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.
\nThe 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\u2019s northern territories, so the term provinces is, for the moment, correct.
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\nThese 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).
\nThe 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.
\nThe 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.
\n2012 Championship Recap
\nThe 50-over championship was won in 2012 by Western Stallions thanks to a 76 run win against Pacific Edge in the final, and a \u2018second life\u2019 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\u2019s 89 runs from 71 balls and 38 from his main partner, Praveen Saroye. Pacific Edge replied with 100 all out.
\nThe final of the T20 championship was also accessible via live internet streaming but rain had washed out the last day\u2019s 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.
\nThe 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\u2019s 130 for four wickets (19.5 balls).
\nHopes for building from this cornerstone
\nHopefully this year\u2019s 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.
\nCricket Canada – National Cricket League 2013 – Schedule Courtesy Cricket Canada
\nJack Kyle Trophy (50 Over)
\nSunday June 23rd
\nEastern Fury vs Western Stallions
\nCentral Shield vs Prairie Fire
\nMonday June 24th
\nEastern Fury vs Prairie Fire
\nWestern Stallions vs Pacific Edge
\nTuesday June 25th
\nWestern Stallions vs Central Shield
\nPacific Edge vs Eastern Fury
\nWednesday June 26th
\nPrairie Fire vs Pacific Edge
\nEastern Fury vs Central Shield
\nThursday June 27th
\nWestern Stallions vs Prairie Fire
\nCentral Shield vs Pacific Edge
\nAll 50 over matches commence at 11:00am.
\nClifford Cox Trophy (20 Over)
\nSaturday June 29th
\nEastern Fury vs Prairie Fire (11:00am)
\nWestern Stallions vs Pacific Edge (11:00am)
\nWestern Stallions vs Central Shield (3:00pm)Eastern Fury vs Pacific Edge (3:00pm)
\nSunday June 30th
\nPrairie Fire vs Pacific Edge (11:00am)
\nEastern Fury vs Central Shield (11:00am)
\nWestern Stallions vs Prairie Fire (3:00pm)
\nCentral Shield vs Pacific Edge (3:00pm)
\nMonday July 1st
\nEastern Fury vs Western Stallions (11:00am)
\nCentral Shield vs Prairie Fire (11:00am)
\nFINAL (3:00pm)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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