Warwickshire to become Birmingham Bears in T20 Blast - BBC Sport BBC Sport Warwickshire to become Birmingham Bears in T20 Blast 26 Nov 2013 Warwickshire have confirmed that they will be known as the Birmingham Bears in next summer's T20 Blast tournament. The county will still be known by their traditional name in both the four-day and 50-over formats. "We've got to get more people through the gates and attract a new audience," Bears chief executive Colin Povey told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire. "T20 is the best vehicle we have to do that. It's not about trying to alienate our traditional fan-base," he added. Analysis BBC Coventry & Warwickshire's Clive Eakin: Warwickshire have carried the county's name since being formed in a Leamington hotel in 1882. You don't have to be a 'traditionalist' to question this change after 131 years, even for one competition.

A look at the second XI fixtures, with matches in Coventry, Kenilworth, Stratford and Rugby underlines that the team represent a wide catchment area and the number of people who approach me when I'm working in Coventry & Warwickshire to ask about the Bears shows how widespread that interest is. But it's not just supporters from these areas who'll be upset by the decision to call the team the Birmingham Bears in T20. And it seems surprising that such a break from history is being done without consulting members, many of whom were angry enough when the 'City End' became the 'Birmingham End.' The club have risked alienating loyal supporters in making what amounts to a marketing decision. It'll be interesting to see if the 'Birmingham Bears' moniker survives longer than the 'Welsh Dragons' who are now back to being Glamorgan. "It's about trying to get the best of both worlds. It's still all about the Bears. The Bears tag is something that we can all still relate to." Warwickshire are the first county to respond to the latest marketing drive initiated by the England and Wales Cricket Board to increase attendances for the 12th season of Twenty20 cricket in England.

Close to 70 per cent of this summer's Twenty20 matches will be on Friday nights throughout the country - and that is certainly reflected at Edgbaston, who will host five of their seven home fixtures under the lights at Edgbaston on a Friday night. "The ECB is repositioning the whole tournament, to give it facelift, and are very keen to drive attendances in the big cities," said Povey. "This is a feature that we can build around on Friday nights. We're very proud of our history and heritage, but we've seen an opportunity to put some energy behind that T20 relaunch. "People in the shires will still be very welcome on a Friday night. But there are a million fans in the centre of Birmingham and we want to bring that young, multicultural atmosphere into Edgbaston. "We can target local schools, local clubs, Birmingham businessman and women and more of the Asian community around the ground who spent a lot of time here during the ICC competition this year. Councillor Ian Ward, deputy leader of Birmingham City Council, added: "The Birmingham Bears is an incredibly exciting proposition that can unite sports fans across the city on Friday evenings next summer.

"The club and the redeveloped stadium provide so many great opportunities for the local communities to play and watch world-class cricket here in Birmingham." Ruthless Bears make or break for Grayson's Essex | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo NatWest T20 Blast quarter-finals August 11, 2015 Ruthless Bears make or break for Grayson's Essex A ruthless Birmingham Bears side represent a formidable hurdle for Paul Grayson's Essex as promotion hopes dim and season reaches a critical juncture 2 Brendon McCullum provided Birmingham with some star quality but his contribution extended off the field © Getty Images Since becoming the Birmingham Bears at the start of last year, there has been something brutally, ruthlessly efficient in T20 cricket about the team once known simply as Warwickshire. The defending champions are a team full of batsmen like Varun Chopra, Will Porterfield and Laurie Evans who are big hitters, but not the biggest hitters. They have seam bowlers, such as Oliver Hannon-Dalby and Chris Woakes, who bowl - and nail - yorkers at the death and, in Jeetan Patel and youngsters Ateeq Javid and Josh Poysden , spinners capable of bowling dry in the middle overs.

They are a team full of allrounders, and seldom drop chances or misfield. In short, they are greater than the sum of their parts, so efficient you could even call them dull. The architect of all this is director of cricket Dougie Brown. Essex omit Cook as Grayson backs his regulars England captain Alastair Cook will sit out Essex's NatWest T20 Blast quarter-final with Birmingham, despite being made available for the tie which will go a long way to making or breaking Essex's season. Essex could not face a tougher assignment than an away tie against the defending champions - and after their defeat against Surrey at Colchester on Monday as good as ended their slim promotion challenge, the match now carries particular significance for their coach Paul Grayson whose future is not universally supported. It is understood that Cook has taken a brief holiday between the fourth and fifth Ashes Tests, rather than playing in the Blast, after discussions between England's captain and the county hierarchy. "I spoke with Alastair at the start of the week to discuss the possibility of bringing him into the squad for the quarter-final on Thursday," Grayson said.

"After discussions between myself, Alastair and one-day captain Ryan ten Doeschate, we all agreed that we would give the group of players who have featured throughout the competition the chance to travel to Edgbaston to try and get us to Finals Day. He is 100% behind the decision. "You cannot question the attributes that Alastair would bring to the current side, but this group of players have been together now through the whole NatWest T20 Blast competition so will continue into the next stage as we look to progress further to Finals Day." "Our primary strength in the format is that we have a strong, deep squad," he says. "We've got a number of guys who can play different roles in different forms of the game, and guys who can come in in the middle of a busy schedule and take up a role in the shorter forms. "Sometimes you get to a part of the season when people are running on empty and are playing because there's nobody else to play, but we always have a fresh face who is capable of coming in. The guys who maybe haven't gone on the back of six or seven days of cricket, and you can bring them in specifically for one game then rest someone else.

