Minor League Cricket

Minor League Cricket (branded as the Toyota Minor League Cricket championship presented by Sling TV for sponsorship reasons,[1] and sometimes shortened to MiLC), is an American Twenty20 cricket developmental league for Major League Cricket which began play on July 31, 2021, and ran until October 3, 2021.[2][3] It was delayed from a mid-to-late 2020 start due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] It consists of 27 teams from four regions.[5] The league began its regional draft process in late-August 2020, and a series of exhibition games in September 2020.[4] The draft for the league began on June 4, 2021.[6] The Silicon Valley Strikers won the finals against the New Jersey Stallions by 6 wickets to win the inaugural season of Minor League Cricket.

Minor League Cricket
Most recent season or competition:
2021
Official logo of Minor League Cricket (MiLC).
SportCricket
Founded2019
Inaugural season2021
AdministratorUSA Cricket
No. of teams27 in four divisions
CountryUnited States
Most recent
champion(s)		Silicon Valley Strikers
(2021)
Most titles1
Related
competitions		Major League Cricket
Tournament formatT20
Official websiteminorleaguecricket.com
Seasons

History

Talks of an American Twenty20 league started in November 2018 just before USA Cricket became the new governing body of cricket in the United States.[7][8] In May 2021, USA Cricket announced they had accepted a bid by American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) for a US$1 billion investment covering the league and other investments benefitting the U.S. national teams.[9]

In an Annual General Meeting on February 21, 2020, it was announced that USA Cricket was planning to launch Major League Cricket in 2021 and Minor League Cricket that summer,[10] but it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic[11] and due to the lack of high-quality cricket stadiums in the USA.[12] Major League Cricket was pushed to a summer-2023 launch[13] and Minor League Cricket was pushed back to July 31, 2021.[14] Additionally, USA Cricket CEO Iain Higgins pointed out cities such as New York City, Houston and Los Angeles with a large cricket fanbase, and targeted them among others as launch cities for Minor League Cricket.[15]

In July 2020, the player registration for the Minor League Cricket exhibition league began.[16] On August 15, 2020, USA Cricket announced the teams participating in the exhibition league matches, also listing the owners for each team.[17] The draft for the exhibition league began on August 22, 2020,[18] with the teams releasing their squad on August 24.[19] The exhibition matches took off on September 12, 2020, ending in October of the same year.

After the conclusion of the exhibition league, USA Cricket announced that they were planning to launch the inaugural season of Minor League Cricket in spring 2021.[20] The season launched on July 31, 2021,[21] and ran until October 3, 2021, where the Silicon Valley Strikers won the finals against the New Jersey Stallions by 6 wickets to win the inaugural season of Minor League Cricket.[22]

USA Cricket announced shortly after the conclusion of the season that it planned to establish a women's version of Minor League Cricket and Major League Cricket.[23]

USA Cricket also announced in January 2022 that the 2022 Minor League Cricket season would start on June 25, with the finals taking place on August 28.[24]

Current teams

Unlike Major League Cricket, Minor League Cricket uses privately owned franchises. American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) announced 24 teams and their owners on August 15, 2020.[25] On June 3, 2021, ACE added 3 more teams.[26] Additionally, the teams are part of 2 "conferences", which are each split into 2 "divisions". There is the Pacific Conference, split into the Western and Central divisions, and the Atlantic Conference, which is split into the Eastern and Southern divisions.[27] The inaugural season of Minor League Cricket had a total prize pool of $250,000, the highest ever in American cricket.

Bay Peninsula East Bay Los Angeles
Silicon Valley Strikers Bay Blazers Hollywood Master Blasters
Los Angeles Sacramento San Diego
SoCal Lashings Golden State Grizzlies San Diego Surf Riders
Seattle Austin Chicago
Seattle Thunderbolts Austin Athletics Chicago Blasters
Chicago Dallas Houston
Chicago Catchers Irving Mustangs Houston Hurricanes
Michigan St. Louis Boston
Michigan Cricket Stars St. Louis Americans New England Eagles
Somerset Jersey City New York City
NJ Somerset Cavaliers New Jersey Stallions Empire State Titans
New York Philadelphia Washington DC
Manhattan Yorkers The Philadelphians DC Hawks
Atlanta Atlanta Fort Lauderdale
Atlanta Fire Atlanta Param Veers Ft. Lauderdale Lions
Miami Morrisville Orlando
Florida Beamers Morrisville Cardinals Orlando Galaxy

