[BhoysFC1995]

Leicestershire have announced plans to stage their own 20-over style tournament in September, billed as "The Champions League."

story

sounds good, perhaps teams from south africa, NZ, india, sri lanka, australia, and maybe some sort of USA all-star team will participate. that being said, the planned event is only 3 months away. add to that the fact the first domestic 20/20 aussie comp doesn't happen to january 2006.

other 20/20 news-

old-timers to play a 20/20 tourny in Bermuda
sounds like an excuse for these guys to visit bermuda, i doubt the games will be well attended.

20/20 comp-Super12 Rugby style
South African great Barry Richards believes Twenty20 should follow rugby's Super 12 in becoming a global competition between city teams

and from the article, the $$$$$$ ""If you had 16 or 20 sides you could float it around the world and you could sell it into America and Canada," Richards told BBC Sport."

[DoyleG]

There was a debate on The Score (one of our 3 all-sports channels) today about 20/20. One of the guests saw 20/20 as a mockery of cricket. Another guest compared the fuss about 20/20 to when ODI's were first played.

One would see 20/20 as the way to promote the game to the youth and to make it into a TV product.

[BhoysFC1995]

def. makes most sense to me that 20/20 is the way to promote the game worlwide. i recall the mentioning of it possibly being an olympic trial if London gets the nod.

here's an editorial from cricinfo, worth a read
No Laughing Matter
John Stern
June 16, 2005

Ricky Ponting made history this week as the first Australian cricket captain to "laugh off" a 100-run defeat by England.

[BhoysFC1995]

here's just an update for the compt which will take place sept 15-17

so its
PCA Masters XI
Somerset, england
Nashua Titans, sout african
Faisalabad Wolves, Pakistan
Chilaw Marians, Sri Lanka
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cric...es/4173212.stm

and one reagrding somerset playing...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cric...es/4737713.stm

note, no teams from australia and new zealand. Aus's domestic comp didn't start yet, and NZ doesn't have one. i am surprised USA didn't put one of their teams in (had to throw that in there with extreme sarcasm).

it should be well attended, and boost the popularity of 20/20.

[PsychedelicCeltic]

NZ has domestic cricket, what do you mean? They even have a version of 20/20 called MaxCricket (10 overs) that was the foundation for the concept of 20/20.

[BhoysFC1995]

i was refering to a domestic 20/20. i am aware of their MaxCricket, but like you said, its not the 20/20 cricket that the other countries play. do they even still play max?

[BhoysFC1995]

Originally Posted by BhoysFC1995

note, no teams from new zealand... and NZ doesn't have one.

well that has changed now.

New Zealand welcome Twenty20

The Twenty20 tournament will involve two pools of three teams playing a home and away game before the top qualifiers contest the final on February 6.