The guys coming in know their role well and are highly skilled too." Brown has the depth to rotate his squad but also the adaptability and specialisation in it to make that policy worthwhile, too. Hannon-Dalby, for instance, has played just three Championship matches this season, but is known across the land for his excellent length at the death. Another T20 specialist, Recordo Gordon , has not played in the Championship, while red-ball gun Keith Barker played just two of 14 Blast group games. Brown is also quick to point to the control offered by his spinners as an area of strength, too. "Josh [Poysden] has been brilliant," he says. "Not every team has a legspinner so he's a great asset - he's got good variation and control and has done well, even in conditions that don't necessarily suit him. Ateeq Javid just finds a way to get himself into the game, be that a big wicket, a partnership breaker, a tight over or a few runs. Alongside Jeetan, who is a great guide for the younger guys, it's great to have those three options.

Him nurturing those young guys is just as much his role these days as performing on the field - there's a very good career waiting as a coach waiting for when he finishes." Speaking of Kiwis passing on advice, the Bears benefitted from the presence of one Brendon McCullum for seven games earlier in the campaign and Brown is convinced that - as unforgettable as that 158 against Derbyshire was - that young players spending time simply soaking up the New Zealand captain's knowledge and attitude up will be the greatest legacy of his stint at the club. "We knew it was an important time for him to come in, when guys were in the middle of a busy run and quite tired and in need of a bit of re-enthusing, if you like. There's probably nobody better in cricket to do that at the moment. "That innings motivated the squad, no doubt, but ultimately weight of runs was irrelevant. It was about him teaching the guys what international T20 is all about. He made everyone aware that cricket is a game and you can fail, and that's okay. Brendon's philosophy really is just to go compete and have fun, and if you're good enough on the day, you'll win.

If you don't, there's no point in being irate and angry. He was a great levelling influence. We're pretty lucky that even with him gone we're able to call on Ian Bell for the quarter-final." Brown's boys have two other things going for the rest of the campaign: home advantage, and the knowledge that they have done it before. They are club that gets things right on and off the field - T20 attendance is up by 25% this season, with 49,573 people already having been to Edgbaston this season and kids going free - meaning they can rely on strong support both against Essex and on Finals Day, should they make it. "Home crowds are great when confidence is up, and right now it definitely is," says Brown. "The quarter-final is a huge event. We're going to take the pressure off and remember that this is just a game of cricket. We've had a lot of fun playing T20 cricket this year and don't plan to stop now. Winning last year has given us true belief in our method and we've been on a roll in the groups.

We've got guys winning matches in every department and the taste of victory last year is keeping us going now." © ESPN Sports Media Ltd. Sky bids £40m for rights to city-based domestic Twenty20 tournament | Sport | The Guardian Sky bids £40m for rights to city-based domestic Twenty20 tournament • Revamped competition to launch in 2017 would comprise eight teams • ECB faces opposition from counties over reduced Championship schedule Somerset facing Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl might be a thing of the past if ECB plans to launch an eight-team city-based Twenty20 competition are realised. Photograph: Mark Kerton/ActionPlus/Corbis Saturday 25 July 2015 17.00 EDT Last modified on Thursday 11 August 2016 06.17 EDT Close This article is 1 year old Sky has offered to pay around £40m a year in broadcasting rights for a Twenty20 tournament with teams billed as cities rather than counties when the new format gets under way in 2017.

The England and Wales Cricket Board chairman, Colin Graves, is known to be set on introducing a city-based T20 series and the additional revenue from Sky would allow for each team to pay big wages to lure international stars similar to those in the IPL and Australia’s Big Bash League and enable Sky to market the broadcasting rights globally. While the ECB says no final decision has been made, the Observer understands they are close to final proposals that would see a revamp of the domestic T20 competition based around eight city-based teams. Sky is keen for the tournament to be played in a three- or four-week block at the height of summer, with matches in the evenings so they can be broadcast after the end of any international matches taking place at that time. There is real opposition among the counties to the idea, though Warwickshire have played as Birmingham Bears, and it is understood that some of Sky’s additional money will be offered as a sweetener to accept a cut in the number of Championship matches down to 12 as a way of making room for the competition. The ECB is exploring whether the franchise tournament could run in addition to a Twenty20 competition played by all 18 counties.

It is likely that city-based teams would be owned by either the ECB or by the county doing the hosting rather than by private companies, as are the IPL franchises. The success of the Big Bash League and the increased viewing figures that has attracted has prompted both the ECB and Sky to consider the merits of a similar tournament in England. They have recently recruited Mike Fordham, one of the leading figures involved in launching both the IPL and the Caribbean Premier League. Fordham, who is a vice-president at IMG, a global sports and media business, was involved in drawing up IMG’s proposals for how franchise cricket might work in England and which suggested any such tournament could end up being worth over £1bn. Both the ECB and Sky declined to comment. Chris Rogers: English franchise cricket would be 'a real win' - BBC Sport BBC Sport Chris Rogers: English franchise cricket would be 'a real win' 25 Jan Read more about sharing. Sydney Thunder, skippered by Mike Hussey, beat Kevin Pietersen's Melbourne Stars in the final at the MCG New Somerset skipper Chris Rogers says English cricket would benefit from following Australia's lead by having big city franchise Twenty20 teams.

The former Australia Test opener, who has played T20 cricket for four English county teams, has not played the short form of the game in over three years. But after watching Sydney Thunder win the Big Bash, the 38-year-old is now in no doubt England should follow suit. "You only have to look at the success in Australia," he told BBC Sport. "And it's not just seeing it from a spectator point of view. The players love it. If we can create a little of that it will be a real win for cricket in England." Twenty20 cricket in England has been played under the traditional 18-county format since its inception in 2003. However, a £40m offer has been reportedly been made to the England & Wales Cricket Board to televise a restructured franchise competition from 2017 onwards. Despite the commercial success of the Big Bash, as well as the Indian Premier League, there remains opposition from within the English first-class counties, half of whom do not play at Test match venues, including Somerset.