Venues
California California California
Morgan Hills Outdoor Complex Santa Clara Cricket Field Leo Magnus Cricket Complex
California California Washington
Arroyo Park Canyonside Park Tollgate Farm Park
Texas Texas Texas
Moosa Stadium McKinney Cricket Ground Sandy Lake Cricket Ground
Texas Texas Illinois
Prairie View Cricket Complex ACAC Park Washington Park
Illinois Michigan Connecticut
BPL Cricket Stadium Lyon Oaks Cricket Ground Keney Park Cricket Field
New York New York New Jersey
Canarsie Park Idlewild Park Howe Athletic Complex
Pennsylvania Virginia North Carolina
Exton Park Veterans Memorial Park Church Street Park
Georgia Georgia Florida
Atlanta Cricket Fields Dalton Cricket Field Central Broward Stadium
Florida Florida
Maq Cricket Stadium Silverstar Recreation Center
Morgan Hill
Santa Clara
Arroyo Park
Canyonside Park
Tollgate Farm Park
BPL Stadium
McKinney Ground
Sandy Lake Ground
Prairie View
Lyon Oaks
ACAC Park
Keney Park
Howe
Idlewild/Canarsie
Exton Park
Veterans Memorial
Maq Stadium
Silverstar
  • - Western Division (Pacific Conference)
  • - Central Division (Pacific Conference)
  • - Eastern Division (Atlantic Conference)
  • - Southern Division (Atlantic Conference)

League structure

Teams in each division will play anywhere from 14 to 16 games in the league stage. Once the league stage is completed, the top two teams in each division will advance to the quarterfinals, wherein the top team in each division will face the 2nd-placed team in the other division of their conference for a best-of-three series. The remaining games will be regular knockout matches, with the semifinals sending one team from each conference to the final.[28] The official schedule and the venues of the playoffs was released on September 20, 2021, by Major League Cricket.[29]

The inaugural season of Minor League Cricket had a total prize pool of $250,000, the highest ever in American cricket.[30]

Media

Matches are streamed by Willow on its YouTube channel and the streaming platform Sling TV.[31]

See also

References
  1. "Toyota to Sponsor Inaugural Minor League Cricket Championship Presented by Sling TV - USA Cricket". USA Cricket. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  2. "Minor League 2021 Draft to Take Place on Friday". Minor League Cricket. 3 June 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
  3. "2021 Minor League Cricket". Minor League Cricket. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  4. "Minor League Cricket Draft Announcement and Latest Update on Plans for 2020". USA Cricket. 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  5. "Player registration portal opened for inaugural Minor League Cricket". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  6. Hays, Nate (4 June 2021). "Americans ready for Minor League Cricket Draft". Emerging Cricket. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  7. Penna, Peter Della (8 January 2019). "USA formally approved to rejoin ICC as Associate Member under USA Cricket". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  8. Penna, Peter Della (27 November 2018). "USA plan to launch their T20 League in 2021". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  9. "USA Cricket Chooses Partner to Fund and Develop U.S.-Based Professional T20 Cricket League". USA Cricket. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  10. "USA Cricket Board Meeting February 2020". USA Cricket. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  11. "USA Cricket re-evaluating Major League Cricket debut timing due to Covid-19 concerns". SportBusiness. 2 August 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  12. "American Major League Cricket tournament launch pushed to 2023 at Annual General Meeting". Inside the Games. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  13. Penna, Peter Della (21 May 2021). "USA's MLC T20 tournament pushed back to 2023 at AGM". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  14. Penna, Peter Della (30 July 2021). "Minor League Cricket: T20 league in USA kicks off with Sami Aslam, Corey Anderson in the mix". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  15. Penna, Peter Della (27 February 2020). "New York, Boston, Chicago, LA among 22 targeted launch cities for USA T20 competition". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  16. "Minor League Cricket Announces Player Registration Opening". USA Cricket. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  17. "Minor League Cricket Announces Franchise Owners and Draft Update". USA Cricket. 15 August 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  18. "Inaugural Minor League Cricket Draft to Take Place Today". USA Cricket. 22 August 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  19. "Minor League Cricket Draft results with 15 Squads Selected". USA Cricket. 24 August 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  20. "USA Cricket Launches Foundational Plan". USA Cricket. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  21. "American Cricket History to be Made on Minor League Cricket Opening Weekend". Major League Cricket. USA Cricket. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  22. "Unmukt Chand creates history, helped Silicon Valley Strikers to clinch Minor League Cricket title". Mena Report. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  23. "USA Cricket Launches Plan to Shape the Future for Women and Girls in American Cricket". USA Cricket. 16 October 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  24. "Minor League Cricket 2022 Season Opening and Championship Dates Released". USA Cricket. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  25. "Minor League Cricket Announces Franchise Owners and Draft Update". USA Cricket. 2020-08-15. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
  26. "3 New Teams Confirmed For Minor League Cricket Ahead Of Draft Day Friday June 4". Minor League Cricket. USA Cricket. 3 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  27. "Minor League Cricket 2021 Teams". Major League Cricket. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  28. "Minor League Cricket: T20 league in USA kicks off with Sami Aslam, Corey Anderson in the mix". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  29. "Teams and Venues Set for Inaugural Minor League Cricket Playoffs". Major League Cricket. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  30. Raju-Singh, Hijam (8 July 2021). "Minor League Cricket unveils Toyota as sponsors of inaugural Championship; 27 teams will vie for $250,000 in prize money". Times of India. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
  31. Maqsood, Zofeen (20 September 2021). "Cricket is on a fast track in America: Tom Dunmore". American Bazaar. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
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