T20 comp key part of grade fate

CRICKET Australia hope a new national Twenty20 championship featuring the country’s best Premier Cricket sides can help reconnect elite players to the grade game.

March’s inaugural tournament, to be played in Adelaide, will feature winners of each state and territory’s Premier T20 league in a two-day carnival, as well as a second team from NSW and Victoria.

David Warner’s Northern Territory side the City Cyclones have already qualified, potentially paving the way for the suspended opener to play in the CA-sanctioned event, while Steve Smith is also playing in Sydney.

The health of grade cricket and the disconnect between it and higher levels of the game was a key component of last week’s Longstaff review into the state of the game.

“For the health of the game you need premier cricket strong,” CA’s pathways manager and one-time Test wicketkeeper Graham Manou said.

“You talk to a lot of past players and obviously current players, premier cricket is something that is held quite dear to them.”

CA is also hopeful the competition can help return a number of former domestic players back to their club sides for the local T20 tournaments.