Are we blessed or what? Just two months after the Football World Cup The Champions League T20 (effectively the club world championship) started in South Africa over the weekend and we’re a host city!
A 16 day non-stop jamboree of bright lights, fireworks, entertainment and cricket action as only those Indian billionaires know how.
Eastern Province (where I live) won the S.A. competition last year, I think our first trophy since the days of Kepler all those years ago and as holders are automatic entrants.
The competition comprises the top teams from around the world, India(3), Oz(2), W.indies, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and 2 from S.A. England appear to have thrown their toys out the cot and are not participating this year (they sent 2 sides last year)
So, we have 10 teams, 2 sections of five with the top 2 in each progressing to the semi-final stage.
Advertising down here is large, outdoor, press, radio and TV.
Our home side The Chevrolet Warriors (GM has a factory here) are playing their second game tonight against the Victorian Bushrangers, an Ozzie outfit who have won four of the last five Ozzie competitions that boasts the likes of Nannes, Siddle, Harwood, McGain, Hodge, Hussey (David) and the dangerous Andrew McDonald. Tickets are a reasonable 30 rand (£2.50)
I might pop along if I can find the time.
Boadicea's Chariot 
What did you do to upset the Brits? 🙂
I have no idea. I know that they were pretty miffed when we scooped the IPL last year (relocated because of fears of violence during the Indian elections), I recall English administrators blabbering about on news channels that England was a ‘certainty.’
Only a week or so ago I listened to some bigwig from the ECB talking about new formats and the need to get spectators back to the sport in England, yet they don’t participate in this!
Maybe it’s the timing. The last county games are still running and the Pakistanis haven’t yet gone home (some never will, I read!).
I see last years event started on 8 Octrober, Somerset and Sussex participated, you may be right about the timing but he who pays the piper…. (1st prize is a cool US$ 2.5 million!)
The Pakis have been out of the IPL and CL since inception, after those Mumbai terror attacks I can’t see them being allowed to make a living in India for a while.
Soutie, I can’t see that it’s wise to ask any cricket country to shorten its home season.