Twenty20 cricket’s not just booming at the elite level, it’s also a huge hit at the grassroots.
The popular Last Man Stands (LMS) T20 league began its 10th season in New Zealand this week, and with 145 teams entered for this year - the season’s set to be the biggest yet.
The Domain in Auckland is a popular ground for LMS week-night cricket. LMS
LMS coordinator Ross Cawood believes the combination of a time-friendly format, tweaks to traditional rules, along with comprehensive team and player statistics have been the secret to the competitions success.
“It’s a revolutionary form of cricket which is all about having fun with your mates and in the space of no more than two hours,” Cawood said.
“We started in 2008 with 13 teams in two cities and we’ve grown steadily every year to now have over 6,000 registered players competing in leagues in central Auckland, the North Shore, Hamilton, Wellington, and Christchurch.”
The concept was originally founded in London in 2005 and has since spread across the major cricketing nations with over 100,000 players registered worldwide.
Some of the unique rules of the format include five-ball overs, eight-man teams, batsmen retiring when they score 50, a six off the last ball of the innings counting as 12 runs and double plays.
National and international LMS competitions are the newest driving force which are helping grow the concept.
“The New Zealand LMS Nationals will be in AKL this December and we have 18 teams currently signed up.
“All amateur cricketers have that competitive streak in them and there’s nothing better then playing other teams from around the country. Bragging rights will be at premium."
The Sons cricket team celebrate their opening round victory against the Cow Tippers on Thursday night. LMS
It’s not just weekend warriors who are gracing the domain pitches either, with many premier grade players and former internationals such as the late Martin Crowe, Quinton de Kock and Tarun Nethula among those to have played LMS.
Cawood says they’re always open to new teams entering existing leagues and are looking to expand further into other regions in New Zealand.
Get involved with LMS here - https://www.lastmanstands.com/global