"I've always been a bit of a traditionalist, it's hard not to when you play the way I play," said Rogers, renowned as a relatively slow-scoring first-class cricket specialist. "But I think it will go that way. It has to, but the counties have to be open to it. You still have to sustain four-day cricket and Test cricket. But surely the success of the Big Bash here will be opening a few of their eyes." Chris Rogers averages almost 50 in first-class cricket, but only 17 in T20 matches Sydney-born Rogers announced his retirement from Test cricket prior to last summer's Ashes series, but last October agreed to join his fifth English first-class county, having previously played for Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northants and Middlesex. He was then appointed Somerset captain when Marcus Trescothick stood down earlier this week. Rogers first came to England at the age of 24 when he played for Exeter in the Devon Cricket League Premier Division in 2002, before appearing for Shropshire side Wellington in the Birmingham League the following summer, prior to joining Derbyshire in 2004. What's in a name?

Glamorgan played in county cricket's T20 competition as the Welsh Dragons in 2012 and Warwickshire rebranded as the Birmingham Bears for the 2014 season, backed by financial support from their local city council. The Bears enjoyed almost overnight success, winning the competition at Edgbaston in 2014, then following that up by reaching Finals Day again on their own ground in 2015. Figures released by the club last week reveal that, in 2015, T20 cricket showed an increase in revenue for the Bears of 43 per cent and 86 per cent in attendances at Edgbaston. Former Australia Test opener Chris Rogers was talking to Sportsworld on the BBC World Service following the Big Bash final. Share this page Twenty20 | International Cricket Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia History Origins The idea of a shortened format of the game at a professional level was discussed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 1998 and 2001. When the Benson & Hedges Cup ended in 2002, the ECB needed another one day competition to fill its place.

The cricketing authorities were looking to boost the game's popularity with the younger generation in response to dwindling crowds and reduced sponsorship. It was intended to deliver fast paced, exciting cricket accessible to thousands of fans who were put off by the longer versions of the game. Stuart Robertson, the marketing manager of the ECB, proposed a 20 over per innings game to county chairmen in 2001 and they voted 11-7 in favour of adopting the new format. A media group was invited to develop a name for the new game and Twenty20 was the chosen title. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket. A mathematician from Perth, Western Australia, Dr George Christos, also claims to have proposed a similar format to the ICC and ECB in 1997. However, the ICC has dismissed his involvement in developing the final concept. Twenty20 cricket was formally introduced in 2003 when the ECB launched the Twenty20 Cup and was marketed with the slogan “I don’t like cricket, I love it”, taken from the 10cc song "Dreadlock Holiday".

Twenty20 Cup The first official Twenty20 matches were played on 13 June 2003 between the English counties in the Twenty20 Cup. The first season of Twenty20 in England was a relative success, with the Surrey Lions defeating the Warwickshire Bears by 9 wickets in the final to claim the Twenty20 Cup. On 15 July 2004 Middlesex vs. Surrey (the first Twenty20 game to be held at Lord's ) attracted a crowd of 26,500, the largest attendance for any county cricket game other than a one-day final since 1953. Twenty20 Worldwide On 12 January 2005 Australia's first Twenty20 game was played at the WACA Ground between the Western Warriors and the Victorian Bushrangers. It drew a sellout crowd of 20,700. Starting 11 July 2006 19 West Indies regional teams competed in what was named the Stanford 20/20 tournament. The event has been financially backed by billionaire Allen Stanford, who gave at least US$28,000,000 funding money.

West Indies legends also backed the programme, and several "looked after" the teams during their stay in and around the purpose built ground in Antigua. It is intended that the tournament will be an annual event. Guyana won the inaugural event, defeating Trinidad and Tobago by 5 wickets. The top prize for the winning team was US$1,000,000, but other prizes were given throughout the tournament, such as play of the match (US$10,000) and man of the match (US$25,000). On 1 November 2008 the Superstars West Indies team (101-0/12.5 overs) beat England (99/all out) by 10 wickets. England slumped to 33-4 and then 65-8 after 15 overs before Samit Patel's 22 took them to 99 in 19.5 overs, still easily their lowest Twenty20 total. Chris Gayle scored an impressive 65 runs not out. On 5 January 2007 Queensland Bulls played the New South Wales Blues at The Gabba, Brisbane.

A crowd of 11,000 was expected based on pre-match ticket sales. However, an unexpected 16,000 turned up on the day to buy tickets, causing disruption and confusion for surprised Gabba staff as they were forced to throw open gates and grant many fans free entry. Attendance reached 27,653. For 1 February 2008's Twenty20 match between Australia and India, 84,041 people attended the match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground involving the Twenty20 World Champions against the ODI World Champions. Twenty20 Internationals On 17 February 2005 Australia defeated New Zealand in the first men's full international Twenty20 match, played at Eden Park in Auckland. The game was played in a light-hearted manner - both sides turned out in kit similar to that worn in the 1980s, the New Zealand team's a direct copy of that worn by the Beige Brigade. Some of the players also sported moustaches/beards and hair styles popular in the 1980s taking part in a competition amongst themselves for best retro look, at the request of the Beige Brigade.

Australia won the game comprehensively, and as the result became obvious towards the end of the NZ innings, the players and umpires took things less seriously - Glenn McGrath jokingly replayed the Trevor Chappell underarm incident from a 1981 ODI between the two sides, and Billy Bowden showed him a mock red card (red cards are not normally used in cricket) in response. The first Twenty20 international in England was played between England and Australia at the Rose Bowl in Hampshire on the 13 June 2005, which England won by a record margin of 100 runs. On 9 January 2006 Australia and South Africa met in the first international Twenty20 game in Australia. In a first, each player's nickname appeared on the back of his uniform, rather than his surname. The international match drew a crowd of 38,894 people at the The Gabba. Australia convincingly won the match with man of the match Damien Martyn scoring 96 runs. On 16 February 2006 New Zealand defeated West Indies in a tie-breaking bowl-out 3-0; 126 runs were scored apiece in the game proper.

