Aug. 12 (UPI) — The University of Texas at Dallas is bringing the bat-and-ball sport of cricket, popular in England and India, to the United States.
UT Dallas announced Monday it has formed a partnership with the National Cricket League USA to host the inaugural Sixty Strikes Tournament in October, which will be streamed for worldwide viewing.
“Texas is proud to host the inaugural Sixty Strikes Tournament,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said.
“Earlier this year, Texas hosted the first T20 Cricket World Cup in the United States, and our great state has welcomed the Major League Cricket and National Cricket League USA — both of which have a presence and teams in North Texas,” Abbott added. “As cricket expands its global fan base, Texas will hold front-row seats to its growth across the nation.”
The tournament, scheduled for Oct. 4 through Oct. 14, will feature six teams “representing the top talent from around the world,” including Mohammad Kaif, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo, Shahid Afridi, Angelo Mathews and Jason Roy.
NCL USA will also introduce a new format during the Sixty Strikes event that will feature an abbreviated 60 ball format known as power hitting that will showcase more aggressive play and higher-scoring matches. The shorter game format lasts about 90 minutes.
Cricket is played much like baseball with the team scoring the most runs declared the winner and a fly ball caught by a fielder being an out. But balls are bowled instead of pitched, the bats are flat and there are two batters on the field at the same time.
Cricket’s playing field is also decidedly different from a baseball diamond in that there are no foul areas. UT Dallas plans to upgrade the university’s current cricket field, install lighting and add seating for more than 2,000 with tented VIP areas for the tournament.
“Our collaboration with UT Dallas is a perfect match, combining our expertise in cricket with their facilities to create an unforgettable experience,” said Arun Agarwal, chairman of the NCL USA. “Cricket’s popularity in the United States is on the rise, and this tournament will bring world-class cricket to American shores.”
As cricket grows in worldwide popularity, the sport is also making its return to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles for the first time since 1900, one of six sports to be added to competition.
“UT Dallas, home of many international students and the Comets Cricket Club, is the perfect site for NCL USA’s inaugural season,” James Milliken, chancellor of the University of Texas system, said Monday.
“With cricket’s popularity around the world, I share Texans’ enthusiasm for its expanded exposure here.”
