Cape Town - Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Tuesday announced the CSA provincial competitions’ fixtures for the 2011-12 season.
Although the format for the first-class competition remains unchanged with a full round of three-day fixtures there are important changes to the limited overs segment. For the first time provinces will play both 50 overs and T20 matches in a split pools format.
When coastal sides play coastal sides they play T20 and, when they play the inland sides, they switch to 50 overs matches. In the same way the inland sides will play T20 matches against one another. This is an important change and prepares the way for the selection of the seventh team to play alongside the six franchises in the professional domestic T20 competition later in the season.
The provinces will be allowed to contract seven semi-professional players to provide experience and to help close the gap in playing standard between the provinces and the franchises.
Four overseas professionals will be recruited to supplement the seventh team to compete in the professional T20 competition of whom three may play in any particular match.
The selection of the seventh team will come from these overseas professionals, from any players the franchises put back into the pool after having selected their T20 squads, and from the semi-professionals.
“The participation of the seventh team in the professional domestic T20 competition is an exciting new development for our domestic game,” commented CSA CEO Gerald Majola. “It will help to fast track some of our exciting young talent through our various structures and will benefit our cricket in the long run.”
2011/2012 Season's fixtures:
December 2011
Sun 04 Day KwaZulu-Natal Inland v Namibia - Pietermaritzburg Oval,Pietermaritzburg
January 2012
Sun 29 Day Western Province v Gauteng - Northerns Goodwood Club, Cape Town
Sun 29 Day Border v Namibia - Buffalo Park, East London
Sun 29 Day Free State v Boland - Chevrolet Park, Bloemfontein
Sun 29 Day Griqualand West v KwaZulu-Natal - De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley
Sun 29 Day Northerns v South Western Districts - Tuks Oval, Pretoria
February 2012
Sun 05 Day Namibia v KwaZulu-Natal - Wanderers Club, Windhoek
Sun 05 Day Boland v Griqualand West - Boland Park, Paarl
Sun 05 Day Eastern Province v Free State - Axxess St George's Cricket Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Sun 05 Day Gauteng v KwaZulu-Natal Inland - University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg
Sun 05 Day North West v Border - Senwes Park, Potchefstroom
Sun 12 Day Namibia v South Western Districts - Wanderers Club, Windhoek
Sun 12 Day Western Province v Free State, Sahara Park Newlands - Cape Town
Sun 12 Day Boland v North West - Boland Park, Paarl
Sun 12 Day Border v Northerns - Buffalo Park, East London
Sun 12 Day KwaZulu-Natal Inland v Griqualand West - Pietermaritzburg Oval, Pietermaritzburg
Sun 12 Day Easterns v Eastern Province - Sahara Willowmoore Park, Benoni
Sun 19 Day Eastern Province v Northerns - Axxess St George's Cricket Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Sun 19 Day South Western Districts v North West - Recreational Ground, Oudtshoorn
Sun 19 Day KwaZulu-Natal v Gauteng - Sahara Stadium Kingsmead, Durban
Sun 19 Day Easterns v Border - Sahara Willowmoore Park, Benoni
Sun 19 Day Western Province v Namibia, Northerns Goodwood Club, Cape Town
Sun 26 Day Namibia v Boland - Wanderers Club, Windhoek
Sun 26 Day Western Province v Northerns - Northerns Goodwood Club, Cape Town
Sun 26 Day Border v Free State - Buffalo Park, East London
Sun 26 Day South Western Districts v Griqualand West - Recreational Ground, Oudtshoorn
Sun 26 Day KwaZulu-Natal Inland v Easterns - Pietermaritzburg Oval, Pietermaritzburg
Sun 26 Day North West v KwaZulu-Natal - Senwes Park, Potchefstroom
March 2012
Sun 04 Day South Western Districts v Easterns - Recreational Ground, Oudtshoorn
Sun 04 Day Free State v KwaZulu-Natal Inland - Chevrolet Park, Bloemfontein
Sun 04 Day Griqualand West v Western Province - De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley
Sun 04 Day Gauteng v Boland - Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Sun 04 Day North West v Eastern Province - Senwes Park, Potchefstroom
Sun 11 Day KwaZulu-Natal v Free State - Sahara Stadium Kingsmead, Durban
Sun 11 Day Griqualand West v Eastern Province - De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley
Sun 11 Day Easterns v Western Province - Sahara Willowmoore Park, Benoni
Sun 18 Day Boland v Easterns - Boland Park, Paarl
Sun 18 Day Eastern Province v Gauteng - Axxess St George's Cricket Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Sun 18 Day Northerns v KwaZulu-Natal Inland - Tuks Oval, Pretoria
Sun 25 Day KwaZulu-Natal v Northerns - Chatsworth Cricket Oval, Durban
Sun 25 Day KwaZulu-Natal Inland v North West - Pietermaritzburg Oval, Pietermaritzburg
Sun 25 Day Griqualand West v Border - De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley
Sun 25 Day Gauteng v South Western Districts - Wits University, Johannesburg
April 2012
Sun 01 Day Eastern Province v Namibia - Axxess St George's Cricket Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Sun 01 Day Border v Gauteng - Buffalo Park, East London
Sun 01 Day Free State v South Western Districts - Chevrolet Park, Bloemfontein
Sun 01 Day North West v Western Province - Senwes Park, Potchefstroom
Sun 01 Day Northerns v Boland - Tuks Oval, Pretoria
Sun 01 Day Easterns v KwaZulu-Natal - Sahara Willowmoore Park, Benoni
Although the format for the first-class competition remains unchanged with a full round of three-day fixtures there are important changes to the limited overs segment. For the first time provinces will play both 50 overs and T20 matches in a split pools format.