The game was the last international match played by Chris Cairns - NZC handed out life-size cardboard masks of his face to patrons as they entered the ground. Criticism Although the format has been proved successful, it has been argued that since Twenty20 encourages far-from-technical cricket, youngsters wanting to pick up the game will be misguided into believing that cricket is all about trying to hit 6s and 4s no matter how you do it. Impact on the game Twenty20 cricket is claimed to have resulted in a more athletic and "explosive" form of cricket. Indian fitness coach Ramji Srinivasan declared in an interview with the Indian fitness website Takath.com, that Twenty20 had "raised the bar" in terms of fitness levels for all players, demanding higher levels of strength, speed, agility and reaction time from all players irrespective of role in the team. Not everyone accords with this view, however, citing for instance the fact that a retired player like Shane Warne has been successful in such tournaments as the IPL. Shane Warne has never been known for physical fitness. However, other successful retired players such as Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden have.

In fact, Hayden credited retirement from International cricket with aiding his performance in general and fitness in particular in the IPL. In June 2009, speaking at the annual Cowdrey Lecture at Lord's , former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist pushed for Twenty20 to be made an Olympic sport. "It would," he said, "be difficult to see a better, quicker or cheaper way of spreading the game throughout the world." Match format and rules Format Twenty20 match format is similar to limited overs cricket in that it involves two teams, each with a single innings, the key difference being each team bats for a maximum of 20 overs. In terms of visual format, the batting team members do not arrive from and depart to traditional dressing rooms, but come and go from a "bench" (typically a row of chairs) visible in the playing arena, analogous to Association Football's "Technical area" or a baseball "dugout". General rules The Laws of cricket apply to Twenty20, with some exceptions: Each bowler may bowl a maximum of only one-fifth of the total overs per innings (generally four, for a full, uninterrupted game).

i.e., 4 in the 20 overs Should a bowler deliver a no ball by overstepping the popping crease, it costs 1 run and his next delivery is designated a "free-hit", from which the batsman can only be dismissed through a run out, as is the case for the original "no ball". (Strictly speaking, the very rare methods of dismissal from a "no ball" – for hitting the ball twice, obstructing the field or handling the ball – also apply to the "free-hit" delivery.) Umpires may award five penalty-runs at their discretion if they believe either team is wasting time. The following fielding restrictions apply: No more than five fielders can be on the leg side at any time. During the first six overs, a maximum of two fielders can be outside the 30-yard circle. (sometimes referred to as the powerplay) After the first six overs, a maximum of five fielders can be outside the fielding circle.

If the fielding team doesn't start to bowl their 20th over within 75 minutes, the batting side is credited an extra six runs for every whole over bowled after the 75 minute mark; the umpire may add more time to this if they believe the batting team is wasting time. Tie deciders Currently, if the match ends with the scores tied and there must be a winner, the tie is broken with a one over per side "Eliminator" Each team nominates three batsmen and one bowler to play a one-over per side "mini-match", sometimes referred to as a "One1". In turn, each side bats one over bowled by the one nominated opposition bowler, with their innings over if they lose two wickets before the over is completed. The side with the higher score from their Super Over wins. Tied Twenty20 matches were previously decided by a "Bowl-out". International Also See - Twenty20 International Twenty20 Internationals have been played since 2005. To date, 17 nations have played the format, including all test playing nations.

Australia (17 February 2005)ª (ª Dates after each teams' names indicate their debut Twenty20 International) ICC World Twenty20 tournament Also See - ICC World Twenty20 Every two years an ICC World Twenty20 tournament is to take place. The first tournament was in 2007 in South Africa where India defeated Pakistan in the final. The second tournament was won by Pakistan who beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets in England on 21st of June, 2009. The next ICC World Twenty20 tournament will be held in West Indies in May 2010. Defending Champions Pakistan are grouped with Bangladesh and Australia . Records These statistics are correct as of 30 August 2009 and include all major cricket level Twenty20 matches. Most Twenty20 runs Twenty20 - 必应 Sign in Twenty20 Twenty20 cricket, sometimes written Twenty-20, and often abbreviated to T20, is a short form of cricket. It was originally introduced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2003 for professional inter-county competition in England and Wales.

In a Twenty20 game the two teams have a single innings each, which is restricted to a maximum of 20 overs. Together with first-class and List A cricket, Twenty20 is one of the three forms of major cricket recognised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). A typical Twenty20 game is comple ... (展开) ted in about three hours, with each innings lasting around 75–90 minutes and a 10–20-minute interval. This is much shorter than previously-existing forms of the game, and is closer to the timespan of other popular team sports. It was introduced to create a fast-paced form of the game which would be attractive to spectators at the ground and viewers on television. Since its inception the game has been very successful resulting in its spread around the cricket world. On most international tours there is at least one Twenty20 match and all Test-playing nations have a domestic cup competition. The inaugural ICC World Twenty20 was played in South Africa in 2007 with India winning by five runs against Pakistan in the final. Pakistan won the second tournament in 2009, and England won the title in 2010 and West Indies won in 2012.

