Cricket: Expecting surge in player numbers

Tony Manning batting for Grafton on day one of their two-day Hedley Howarth Trophy in 2008. Photo / Martin Sykes

Auckland club cricket continues to prosper with the association setting its sights on 20,000 playing this summer.

There were 10 per cent increases over the past two seasons with 19,009 registered players last summer.

Premier cricket begins today with other grades due to start in coming weeks. All competitions will be under way by the end of the month.

Under the revised format for this season, the top club players will again play three competitions but with the T20 championship now to be played as a quick-fire midweek competition in January with matches to be played on successive Wednesdays from January 12-26 with the semifinals/final four days later.

The 14 teams will be split into two pools of four and one of six - where possible regionally based - with the pool of six split into two sub-pools of three with the two pool and two sub-pool winners progressing to the semifinals.

The season will now revert to the former format of playing a series of one-day matches until November 7 with the first round of two-day games for the premier championship scheduled for November 13-20.

The premier grades have been expanded to 14 teams with Birkenhead City back in the fold and Auckland University and Ellerslie reverting to stand-alone clubs.

In the one-day competition for the Jeff Crowe Cup teams have been split into two pools of seven. Teams in each pool will play six round-robin matches - all against teams from the other pool. After those six rounds the two teams in each pool will play semifinals on February 13 with the final two weeks later.

The winner of the match between the two pool winners will represent Auckland in the national club competition.

The two-day competition for the Hedley Howarth Trophy has been split into a major (eight teams) and minor (six teams) championship based on final positions in recent seasons.

Cornwall, Howick Pakuranga, North Shore, Suburbs New Lynn, Papatoetoe, Takapuna, East Coast Bays and Eden Roskill will play in the major championship with Grafton United, Parnell, Waitakere, Auckland University, Ellerslie and Birkenhead to contest the minor championship.

Major championship teams will play a round-robin of seven matches before a top-four/bottom-four split with points carried forward.

There will be automatic promotion (for the top minor team) and relegation (for the bottom major side) at the end of the season with a play-off, at least in season one, between the minor runner-up and the second-to-bottom major team.

The major competitions will be backed by reserve grade teams in the one and two-day championships.

WHAT TO WATCH

One-Day Jeff Crowe Cup

Start: Today
Final: February 27

Two-Day Hedley Howarth Trophy

Start: November 13/20
Final round: March 19/26

T20

Start: January 12
Final: January 30

maddaford@xtra.co.nz