When coastal sides play coastal sides they play T20 and, when they play the inland sides, they switch to 50 overs matches. In the same way the inland sides will play T20 matches against one another. This is an important change and prepares the way for the selection of the seventh team to play alongside the six franchises in the professional domestic T20 competition later in the season.
The provinces will be allowed to contract seven semi-professional players to provide experience and to help close the gap in playing standard between the provinces and the franchises.
Four overseas professionals will be recruited to supplement the seventh team to compete in the professional T20 competition of whom three may play in any particular match.
The selection of the seventh team will come from these overseas professionals, from any players the franchises put back into the pool after having selected their T20 squads, and from the semi-professionals.
“The participation of the seventh team in the professional domestic T20 competition is an exciting new development for our domestic game,” commented CSA CEO Gerald Majola. “It will help to fast track some of our exciting young talent through our various structures and will benefit our cricket in the long run.”
2011/2012 Season's fixtures:
December 2011
Sun 04 Day KwaZulu-Natal Inland v Namibia - Pietermaritzburg Oval,Pietermaritzburg
January 2012
Sun 29 Day Western Province v Gauteng - Northerns Goodwood Club, Cape Town
Sun 29 Day Border v Namibia - Buffalo Park, East London
Sun 29 Day Free State v Boland - Chevrolet Park, Bloemfontein
Sun 29 Day Griqualand West v KwaZulu-Natal - De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley
Sun 29 Day Northerns v South Western Districts - Tuks Oval, Pretoria
February 2012
Sun 05 Day Namibia v KwaZulu-Natal - Wanderers Club, Windhoek
Sun 05 Day Boland v Griqualand West - Boland Park, Paarl
Sun 05 Day Eastern Province v Free State - Axxess St George's Cricket Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Sun 05 Day Gauteng v KwaZulu-Natal Inland - University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg
Sun 05 Day North West v Border - Senwes Park, Potchefstroom
Sun 12 Day Namibia v South Western Districts - Wanderers Club, Windhoek
Sun 12 Day Western Province v Free State, Sahara Park Newlands - Cape Town
Sun 12 Day Boland v North West - Boland Park, Paarl
Sun 12 Day Border v Northerns - Buffalo Park, East London
Sun 12 Day KwaZulu-Natal Inland v Griqualand West - Pietermaritzburg Oval, Pietermaritzburg
Sun 12 Day Easterns v Eastern Province - Sahara Willowmoore Park, Benoni
Sun 19 Day Eastern Province v Northerns - Axxess St George's Cricket Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Sun 19 Day South Western Districts v North West - Recreational Ground, Oudtshoorn
Sun 19 Day KwaZulu-Natal v Gauteng - Sahara Stadium Kingsmead, Durban
Sun 19 Day Easterns v Border - Sahara Willowmoore Park, Benoni
Sun 19 Day Western Province v Namibia, Northerns Goodwood Club, Cape Town
Sun 26 Day Namibia v Boland - Wanderers Club, Windhoek
Sun 26 Day Western Province v Northerns - Northerns Goodwood Club, Cape Town
Sun 26 Day Border v Free State - Buffalo Park, East London
Sun 26 Day South Western Districts v Griqualand West - Recreational Ground, Oudtshoorn
Sun 26 Day KwaZulu-Natal Inland v Easterns - Pietermaritzburg Oval, Pietermaritzburg
Sun 26 Day North West v KwaZulu-Natal - Senwes Park, Potchefstroom
March 2012
Sun 04 Day South Western Districts v Easterns - Recreational Ground, Oudtshoorn
Sun 04 Day Free State v KwaZulu-Natal Inland - Chevrolet Park, Bloemfontein
Sun 04 Day Griqualand West v Western Province - De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley
Sun 04 Day Gauteng v Boland - Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Sun 04 Day North West v Eastern Province - Senwes Park, Potchefstroom
Sun 11 Day KwaZulu-Natal v Free State - Sahara Stadium Kingsmead, Durban
Sun 11 Day Griqualand West v Eastern Province - De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley
Sun 11 Day Easterns v Western Province - Sahara Willowmoore Park, Benoni
Sun 18 Day Boland v Easterns - Boland Park, Paarl
Sun 18 Day Eastern Province v Gauteng - Axxess St George's Cricket Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Sun 18 Day Northerns v KwaZulu-Natal Inland - Tuks Oval, Pretoria
Sun 25 Day KwaZulu-Natal v Northerns - Chatsworth Cricket Oval, Durban
Sun 25 Day KwaZulu-Natal Inland v North West - Pietermaritzburg Oval, Pietermaritzburg
Sun 25 Day Griqualand West v Border - De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley
Sun 25 Day Gauteng v South Western Districts - Wits University, Johannesburg
April 2012
Sun 01 Day Eastern Province v Namibia - Axxess St George's Cricket Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Sun 01 Day Border v Gauteng - Buffalo Park, East London
Sun 01 Day Free State v South Western Districts - Chevrolet Park, Bloemfontein
Sun 01 Day North West v Western Province - Senwes Park, Potchefstroom
Sun 01 Day Northerns v Boland - Tuks Oval, Pretoria
Sun 01 Day Easterns v KwaZulu-Natal - Sahara Willowmoore Park, Benoni