Sri Lanka are the reigning champions after winning the 2014 competition beating India by 6 wickets. Origins When the Benson & Hedges Cup ended in 2002, the ECB needed another one day competition to fill its place. Cricketing authorities were looking to boost the game's popularity with the younger generation in response to dwindling crowds and reduced sponsorship. It was intended to deliver fast paced, exciting cricket accessible to thousands of fans who were put off by the longer versions of the game. Stuart Robertson, the marketing manager of the ECB, proposed a 20 over per innings game to county chairmen in 2001 and they voted 11–7 in favour of adopting the new format. The first official Twenty20 matches were played on 13 June 2003 between the English counties in the Twenty20 Cup. The first season of Twenty20 in England was a relative success, with the Surrey Lions defeating the Warwickshire Bears by 9 wickets in the final to claim the title.

The first Twenty20 match held at Lord's, on 15 July 2004 between Middlesex and Surrey, attracted a crowd of 27,509, the highest attendance for any county cricket game at the ground - other than a one-day final - since 1953. Spread worldwide Thirteen teams from different parts of the country participated in Pakistan's inaugural competition in 2004, with Faisalabad Wolves the first winners. On 12 January 2005 Australia's first Twenty20 game was played at the WACA Ground between the Western Warriors and the Victorian Bushrangers. It drew a sell-out crowd of 20,000, which was the first time in nearly 25 years the ground had been completely sold out and in Indian Premier League 2008 CSK vs KKR match played. The Attendance of the match close to 100,000 at Eden Garden stadium. Starting 11 July 2006 19 West Indies regional teams competed in what was named the Stanford 20/20 tournament.

The event was financially backed by billionaire Allen Stanford, who gave at least US$28,000,000 funding money. It was intended that the tournament would be an annual event. Guyana won the inaugural event, defeating Trinidad and Tobago by 5 wickets, securing US$1,000,000 in prize money. On 5 January 2007 Queensland Bulls played the New South Wales Blues at The Gabba, Brisbane. A crowd of 11,000 was expected based on pre-match ticket sales. However, an unexpected 16,000 turned up on the day to buy tickets, causing disruption and confusion for surprised Gabba staff as they were forced to throw open gates and grant many fans free entry. Attendance reached 27,653. For 1 February 2008 Twenty20 match between Australia and India, 85,824 people attended the match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground involving the Twenty20 World Champions against the ODI World Champions.

The Stanford Super Series was held in October 2008 between Middlesex and Trinidad and Tobago, the respective winners of the English and Caribbean Twenty20 competitions, and a Stanford Superstars team formed from West Indies domestic players; Trinidad and Tobago won the competition, securing US$280,000 prize money. On 1 November, the Stanford Superstars played England in what was expected to be the first of five fixtures in as many years with the winner claiming a US$20,000,000 in each match. The Stanford Superstars won the first match, however no further fixtures were held as Allen Stanford was charged with fraud in 2009. 20–20 Internationals Main article: Twenty20 International On 17 February 2005 Australia defeated New Zealand in the first men's full international Twenty20 match, played at Eden Park in Auckland. The game was played in a light-hearted manner – both sides turned out in kit similar to that worn in the 1980s, the New Zealand team's a direct copy of that worn by the Beige Brigade.

Some of the players also sported moustaches/beards and hair styles popular in the 1980s taking part in a competition amongst themselves for best retro look, at the request of the Beige Brigade. Australia won the game comprehensively, and as the result became obvious towards the end of the NZ innings, the players and umpires took things less seriously – Glenn McGrath jokingly replayed the Trevor Chappell underarm incident from a 1981 ODI between the two sides, and Billy Bowden showed him a mock red card (red cards are not normally used in cricket) in response. The first Twenty20 international in England was played between England and Australia at the Rose Bowl in Hampshire on 13 June 2005, which England won by a margin of 100 runs, a record victory which lasted until 2007. On 9 January 2006 Australia and South Africa met in the first international Twenty20 game in Australia. In a first, each player's nickname appeared on the back of his uniform, rather than his surname. The international match drew a crowd of 38,894 people at The Gabba.

Australia convincingly won the match with man of the match Damien Martyn scoring 96 runs. On 16 February 2006 New Zealand defeated West Indies in a tie-breaking bowl-out 3–0; 126 runs were scored apiece in the game proper. The game was the last international match played by Chris Cairns – NZC handed out life-size cardboard masks of his face to patrons as they entered the ground. Every two years an ICC World Twenty20 tournament is to take place, except in the event of an ICC Cricket World Cup being scheduled in the same year, in which case it will be held the year before. The first tournament was in 2007 in South Africa where India defeated Pakistan in the final. Two Associate teams had played in the first tournament, selected through the 2007 ICC World Cricket League Division One, a 50-over competition. In December 2007 it was decided to hold a qualifying tournament with a 20-over format to better prepare the teams. With six participants, two would qualify for the 2009 World Twenty20 and would each receive $250,000 in prize money.

The second tournament was won by Pakistan who beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets in England on 21 June 2009. The 2010 ICC World Twenty20 tournament was held in West Indies in May 2010, where England defeated Australia by 7 wickets. The 2012 ICC World Twenty20 was won by the West-Indies, by defeating Sri Lanka at the finals. It was the first time in Cricket history when a T20 World Cup tournament took place in an Asian country. The 2014 ICC World Twenty20 was won by Sri Lanka, by defeating India at the finals, where the tournament was held in Bangladesh. General rules The Laws of cricket apply to Twenty20, with some exceptions: Each bowler may bowl a maximum of only one-fifth of the total overs per innings. For a full, uninterrupted match, this is 4 overs. If a bowler delivers a no ball by overstepping the popping crease, it costs 1 run and his next delivery is designated a "free-hit".

