Small game, big attraction

The Twenty20 Cup, which has helped to revive popular interest in county cricket, is beginning to have a similar impact at club level. Leagues across the country are introducing midweek 20-overs-aside cricket and early indications are that it is bringing in crowds and capturing the imagination of the next generation of players.

The Surridge Northern Premier Cricket League, where Andrew Flintoff first flexed his muscles with St Annes, is believed to be the first league in the country to have adopted the Twenty20 Cup format. The competition, which is now in its third year, is played in coloured clothing on evenings in high summer and it is pulling in the crowds.

"It's been a huge success," says John Cotton, the Northern League's chairman. "Twenty overs cricket has been played in leagues across the country for many years but once the counties started playing it and it proved to be so popular, then everyone started to take notice.

"We already had a competition which involved clubs playing in coloured clothing but playing in midweek has proved a popular move. It's brought in extra bar revenue, increased gate receipts and generated a lot of interest, particularly with youngsters. It's a format that they can relate to. It's just long enough for them to retain their concentration and it's a good way to introduce them to club cricket.

"Some of our clubs play on Friday evenings, which are proving popular with spectators. Chorley play on Tuesday evening, which has traditionally been a very quiet night in the club. But last year they were getting crowds of around 300 for their 20-overs games and most of our clubs are in a similar position."

The success of the Northern League's pioneering efforts has persuaded other leagues to introduce 20-overs competitions this season. The PipeMaster North Staffordshire and South Cheshire Premier League will run a 47-club competition on Sundays during June and July this year.

Clubs will take it in turn to host three group matches per day, with matches played in coloured clothing using an orange ball. "There was some concern about asking clubs to buy coloured clothing, but some of the kit manufacturers are selling it so cheap at the moment that it hasn't been a problem," says Keith Tunnicliffe, the league's administrator.

"In fact a number of clubs are already doing a roaring trade in replica kit. It's proving very successful with the youngsters and clubs are finding that it is one way of covering their costs." A sponsor, International Electrical Distributors, has also been found for the Twenty20 Cup and Tunnicliffe expects the event to pull in the crowds. "The players are very enthusiastic about it, there were one or two logistical problems to be overcome - changing facilities for three teams for instance," he says. "But we are very excited about the competition and we think that it will attract some big crowds."

In the Birmingham & District Premier League the (TwentyTwenty) Challenge Cup will replace the old Challenge Cup, a midweek competition that has been running since 1958. In the old competition each innings comprised 15 eight ball overs. The new Challenge Cup will replicate the format of county cricket's new short-form competition. The difference will be that coloured clothing will be optional.

"It's still a knockout competition so we thought we couldn't really demand that clubs buy coloured kit when they might play only one game," says Nick Archer, the Birmingham League's administrator. "Clubs can play in coloured clothing if they wish and I'm sure that some will," Archer went on. "For this first season it's going to be a case of seeing how things go. But I'm very excited about the concept. People can call in at their local club after work and watch a couple of hours of cricket. I think it's going to generate quite a lot of interest in evening cricket."