National Cricket Tournaments

National cricket tournaments are held internally by local cricket organizations. Domestic cricket teams take part in the tournaments. Tournaments, competitions, cups and leagues are held in all forms of cricket: First-Class, Limited Overs cricket (One-Day) and Twenty20.

National Cricket Tournaments: domestic competitions and leagues

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National Cricket Tournaments First-Class, LImited Overs and Twenty20 Competitions

Perhaps the greatest interest in cricket arises during international matches held by national teams of different countries. As a rule, meetings at the highest level take about a month, whether it is a Cricket World Cup or a series of away matches – “tour”. The rest of the season is quite ordinary and even routine. Cricket fans have to be saved by regular championships of different countries, which have their own frequency and seasonality. What are the national cricket tournaments?

National Cricket Tournaments
National Cricket Tournaments

National Cricket Tournaments: main information

The International Cricket Council is a leading international organization that regulates all issues related to cricket, including the organization and control of competitions at the international level. National cricket tournaments are a set of championships and tournaments held within a country (region) and controlled by local leagues. They will be discussed now.

National Cricket Tournaments: first-class

At the moment, the games of the strongest national championships of a number of countries fall under the category of first-class matches.

As a rule, people remember the founders of this sports discipline when it comes to such tournaments. Cricket has incredible popularity in England. Unless football can compete with him, in this regard, it is not surprising that the “foggy Albion” uses a developed structural concept formed at the end of the 18th century, where first-class tournaments are considered the most honorable and have the leading authority.

First-class cricket is the domestic matches in the sport of cricket.
First-class cricket is the domestic matches in the sport of cricket.

If we consider the situation on a concrete example, then 18 clubs of English districts representing counties fall into this “elite” group. Therefore, the tournament is also called the county draw.

The official consolidation of this level occurred in 1890, although there were mentions of such English champions much earlier. Yorkshire is considered the most successful club, having 32 titles (+ one overall).

If we draw an analogy with the “green continent”, then Australia is also rich in first-class leagues, which originate from back in 1892 – when the first Sheffield Shield was introduced. The large-scale tournament is a seasonal championship held between teams from six Australian states. In total, there are about 15 competing clubs. According to statistics, the most successful representative of the Australian top league is New South Wales, with 47 titles won.

Other full members of the ICC also have a fairly long history of national first-class championships. As an introduction:

  • Ahmad Shah Abdali Four-day tournament in Afghanistan;
  • National Cricket League in Bangladesh;
  • Inter-Provincial Championship in Northern Ireland;
  • Plunket Shield organized in New Zealand;
  • Ranji Trophy takes place in India;
  • Currie Cup is being played in South Africa;
  • Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in Pakistan;
  • Shell Shield in the West Indies region;
  • Logan Cup – Zimbabwe;
  • The Premier Trophy is being contested in Sri Lanka.

The first-class category is considered the leading one in each of the presented countries. The best cricketers play in the first-class teams, who have every chance of getting into the national team.

Limited overs cricket is a version of the sport of cricket in which a match is generally completed in one day.
Limited overs cricket is a version of the sport of cricket in which a match is generally completed in one day.

National Cricket Tournaments: limited overs

However, national cricket tournaments are not limited to first-class championships only.

The first domestic limited overs championship was held in England in 1963 and was called the Gillette Cup. Over time, it lost its relevance, but it was distributed through the franchise to other countries (New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, etc.). This is undoubtedly due to the growing popularity of the Twenty20 format.

At the moment, we can talk about national T20 tournaments in 13 countries of the world, plus in 2022 there should be a grand launch of the American Major League, almost like the NBA and NHL.

T10 format cricket falls into the same category – short form (up to 90 min). Despite the wave of criticism towards this type of game, the ICC officially sanctioned this league. Let T10 has not yet received global distribution, but it is still relevant in a number of countries such as Oceania, the West Indies, Sri Lanka, the UAE, Qatar.

There are variants of the National Cricket Tournaments minor type
There are variants of the National Cricket Tournaments minor type

National Cricket Tournaments: other

In addition to the internationally recognized national competitions of the first-class level, there are variants of the minor type. The most famous in this category is the English three-day NCCA Championship. The championship is seasonal and takes place in England and Wales. Among the participants are representatives of the National Counties Cricket Association, i.e., clubs of the so-called minority level that do not have the opportunity to play in first-class tournaments.

The Second XI Championship, which is also held in England, has similar popularity. The competition is seasonal, with the participation of the reserve teams of the districts’ first-class cricket clubs. The tournament already has its own history and has been held annually since 1959.

Enjoy cricket and place bets on National Cricket Tournaments with cricket tips for betting.

Nisha Bhavani
Author: Nisha Bhavani Position: Cricket Expert

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