In this circumstance the batsman can only be dismissed through a run out, hitting the ball twice, obstructing the field or handling the ball. The following fielding restrictions apply: No more than five fielders can be on the leg side at any time. During the first six overs, a maximum of two fielders can be outside the 30-yard circle (this is known as the powerplay). After the first six overs, a maximum of five fielders can be outside the fielding circle. If the fielding team does not start to bowl their 20th over within 75 minutes, the batting side is credited an extra six runs for every whole over bowled after the 75-minute mark; the umpire may add more time to this if he believes the batting team is wasting time.

Tie deciders Main article: Super Over Currently, if the match ends with the scores tied and there must be a winner, the tie is broken with a one over per side "Eliminator" or "Super Over": Each team nominates three batsmen and one bowler to play a one-over per side "mini-match", sometimes referred to as a "One1".The team which bats second in the match bats first in the Super Over. In turn, each side bats one over bowled by the one nominated opposition bowler, with their innings over if they lose two wickets before the over is completed. The side with the higher score from their Super Over wins. If the super over also ends up in a tie then the team wins who have scored the most number boundaries (4s+6s) in the 20 overs. In the Australian domestic competition the Big Bash League the Super Over is played slightly differently, with no 2-wicket limit, and if the super over is also tied then a "countback" is used, with scores after the fifth ball for each team being used to determine the result. If it is still tied, then the countback goes to 4 balls and so on.

The latest Super Over to decide a match was between the Melbourne Stars winning against the Sydney Sixers on the 5th of January, 2015, in the Big Bash League at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with the Stars winning 19/0 to 9/2 in the Super Over after tying on 150. Tied Twenty20 matches were previously decided by a "bowl-out". Main article: List of Twenty20 cricket records These statistics are correct as of 6 November 2015 and include all first-class-equivalent level Twenty20 matches.

Twenty 20 records Most successful team − Chennai Super Kings 80 wins Highest team total – by Royal Challengers Bangalore 263/5 (20 overs) vs Pune Warriors India 133/9 (20 overs) (2013 Indian Premier League) Highest individual score – Chris Gayle 175* (66) Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Pune Warriors India (2013 Indian Premier League) Most runs in career - Chris Gayle 8224 Most sixes in career – Chris Gayle 586 Most sixes in an innings – Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore) 17 (2013 Indian Premier League) Most hundreds – Chris Gayle 16 Fastest hundred – Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore) 30 balls (2013 Indian Premier League vs Pune Warriors) Fastest fifty – Yuvraj Singh (India) 12 balls (2007 ICC World Twenty20 vs England) Most runs in International T20 over – Yuvraj Singh 36, 6 balls: 6 sixes (2007 ICC World Twenty20) against Stuart Broad(England).

Most wickets in career- Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka) 291 Best innings bowling figures – Arul Suppiah (Somerset) 6/5 in 3.4 Overs (2011 Friends Life t20) Most runs in one over – Scott Styris 38, 8 balls: 4 sixes, 2 fours, 4 byes + 2 no balls (2012 Friends Life t20) against Gloucestershire's James Fuller Highest partnership for any wicket – AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli, 215 runs for the 2nd wicket (2015 Indian Premier League vs Mumbai Indians) T20 International records Most runs in International T20 - Brendan McCullum 2140 Most wickets in International T20 – Shahid Afridi 85 Highest individual International score – Aaron Finch 156 (63) Australia vs England (2013 T20 International Series) Best Bowling figures in T20 Internationals – Ajantha Mendis 6 for 8 Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe (2012 ICC World Twenty20 Series) ^ "India

 hold their nerve to win thriller".

ESPNcricinfo. 24 September 2007. ^ "Afridi fifty seals title for Pakistan". ESPNcricinfo. 21 June 2009. ^ Newman, Paul; Meet the man who invented Twenty20 cricket – the man missing out on millions; Daily Mail; 11 June 2008. Retrieved 6 January 2009 ^ Matches played 13 June 2003 ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 9 June 2008 ^ Twenty20 Cup, 2003, Final – Surrey v Warwickshire ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 9 June 2008 ^ Weaver, Paul (25 May 2009). "Usman Afzaal gives Surrey winning start but absent fans fuel concerns". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 May 2012. ^ "Sellout at WACA for Twenty20 match". ESPNcricinfo. 12 January 2005. Retrieved 17 May 2012. ^ "Guyana crowned Stanford 20/20 champions". ESPNcricinfo. 14 August 2006.

^ "Dates for Stanford Twenty20 announced". The Jamaica Observer. 9 February 2006. ^ "Gabba fans let in for free". Cricket20.com. ^ "India crash to nine-wicket defeat". ESPNcricinfo. 1 February 2008. ^ "Udal leads Middlesex for Stanford". ESPNcricinfo. 3 October 2008. Retrieved 17 May 2012. ^ McGlashan, Andrew (27 October 2008). "Ramdin leads T&T to big-money glory". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 17 May 2012. ^ McGlashan, Andrew (1 November 2008). "Gayle leads Superstars to millions". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 17 May 2012. ^ "US tycoon charged over $8bn fraud". BBC News. 17 February 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2012. ^ "Records / Twenty20 Internationals / Team records / Largest margin of victory (by runs)". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 17 May 2012.

