for later in the season would follow the same form as the MSL.

Final dates are yet to be confirmed.

Full list of pools (the number denotes the division to which the team belongs): 

Pool A  
Date: September 24-26
Venue: Kimberley  
Teams: Northern Cape Heat (2), Six Gun Grill SWD (2), Imperial Lions (1), Six Gun Grill Western Province (1)  

Pool B  
Date: September 28-30 
Venue: Bloemfontein  
Teams: Mpumalanga Rhinos (2), Hollywoodbets Tuskers (2), Itec Knights (1), Momentum Multiply Titans (1)  

Pool C  
Date: October 8-10
Venue: Bloemfontein  
Teams: Eastern Storm (2), SA U-19s, North West Dragons (1), Hollywoodbets Dolphins (1)  

Pool D
Date: October 4-6
Venue: Kimberley 
Teams: Eastern Cape Iinyathi (2), Limpopo Impalas (2), Warriors (1), The Rocks (1)