ν Maqonda Ndlovu
THE 2023 Richelieu Franchise T20 competition is set to kick off on 15 September 2023 at United Cricket Ground with exciting changes expected to enhance premier club franchise cricket.
The finals are expected to take place on Sunday, 24 September, at the same venue.
This year’s competition will see four new teams, the Windhoek Jets, Namib Desert Lions, Etosha Wildcats, and Fish River Eagles, participating in the tournament.
Speaking to New Era Sport, Cricket Namibia Chief Executive Officer Johan Muller said the teams in this year’s tournament are owned by the federation as compared to the previous years, when corporate companies owned them.
“This year we decided to centralise the teams. We have also placed some international players on these teams. This will strengthen the on-field competition. There are no private entities owning those teams,” he said.
There will be 12 international players; six of them will come from Lahore Qalandars in Pakistan, four from South Africa, and two from Jersey in the United States of America.
These players will play alongside top Namibian cricketers including the Eagles players, and the next-in-line local players.
“The matches at United Cricket Ground are set to be exciting. The international players will add competitive flair, and the mood is generally festive for the fans during franchise cricket. As usual, we expect exciting cricket,” Muller said.
The teams will play each other over two legs, with the top two meeting in the finals.
Fixtures
15 September 14h30, Windhoek Jets vs Namib Desert Lions
16 September 9h30, Etosha Wildcats vs Fish River Eagles
16 September 14h30, Windhoek Jets vs Etosha Wildcats
17 September 9h30, Fish River Eagles vs Windhoek Jets
17 September 14h30, Namib Desert Lions vs Etosha Wildcats
20 September 14h30, Namib Desert Lions vs Etosha Wildcats
21 September 9h30, Namib Desert Lions vs Fish River Eagles
21 September 14h30, Windhoek Jets vs Etosha Wildcats
22 September 14h30, Windhoek Jets vs Fish River Eagles
23 September 9h30, Windhoek Jets vs Namib Desert Lions
23 September 14h30, Etosha Wildcats vs Fish River Eagles
24 September 9h30, Fish River Eagles vs Namib Desert Lions
24 September 14:30, Final