^ "ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier to be held in Ireland". ESPNcricinfo. 13 December 2007. Retrieved 17 May 2012. ^ "An interview with Ramji Srinivasan". Takath.com. 19 June 2009. ^ "Hayden heroics shining light of IPL". The Canberra Times. 13 May 2009. Archived from the original on 18 September 2008. ^ Quoted in Booth, Lawrence. "Myths; And stereotypes." The Spin, 30 June 2009. ^ "Twenty20 Rules". CricketWorld4U. Retrieved 5 January 2015. ^ "One-over eliminator could replace bowl-out". cricinfo.com cricinfo.com. 27 June 2008. Retrieved 26 December 2008. ^ "Windies edge NZ in Twenty20 thriller". abc.net.au Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 26 December 2008. Retrieved 26 December 2008. ^ "Benn stars in thrilling tie".

cricinfo.com cricinfo.com. 26 December 2008. Retrieved 26 December 2008. ^ "Vettori opposes Super Over". cricinfo.com cricinfo.com. 26 December 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2009. ^ The Explainer (13 January 2009). "One1". cricinfo.com cricinfo.com. Retrieved 5 February 2009. ^ "KFC T20 Big Bash League: Rules". KFC T20 Big Bash League. Retrieved 5 January 2015. ^ "Stars stay alive in Super Over thriller". cricket.com.au cricinfo.com. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2015. ^ "Super Over to replace bowl out". ESPN CricInfo. 27 October 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2015. ^ ICC Team Rankings ^ "Results summary". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 9 September 2014. ^ "Records / Twenty20 matches / Team records / Highest innings totals". ESPNcricinfo.

Retrieved 6 November 2015. ^ "Records / Twenty20 matches / Batting records / Most runs in an innings". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 November 2015. ^ a b "Records / Twenty20 matches / Batting records / Most runs in an career". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 November 2015. ^ "Records / Twenty20 matches / Batting records / Most sixes in an innings". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 November 2015. ^ "Records / Twenty20 matches / Batting records / Most hundreds in a career". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 November 2015. ^ "Records / Twenty20 matches / Batting records / Fastest hundreds". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 November 2015. ^ "Records / Twenty20 matches / Batting records / Fastest fifties". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 November 2015. ^ "Records / Twenty20 matches / Bowling records / Most wickets in career". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 November 2015.

^ "Records / Twenty20 matches / Bowling records / Best figures in an innings". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 November 2015. ^ "Records / Twenty20 matches / Partnership records / Highest partnerships for any wicket". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 November 2015. Authenticity matters. Use real-world stock photos to tell your brand's story. #! Twenty20 cricket, sometimes written Twenty-20, and often abbreviated to T20, is a short form of cricket. At the professional level, it was originally ... Btspread Is a free magnetic link search engine.Provide for you:《Twenty20》bt Torrents Search Page 1. ... {}ICC.World.Twenty-20.2012 ... I've been in your shoes many times. Looking for that one photo in a sea of un-inspired stock photos. Misery. Welcome to Twenty20. Where authenticity rules. #! Your JavaScript is Disabled! Twenty20 is a modern website that requires JavaScript to be turned on in order to access. Simply go to your browser preferences and turn ...

Twenty20 Cricket, 2020 Cricket, Twenty20, Twenty20 Cup, Twenty20 International, Twenty20 Worldwide TWENTY20 Twenty20 Twenty20 is a type of cricket, initially established in England for specialized inter-county contest by the England and Wales Cricket Board in 2003.A Twenty20 match engages two teams, each one has a distinct innings, batting for utmost of 20 over�s. Twenty20 cricket is also identified as T20 cricket. It has been played at club level for days, habitually in evenings when dawn was a problem. A Twenty20 game is fulfilled in about three and half hours, with both innings lasting around 75 minutes, thus carrying the game closer to the time period of other trendy team sports. It was pioneered to craft a lively form of the game which would be dazzling to audiences at the ground and spectators on television and as such it has been very victorious. It was commercially successful and has been adopted internationally. The ECB did not mean that Twenty20 would change other forms of cricket and these have sustained alongside it. Since its initiation the game has reached around the cricket world.

On most worldwide tours there is at least one Twenty20 match and all Test-playing nations have a home cup contest. The opening International Cricket Council World Twenty20 was played in South Africa in 2007 with India succeeded by five runs against Pakistan in the final. 2009's Twenty20 World competition was phased in England and won by Pakistan. England won the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 defeated Australia in the event by 7 wickets. History - Origins The idea of a reduced format of the game at a skilled level was conferred by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 1998 and 2001. The Benson & Hedges Cup was a one-day cricket contest for first rate counties in England and Wales that was held from 1972 to 2002, one of cricket's longest finance deals. When the Benson & Hedges Cup ended in 2002, the ECB looked-for a different one day competition to fill its place. The cricketing authorities were looking to boost up the game's fame with the younger age band in response to deteriorating crowds and compact sponsorship.

It was anticipated to convey fast paced, exciting cricket reachable to thousands of fans who were defer by the longer versions of the game. Stuart Robertson, the marketing manager of the ECB, planned a 20 over per innings match to county chairmen in 2001 and they voted 11-7 in errand of adopting the new format. A media group was invited to enlarge a name for the new amusement and Twenty20 was the selected title. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket. Twenty20 cricket was officially initiated in 2003 when the ECB launched the Twenty20 Cup and was promoted with the slogan �I don�t like cricket, I love it�, captured from the 10cc song "Dreadlock Holiday". The first authorized Twenty20 games were played on 13 June 2003 among the English counties in the Twenty20 Cup. The first spell of Twenty20 in England was a qualified achievement, with the Surrey Lions defeating the Warwickshire Bears by 9 wickets in the final to claim the Twenty20 Cup. On 15 July 2004 Middlesex vs.

Surrey (the foremost Twenty20 game to be held at Lord's) paying attention a crowd of 26,500, the prime crowd for any county cricket fixture other than a one-day final since 1953. Twenty20Worldwide On 10 January 2005 Australia's former Twenty20 competition was played at the WACA Ground between the Western Warriors and the Victorian Bushrangers. It drew a surrendered crowd of 20,700. Opening 11 July 2006 19 West Indies local teams battled in what was named the Stanford 20/20 tournament. The event has been economically backed by billionaire Allen Stanford, who gave at least US$28,000,000 granting money. West Indies celebrities also supported the programme, and some "looked after" the side during their stay in and around the reason built ground in Antigua. Guyana won the inaugural affair, defeating Trinidad and Tobago by 5 wickets.

