 "South Africa announces return to cricket with experimental 3-team format")
Cricket South Africa has announced the return of cricket in the country with a new format 3TCricket, where three teams will play in a single match.
The teams will compete for the inaugural Solidarity Cup on June 27 at SuperSport Park in Centurion.
The Solidarity Cup will be the showcase event for the brand-new cricket format which sees 24 of South Africa's top cricketers in three teams, playing two halves in one match.
The three teams competing in the Solidarity Cup are the Eagles captained by AB de Villiers, Kingfishers captained by Kagiso Rabada, and the Kites captained by Quinton de Kock.
This match will be the first live sport in South Africa since the lockdown was announced in March 2020.
"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," CSA Director of Cricket, Graeme Smith said in an official statement.
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"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," he added.
A game of 3TCricket will consist of 36 overs divided into two halves of 18 overs each. In the first half, each team will face 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.
The result is an unrelenting and ever-changing contest that keeps captains and fans on a knife-edge as they strategise against two opponents at the same time. With fewer players in each team and thus fewer fielders, every player is actively involved in the game from the first ball to the last.
Then there's the last man standing rule whereby the last remaining batter continues batting without a batting partner. But he can only trade in boundaries and twos since retaining the strike is non-negotiable.
The team with the most runs will win gold, the second team will win silver and the third will go home with bronze.