4 Experimental cricket formats before 3TC to have featured star players

3. Cricket Super Max:

Cricket Super Max was a New Zealand domestic competition in the 1990s invented by their former skipper Martin Crowe. The format of Super Max is nothing but a Twenty20 game divided into multiple innings. The second innings would begin from the scratch just like in the longer format. No bowler is supposed to bowl more than four overs in the match but there is no limit regarding the division of the four overs into the two innings.

In addition to the norms, there will be a ‘Max Zone’ on the field which covers a trapezoid section down the ground on either sides. All the runs that come through the ball passing into that region would be doubled. This meant any player who hits a six through the max zone would be getting 12 runs and a four would turn into eight. This experiment was close to becoming an International format before Twenty20 took over.

The New Zealand national team, named as New Zealand Max Blacks, took on the International sides between 1997 and 2002. New Zealand and England faced off in a 3-match Super Max series in 1997 which the hosts won 2-1 coming from behind. The faced visiting West Indies team in 1999 and won it by a comfortably 5-wicket margin. Later in 2002, the Max Blacks took on the Indian team where they survived a scare from Sachin Tendulkar before closing in a 21-run win.

Sachin smashed 72 from only 27 balls with as many as 12 fours and a six. Two of those fours landed in max zone yielding eight extra runs while the lone six in his innings was apparently a ‘Twelve’ thanks to the max zone. The 72-run knock by Sachin remains as the highest individual score across the five Super Max International matches that took place. Tendulkar scored only five runs in the second essay but picked up five wickets in the four overs he bowled across the two innings.