June 23: Abu Dhabi T10 has a rival with Caribbean swagger. Cricket West Indies and the Caribbean Premier League Wednesday announced The 6ixty – a new franchise-based 60-ball tournament that its promoters promise “will see brand new innovations that will change T10 cricket and make the game even faster paced and action packed”.
The first edition of The 6ixty will see men’s and women’s teams compete in a new 60-ball tournament featuring cricketers from around the world with SKYEXCH the title sponsor for 2022.
New rules in The 6ixty:
• Each batting team has six wickets – at the fall of the sixth wicket they are all out
• Each batting team has two PowerPlay overs. They can unlock a third PowerPlay by hitting two sixes in the first 12 balls. This extra PowerPlay over can be taken at any time between overs 3-9
• There will be 30 balls bowled from one end before the action switches to the other end for the final 30 balls
• The 30 balls will be delivered as 5 separate overs, with no bowler being able to bowl more than 2 overs for the innings.
• If teams do not bowl their overs within the allotted time a member of their team is removed from the field for the final six balls
• Fans will vote for the timing of a “Mystery Free Hit” where a batter can’t be dismissed by the bowler
The first edition of The 6ixty will take place from 24 to 28 August in St Kitts & Nevis at one of world cricket’s fastest scoring grounds – Warner Park. Future expansion plans of the The 6ixty include the potential of multiple events at different locations around the Caribbean and beyond.
The 6ixty is a joint venture between Cricket West Indies and the Caribbean Premier League with the two organisations working closely together to create the event.
Ricky Skerritt, president of Cricket West Indies, said: “The 6ixty has come about because of a close collaboration between CPL and CWI which is the way forward. I am really excited about the innovation, excitement and entertainment that it is going to bring to the fans.”
Pete Russell, CPL’s CEO, said: “This is a hugely exciting moment for both CPL and Cricket West Indies as we create a tournament that will see cricket fans brought closer to the game. There will be world-class men’s and women’s cricketers taking part in a fantastic event for the Caribbean and this combined with cutting-edge innovations, signals a great moment for all fans of West Indian cricket.”
