3TCricket Match Set To Take Place On Nelson Mandela Day [July 18]: Cricket South Africa

Cricket South Africa’s newest experiment 3TCricket match will now be held on Nelson Mandela Day [July 18], the board announced on Wednesday.

The new format was originally scheduled to take place on June 27 but was postponed due to coronavirus.

The match will see 24 of South Africa’s top cricketers lock horns, playing two halves in one game.

The three teams- Eagles, Kingfishers, and Kites- will be captained by AB de Villiers, Kagiso Rabada, and Quinton de Kock respectively.

The match will be divided into two halves of 18 overs each. Each team will bat for one innings of 12 overs each, which will be split into two six-over periods. Each six-over period will be bowled by a different opponent.

If a team loses seven wickets, the last batsman can bat alone but he can only score in even numbers. The team with the most number of runs will win gold, while the remaining two teams will have to contend with silver and bronze.

Also Read: South Africa’s Return To Cricket Delayed As CSA Postpones 3TC

“I can’t think of a more appropriate day on which to hold this game”- Cricket South Africa Chief Executive Dr. Jacques Faul

CSA chief executive Dr. Jacques Faul expressed his excitement at the prospect of cricket returning on such an auspicious day.

“It’s very exciting to get live cricket, featuring our top players, back on our TV screens again,” Cricket South Africa Acting Chief Executive Dr. Jacques Faul said as quoted by Cricket Next.

“I can’t think of a more appropriate day on which to hold this game than Nelson Mandela Day when its prime objective is to raise funds for those who have been badly affected by the Coronavirus,” he added.

“It is still nearly three weeks away, so it also gives our players more time to prepare properly and to minimise the chance of injuries,” he added.

Faul, Cricket South Africa’s chief executive, also went on to thank the South African government and also their own medical team for their unrelenting work due to such unprecedented times.

“I would like to thank the Government and our own medical team once again for everything they have done to make a return to training and playing possible and I would also like to add special thanks to the incredible sponsors involved in this event for their continued commitment towards the match and its beneficiary, the Hardship Fund,” concluded Dr. Faul.

3TCricket Match Squads:

Eagles: AB de Villiers [C], Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Andile, Phehlukwayo, Rassie van der Dussen, Junior Dala, Kyle Verreynne, Sisanda Magala

Kingfishers: Kagiso Rabada [c], Faf du Plessis, Chris Morris, Tabraiz Shamsi, Reeza Hendricks, Janneman Malan, Heinrich Klaasen, Glenton Stuurman

Kites: Quinton de Kock [c], David Miller, Temba Bavuma, Anrich Nortje, Dwayne Pretorius, Beuran Hendricks, JJ Smuts, Lutho Sipamla

Also Read: Virat Kohli Is More Reliable Batsman Than Me: AB de Villiers