Toronto (Eddie Norfolk, February 18, 2013) – Cricket Canada has recently released the schedule for the second year of the National Cricket League with five regional teams competing in 50 over and T20 championships as in 2012. The 50 over championship will now be played for the Jack Kyle Trophy and the T20 competition is for the Clifford Cox Trophy. The trophies are named after two stalwarts of Canadian cricket who both died during 2012.
The five regional teams retain the same names as in 2012, which provides for continuity. Each team had an allocation of Canadian high-performance players and was completed by leading players from one or more of the Canadian provinces. At present cricket is not particularly developed in Canada’s northern territories, so the term provinces is, for the moment, correct.

These five regional teams comprise: Pacific Edge (based on British Columbia); Western Stallions (based on Alberta); Prairie Fire (includes Saskatchewan and Manitoba); Central Shield (based on Ontario); and Eastern Fury (includes Nova Scotia, Quebec, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island).
The Jack Kyle Trophy is due to open on Sunday June 23 at Maple Leaf Cricket Club, King City, Ontario. It is scheduled as a round-robin event which concludes on Thursday June 27. Jack Kyle was a former President of the Canadian Cricket Association. He had been heavily involved in the development of junior cricket in British Columbia and across Canada.
The T20 Clifford Cox Trophy will be contested over the Canada Day weekend. Round-robin games run from Saturday June 29 through the Canada Day Holiday Monday on July 1, concluding with a final at 3pm. Clifford Cox was a long-time Vice-President of the Canadian Cricket Association, and remained a VP of Cricket Canada. He was involved in arranging many cricket tours from his adopted home of Vancouver, and a long-time servant of the cricketing leagues and the province of British Columbia. He played internationally for Canada after moving from his Lancashire home.
2012 Championship Recap
The 50-over championship was won in 2012 by Western Stallions thanks to a 76 run win against Pacific Edge in the final, and a ‘second life’ as the better losing team in the first round. Western Stallions lost in the first round to Prairie Fire, but had a better net run rate than Eastern Fury, who lost to Pacific Edge. Central Shield then lost to Western Stallions in the semi-final. The final was carried live via internet streaming. Western Stallions struggled to 29 for four wickets after a delayed start but rallied to reach 176 for six wickets from 26 overs thanks to Shahzad Bashir’s 89 runs from 71 balls and 38 from his main partner, Praveen Saroye. Pacific Edge replied with 100 all out.
The final of the T20 championship was also accessible via live internet streaming but rain had washed out the last day’s play of the round-robin phase, and the final ended was ended by more heavy rain with Prairie Fire on 1 for no wicket after just three balls against Western Stallions. Prairie Fire were named champions due to heading the round-robin standings.
The deciding moment in the tournament had come a few days earlier when Prairie Fire captain Henry Osinde steered a boundary to fine leg to beat the Western Stallions in round-robin action with one ball to spare. Praveen Saroye made 45 in Western Stallions 126 for eight wickets (20 overs). Canadian international Junaid Siddiqui hit 52 of Prairie Fire’s 130 for four wickets (19.5 balls).
Hopes for building from this cornerstone
Hopefully this year’s tournament activity at Maple Leaf CC will bring in larger crowds than last year to help provide a more vibrant atmosphere for the players and match officials. It would be a tremendous boost for Canadian cricket if the concept that a major domestic championship event or a national team game against a fellow ICC Associate or Affiliate country was a public cornerstone for the game of cricket in Canada.
Cricket Canada – National Cricket League 2013 – Schedule Courtesy Cricket Canada
Jack Kyle Trophy (50 Over)
Sunday June 23rd
Eastern Fury vs Western Stallions
Central Shield vs Prairie Fire
Monday June 24th
Eastern Fury vs Prairie Fire
Western Stallions vs Pacific Edge
Tuesday June 25th
Western Stallions vs Central Shield
Pacific Edge vs Eastern Fury
Wednesday June 26th
Prairie Fire vs Pacific Edge
Eastern Fury vs Central Shield
Thursday June 27th
Western Stallions vs Prairie Fire
Central Shield vs Pacific Edge
All 50 over matches commence at 11:00am.
Clifford Cox Trophy (20 Over)
Saturday June 29th
Eastern Fury vs Prairie Fire (11:00am)
Western Stallions vs Pacific Edge (11:00am)
Western Stallions vs Central Shield (3:00pm)Eastern Fury vs Pacific Edge (3:00pm)
Sunday June 30th
Prairie Fire vs Pacific Edge (11:00am)
Eastern Fury vs Central Shield (11:00am)
Western Stallions vs Prairie Fire (3:00pm)
Central Shield vs Pacific Edge (3:00pm)
Monday July 1st
Eastern Fury vs Western Stallions (11:00am)
Central Shield vs Prairie Fire (11:00am)
FINAL (3:00pm)