SA20 announce development league to nurture cricket talents

South Africa’s premiere T20 competition, SA20, announced the launch of a new development league to identify and nurture cricket talent across genders in the country. They will run a national competition in all 16 provinces, which will begin in September 2024 and will continue till March 2025. It will host over 370 boys’ teams and more than 200 girls’ teams and will have more than a thousand games in the competition.

SA20 in association with Cricket South Africa (CSA) are working actively to develop the stature of women’s cricket in the country. The girls’ tournament that will be hosted is expected to become the pipeline for the U19 team that will travel to Malaysia in 2025 for the U19 Women’s World Cup. Meanwhile, both competitions will have three phases.

The first phase, which is the Provincial competition, will be hosted from September to November while the second phase, which is the Regional Playoffs will be played in January and February 2025. The third and final round, that is the national finals, will be played from March 13-15.

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SA20 league commissioner Graeme Smith voiced the impact that the competition will create and stated that he can’t wait to see what the next generation of cricketers bring to the table, but he has no doubt that it would be entertaining.

“Schools SA20 is more than just a competition; it has the potential to significantly contribute to our cricketing future. There are a number of current Protea Men and Women who made their mark at a schools level; I can’t wait to see the next generation entertaining and showcasing their skills on this global stage and no doubt the next teenage cricket sensation will announce themselves to the world out of this competition,” Smith was quoted as saying by SuperSport.

He also added that the tournament is committed to investing in women cricketers as it would grow to help the national team. He also believes that the CSA and government’s initiatives will professionalise women’s cricket.

“SA20 is also committed to working with CSA to invest in building the base of women’s players and developing the women’s game in South Africa. Our sponsorship of the U19 Girls’ Camps, combined with CSA’s and the government’s initiatives to professionalise the women’s game, will play a major role in growing the base of players for future Proteas Women’s success,” he added.