CRICKET
REPRESENTATIVE batsman Trent Colley believes the proposed Twenty20 competition could be the change the Orange District Cricket Association needs.
At last week’s ODCA meeting Colley suggested an Indian Premier League-like competition be adopted in Orange.
Colley put forward the idea after hearing about the Tamworth Premier League (TPL) being adopted this season.
The Cavaliers batsman said he had spoken to players in Orange and they had expressed their excitement
at the new competition.
“Twenty20 is not for everyone but a lot of people enjoy it,” Colley said.
“The IPL was great. Australia is playing it now, everyone is playing it. I think we should have a go.”
The Orange Premier League, as it is being called in the planning stages, would be based on the TPL format with some adjustments made.
Tamworth has been planning their competition for over a year and, as a result, have attracted substantial sponsorship from local businesses.
Due to the short planning period, Orange’s tournament will probably not have sponsorship in its inaugural season but Colley hopes it will grow into a popular event.
The proposed OPL will be made up of four teams and each side would have a captain selected by the governing body.
A draft night would be held where teams of 13 players would be selected.
This would mean players from different ODCA first grade sides would join forces with others who would normally be their opponents.
“It means the teams would change every year,” Colley said.
Although the players are sure to have fun, Colley said they won’t be mucking around.
“It would have to be serious,” he said.
“If I was facing Richie (Cavaliers team-mate Richie Venner), I wouldn’t want to get out to him and he’d want to get me out.”
The competition could become more serious in the 2009-2010 season if the sponsorship program Tamworth is using is incorporated in Orange.
It is also hoped the new competition will attract more spectators to Orange fixtures.
The TPL will have naming rights for various parts of the competition venue during the season, which would allow sponsors to set up stalls and promote their products.
Colley said this is another idea which could be adopted in Orange in the future.
The Twenty20 competition is one of a number of changes adopted by the ODCA at last week’s meeting.
During the 2008-09 season all Saturday first grade games will be two-day matches.
The Royal Hotel Cup competition will only be played by Orange sides, with the games counting towards the first grade points table as the one-day matches.
The Royal Hotel Cup will be played in the first half of the season before the OPL kicks off after Christmas.
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