Scheduled 1 February 2008's Twenty20 contest between Australia and India, 84,041people focused the match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground concerning the Twenty20 World Champions besides the ODI World Champions. Twenty20 magnetized many admirers to the game through the Indian Premier League. The first Indian Premier League which was junctured in India in 2008 revolutionized the face of the game. The league implicated over hundreds of players bonded and over billion dollars speculation. It was won by Rajasthan Royals with the Chennai Super Kings concluding as runners-up. The second version was staged in South Africa which was won by Deccan Chargers striking the Royal Challengers in the last. The third edition was played in India regardless of the many disputes and arguments occurred. The union was won by the Chennai Super Kings with Mumbai Indians lasting as the runners-up. Twenty20 Internationals On 17 February 2005 Australia beated New Zealand in the first men's complete international Twenty20 match, played at Eden Park in Auckland. The competition was played in a light-hearted manner.

The initial Twenty20 international in England was played amid England and Australia at the Rose Bowl in Hampshire on 13 June 2005, which England won by a margin of 100 runs. On 9 January 2006 Australia and South Africa met in the opening international Twenty20 fixture in Australia. At first, each player's pet name emerged on the back of his uniform, relatively than his surname. The international game drew a crowd of 38,894 people at The Gabba. Australia credibly won the match with man of the match Damien Martyn scoring 96 runs. On 16 February 2006 New Zealand conquered West Indies in a tie-breaking bowl-out 3-0; 126 runs were scored respectively in the game accurately. The competition was the last international match played by Chris Cairns - tendered out actual size cardboard cover of his face to benefactor as they entered the ground. Impact on the game Twenty20 cricket is alleged to have effected in a more agile and "explosive" form of cricket.

Indian fitness coach Ramji Srinivasan affirmed in an discussion with the Indian fitness website Takath.com, that Twenty20 had "raised the bar" in terms of fitness stage for all players, insisting higher levels of strength, speed, agility and reaction moment from all players irrespective of function in the team. Not each person pacts with this inspection, however, quoting for instance the fact that a retired player like Shane Warne has been victorious in such game as the IPL. Ramesh Powar is one better example of a "flabby" player who has thrived in the IPL. Shane Warne has by no means known for physical fitness. On the other hand, victorious retired players such as Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden have. In fact, Hayden acclaimed retirement from International cricket with assisting his performance in common and fitness in particular in the IPL. Match format and rules Format Twenty20 match design is akin to limited overs cricket in that it entails two teams, each with a single innings, the key variation being each squad bats for a maximum of 20 overs.

In conditions of image system, the batting team associate do not arrive from and leave to habitual dressing rooms, but come and go from a "bench" (in general a row of chairs) noticeable in the playing dome. General Rules The rules of cricket concern to Twenty20, with some exceptions: Every bowler may bowl a maximum of just one-fifth of the total overs per innings. For a complete, endless match, this is 4 overs. Must a bowler deliver a no ball by exceeding the popping crease, it costs 1 run and his next release is designated a "free-hit". In this event the batsman can only be fired through a run out, hitting the ball twice, hindering the field or handling the ball. The following fielding restrictions apply: No further than five fielders can be on the leg side at any time. At some point in the first six overs, a limit of two fielders can be outside the 30-yard circle (This is sometimes known as the powerplay). Once the first six overs, a bound of five fielders can be outside the fielding circle.

If the fielding squad does not begin to bowl their 20th over within 75 minutes, the batting side is certified an extra six runs for every full over bowled after the 75 minute spot, the umpire may include more time to this if they think the batting team is wasting time. Tie fixes Presently, if the game ends with the scores tied and there must be a winner, the tie is busted with a one over per side "Eliminator" or "Super Over": Each side proposes three batsmen and one bowler to play a one-over per side "mini-match", occasionally referred to as a "One1".In circle, each side bats one over bowled by the one chosen conflict bowler, with their innings over if they drop two wickets prior to the over is completed. The team with the higher gain from their Super Over wins. Tied Twenty20 games were formerly decided by a "Bowl-out". Champions Twenty20 League The Champions League Twenty20 frequently called CLT20 is a twenty20-based cricket contest aspects side from India, South Africa, England, Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Pakistan and the West Indies.

The game on the other hand does not mark equal number of teams from each country. The Winners and the runners-up of the home club from Pakistan, India, and South Africa, England and Australia and the winners of the other 4 countries are also traited in the tournament. 2008 Season The foremost edition was believed to have featured in India with 8 teams. Although there were rumours that only teams from India, South Africa, Australia and England would be permitted to take part, Sialkot Stallions of Pakistan was also allowed entry. The contest was however deferred and later terminated due to the 2008 Mumbai attacks. 2009 Season After the abolition of the opening edition, the tournament observed few changes to boost fan support. The association was to trait 2 teams from India, South Africa, Australia and England and 1 each from West Indies, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The design of the game was also changed in comparison to the Twenty20 World Cup. Conversely Sialkot Stallions from Pakistan were denied admission due to the political tensions amid India and Pakistan. Delhi Daredevils the group topper of the IPL were preferred to surrogate them.

2010 Season The 2010 Champions League Twenty20 was apprehended in the month of September in South Africa. There were only 10 squads instead of 12 as the top 2 English counties could not play a part. The 10 squads were positioned in two groups. Chennai Super Kings stroked the Chevrolet Warriors of South Africa in the final.

Question: Which Cricket county's Twenty20 team are known as the 'Bears'?
Answer: WARWICKSHIRE