Cricket has been evolving with every passing year and as the sport begins to take baby steps towards normalcy in a COVID-19 world, Cricket South Africa (CSA) will lead the way for yet another revolutionary format.
The biggest names in South African cricket will return to the field in a never-before-seen format called 3 Team Cricket (3TC), where three teams will play in one 36-over match for the Solidarity Cup at the SuperSport Park in Centurion, which will be broadcast on Star Sports, India’s leading broadcaster, on July 18th at 2 PM SL time.
All you need to know about the new format
- Every match in the format is played between three teams of eight players each, and all the action happens in 36 overs which means every team get 12 overs to bat. The match is divided into two halves of 18 overs each.
- In the first half, teams rotate from batting to bowling to the Dugout and the starting positions are determined by a draw
- In the second half, teams bat in order of the highest scores in the first half and if scores are tied, the first half order is reversed
- After the fall of the 7th wicket, the not-out batter continues to bat alone. The batter can only score in even numbers(2s,4s,6s) of runs and can only bat in the second half. If the 7th wicket falls in the first half, the team forfeits the remaining balls in the first half and the not-out batter resumes the innings in the second half
- Each bowling team has the use of one new ball for their full 12 overs which is used for both opponents
- A match can only be shortened by weather to 18, 24 or 30 overs in terms of a formula laid down by 3TC
How will the winner be determined?
After the match, the team with the most runs will be awarded a gold position, the second-most with Silver and the third one with a bronze. In the case of two sides being level on runs, they will compete in a super-over to determine who gets the gold. However, if all three-teams end with the same total, all of them will be given a gold. In the situation that the second and third are equal, both will get the silver.
