Multi-dayers to feature in coastal cricket after four decades

Season traits more than 180 days of cricket; Starts from October first week

The first ball of the cricket season in coastal area will pitch on the mat of Cricket Oval at Nehru Maidan in the first week of October.

The tight schedule of the cricketing calendar of the year 2012-13 begins with the Dakshina Kannada Cricket Association (DKCA) Inter-Club Cricket Tournament, which features 12 teams affiliated to DKCA. The tourney is being played after a gap of four years.

The highlight of this year’s tournament is the revival of multi-day matches after a period of 40 years. The semi finalists of the DKCA Inter-Club tourney will clash each other during these two-day matches, scheduled for March, 2013. The two-day championship will be the successor of famous Tajmahal Trophy, Ford Trophy and Popular Trophy, which were indispensable part of the cricket during 1960s and 1970s. Tajmahal Trophy, which had two innings per side, but unlimited days, once even went on for eight days, when Petland Peta Sports Association took Jai Hind Cricket Club, in 1972.

“The increase in number of T-20 matches will be detrimental to the game itself. We had a lengthy discussion in our managing committee meeting and thought of introducing the multi-dayers,” said DKCA Manager Kasturi Balkrishna Pai. “The talent and ability of a player can only be tested when he plays multi-dayers. In future, we are looking forward for more such matches,” he added.

The Inter-Club tourney will be followed by Inter-High School and Inter-PUC tournaments. A total of 21 schools and colleges are participating in this 30 overs per-side tourney.

Under-19 matches for DKCA affiliated clubs is scheduled in November which will be followed by Under-16 Inter-club matches in December. ACE-Surgical Tournament for professional colleges will take place in January.

Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) tournaments will also commence simultaneously with the DKCA fixture. The 12 best teams will play in the KSCA First Division matches in a round-robin basis. The matches will be of one-day duration with first team getting 55 overs and second batting team getting their quota of overs based on the time remaining for the day. The second division will have 12 teams with 50 overs per-side matches. Third division league matches will also feature in the KSCA Mangalore Zone calendar with 18 teams participating in 30 overs per-side games. The DELL-KSCA Inter-School and Inter-collegiate tournaments are also featuring in the KSCA Mangalore Zone season this year. From last year onwards, KSCA is giving cash incentives for the First Division league champions.

The season will see more than 180 days of cricket with around 240 matches. The matches will be mainly played in Nehru Maidan and NITK grounds.