Dublin, July 28 (IANS) Europe’s first major franchise T20 competition, the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), on Tuesday unveiled the schedule for its inaugural season, with the tournament set to run from August 26 to September 20 across the Netherlands and Ireland.
The six-team tournament will begin at the Voorburg Cricket Club in The Hague, where Jonty Rhodes’ Rotterdam Dockers will take on Steve Waugh’s Amsterdam Flames in the opening match. The competition will then shift to Malahide Cricket Club in Dublin for the remainder of the league stage, with the Qualifier and the final also scheduled there.
The opening clash will feature a star-studded Rotterdam Dockers side backed by Jonty Rhodes, Faf du Plessis, Heinrich Klaasen and John Abraham against the Amsterdam Flames, co-owned by Steve Waugh and Jamie Dwyer.
The second match of the tournament, on August 27, will see Rahul Dravid-backed Dublin Guardians, captained by Ravichandran Ashwin, take on Glenn Maxwell’s Belfast Wolves.
“It is a privilege to open the inaugural ETPL season. We can’t wait to bring Rotterdam’s passion and spirit onto the field and share this historic moment with our home fans,” said Rotterdam Dockers co-owner Jonty Rhodes.
Amsterdam Flames co-owner Steve Waugh said the opening game would provide the perfect platform to introduce the franchise.
“The opening match is a fantastic opportunity to introduce Amsterdam Flames and the brand of cricket we want to play. We’re proud to be part of this exciting new chapter for European cricket and look forward to getting underway,” he said.
The 32-match tournament, spread over 26 days, will feature six franchises representing cities across Europe. International stars including Steve Smith, Tim David, Ravichandran Ashwin, Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Heinrich Klaasen, Mitchell Marsh, Lungi Ngidi and Trent Boult will be joined by leading European players such as Paul Stirling, Scott Edwards, Josh Little, George Dockrell, Aryan Dutt, Max O’Dowd, Richie Berrington and Matthew Cross.
Rahul Dravid, co-owner of Dublin Guardians, expressed excitement about the new league.
“Representing Dublin in Europe’s newest franchise T20 league is exciting. We look forward to an exciting inaugural season and to building something the city and its fans can be proud of,” he said.
Glasgow Cosmic co-owner Matthew Hayden described the league as a significant moment for cricket in Scotland.
“The ETPL marks a landmark moment for Scottish cricket, and Glasgow Cosmic is proud to be part of this journey. We look forward to making our mark from the very first ball,” Hayden said.
Each team will play the other five franchises twice in a round-robin format. The table toppers will qualify directly for the final, while the second and third-placed teams will meet in the Qualifier to decide the other finalist.
–IANS
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