New Cricket Format Launched In Asia (14 Jul 1996)

14 July 1996

New cricket format launched in Asia

KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 - Cricket launched an ambitious campaign on Friday to boost its popularity in Asia with a flurry of big hitting under revised rules aimed at making the game more action-packed.

The inaugural Super Eights in Malaysia, launched by the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) and featuring a host of top players, produced the expected feast of runs on the opening day of the eight-a-side event.

Opener Matthew Hayden set the tone by smashing an unbeaten 66 as the second-string Australia A side hammered a massive 205 for seven from their maximum 14 overs against India.

The tournament, opened by the King of Malaysia Tuanku Jaafar who is also the patron of the local controlling cricket board, is being played on an artificial wicket after rain affected the turf pitch.

Each match in the six-team, three-day tournament lasts about two hours, about a quarter of the time it takes to complete a 50 overs a side game.

Under competition rules, shots which clear the boundary are worth eight runs instead of the traditional six and each player, except the wicketkeeper, must bowl at least one over.

A batsman must also retire if he scores 50 runs but he can return to the crease if all the other batsmen have been dismissed -- as Hayden did against India.

In devising the new format, the ACB hopes to appeal to an Asian audience which is unfamiliar with the intricacies of one-day or five-day test cricket.

Australia A won the opening fixture by 33 runs after restricting India to 172 for six from their maximum 14 overs.

In the two other matches on Friday, New Zealand overhauled Australia`s modest total of 160 for seven with 15 balls to spare while South Africa beat an Asian invitational team led by former Australia captain Allan Border.

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)