2020 3TC Solidarity Cup was a 36-over charity exhibition match featuring 3 teams of 8 players in an experimental format branded 3TeamCricket (3TC). It was contested by teams named Eagles, Kingfishers and Kites. The gold medal was awarded to the Eagles, the silver medal was awarded to the Kites, and the bronze medal was awarded to the Kingfishers.
The match was held at Centurion Super Sport Park
behind closed doors
Behind Closed Doors may refer to:
Film, television and radio Film
* ''Behind Closed Doors'' (1929 film), an early talkie starring Virginia Valli
* Behind Closed Doors (1961 film), ''Behind Closed Doors'' (1961 film), an Italian comedy film by Dino ...
on 18 July 2020, coinciding with the Nelson Mandela International Day, which is celebrated in honour of former South African President
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...
. The match marked the return of cricket in South Africa following months of restrictions due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, and was also the first sporting event to be broadcast on television in the country post lockdown. The match had originally been scheduled for 27 June 2020 but was postponed due as
Cricket South Africa
Cricket South Africa aka CSA is the governing body for both professional and amateur cricket in South Africa. In 1991, the separate South African Cricket Union and the South African Cricket Board merged to form the United Cricket Board of South ...
could not obtain necessary approvals from the Ministry of Sports. Concerns had been raised over hosting the tournament in Centurion which was seen as a hotspot of infections.
The Solidarity Cup's served as a fundraiser for the people who were financially affected due to the coronavirus pandemic. A minute of silence was observed in remembrance of the victims of the pandemic. The match also acknowledged the global
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...
movement, with players wearing black armbands and taking a knee prior to the start. However the BLM logos were not printed in the jerseys of the players as they were reportedly prepared prior to the
George Floyd protests
The George Floyd protests were a series of protests, riots, and demonstrations against police brutality that began in Minneapolis in the United States on May 26, 2020. The protests and civil unrest began in Minneapolis as Reactions to the mu ...
.
Graeme Smith
Graeme Craig Smith (born 1 February 1981) is a South African cricket commentator and former cricketer who played for South Africa national cricket team, South Africa in all formats. In 2003, he was appointed Captain (cricket), captain of the So ...
, former South African cricket captain and director of
Cricket South Africa
Cricket South Africa aka CSA is the governing body for both professional and amateur cricket in South Africa. In 1991, the separate South African Cricket Union and the South African Cricket Board merged to form the United Cricket Board of South ...
, offered his support to the BLM movement and promised to take knee along with the players and coaching staff.
Background
South Africa itself had long endured racism and
apartheid
Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...
. 31 South African cricketers and coaching staff signed a petition supporting BLM movement suggestion of cricketer
Lungi Ngidi
Lungisani True-man Ngidi (born 29 March 1996) is a South African professional cricketer who plays for the South Africa national cricket team. In the 2018 South African Cricket Annual Awards, he was named as one of the five Cricketers of the Year ...
who offered and insisted fellow players to join his efforts in the stand against racism in a message on 6 July 2020. Ngidi insisted that South Africa must take BLM stand like rest of the world. It created a controversy among some of the South African white cricketers such as
Boeta Dippenaar
Hendrik Human Dippenaar (born 14 June 1977), known as Boeta Dippenaar, is a former South African cricket team, South African cricketer who played all formats of the game. He is also a member of List of African XI ODI cricketers, ACA African XI. ...
,
Pat Symcox
Patrick Leonard Symcox (born 14 April 1960) is a former South African international cricketer. He played 20 Test matches and 80 One Day Internationals in the 1990s.Rudi Steyn criticised Ngidi in the
Facebook
Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
blaming him for not addressing and showing equal solidarity in the fight against murdering of white farmers in the country. However South African Cricketers Association condemned the criticisms on Ngidi and stated the criticism levelled against Ngidi was unfair.
On 14 June 2020, around 30 players alleged that racial divide is still available in South African cricket which became a huge talking point prior to the start of the game.
Format
The concept of 3TeamCricket was devised by Paul Harris, former CEO of
FirstRand Bank
FirstRand Limited, also referred to as FirstRand Group, is the holding company of FirstRand Bank, and is a financial services provider in South Africa. It is one of the financial services providers licensed by the Reserve Bank of South Africa ...
, and launched as a joint-enterprise involving South African rugby union player
Francois Pienaar
Jacobus Francois Pienaar (born 2 January 1967) is a retired South African rugby union player. He played flanker for South Africa (the Springboks) from 1993 until 1996, winning 29 international caps, all of them as captain. He is best known for ...
and cricket commentator
Mark Nicholas
Mark Charles Jefford Nicholas (born 29 September 1957) is an English cricket commentator and former cricketer and broadcaster. He played for Hampshire County Cricket Club, Hampshire from 1978 to 1995, captaining them from 1985 to his retireme ...
.
Matches are contested between three teams of eight players, with the team scoring the most runs declared the winner (gold medal). Each team has an innings of 12 overs, split into two halves, facing a different team with bat and ball in each half. Should the seventh wicket fall, the last batter continues alone. Bowlers are permitted a maximum of 3 overs.
Squads
Source:
Kagiso Rabada
Kagiso Rabada (born 25 May 1995) is a South African international cricketer who plays all formats of the game. He is a right arm fast bowler. He made his international debut in November 2014 in limited-overs cricket before going on to make his ...
Sisanda Magala
Sisanda Somila Bruce Magala (born 7 January 1991) is a South African professional cricketer. He made his international debut for the South Africa cricket team in April 2021.
Domestic career
Magala was included in the Eastern Province cricket te ...
Gerald Coetzee
Gerald Coetzee (born 2 October 2000) is a South African cricketer. In December 2017, he was named in South Africa's squad for the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. In January 2019, he was named in the South Africa national under-19 cricket team' ...
named as replacements. A day prior to the match
Quinton de Kock
Quinton de Kock (born 17 December 1992) is a South African international cricketer and former captain of the Proteas in all three formats. He currently plays for Titans at the domestic level and for South Africa in T20Is. He was named the Cri ...
, who was set to lead Kites, also withdrew owing to personal reasons. He was replaced by wicket-keeper batsman
Ryan Rickelton
Ryan David Rickelton (born 11 July 1996) is a South African international cricketer. He made his international debut for the South Africa cricket team on 31 March 2022. A left handed wicket-keeper batter, Rickelton represents Gauteng, and MI C ...
with
Temba Bavuma
Temba Bavuma (born 17 May 1990) is a South African international cricketer who is the current captain of the South African cricket team in Tests and ODI cricket, and formerly captained in T20I. He is a right-handed middle-order batter. He w ...
Gold medal target was set as 161 and silver medal target was set as 139.
Eagles 160/4 (12 overs)
*
Aiden Markram
Aiden Kyle Markram (born 4 October 1994) is a South African cricketer who is the current captain of the South Africa national cricket team in Twenty20 International cricket. Markram had captained the South African under-19 cricket team to win th ...
70 (33),
AB de Villiers
Abraham Benjamin de Villiers (born 17 February 1984) is a South African former international cricketer. He is regarded as one of the greatest batters of his generation. de Villiers was named as the ODI Player of the Year three times during h ...
61 (24),
Anrich Nortje
Anrich Arno Nortje (born 16 November 1993) is a South African cricketer. He made his international debut for the South Africa cricket team in March 2019. In July 2020, Nortje was named the newcomer of the year at Cricket South Africa's annual a ...
2/27 (3 overs)
Kites 138/3 (12 overs)
*
Dwaine Pretorius
Dwaine Pretorius (born 29 March 1989) is a former South African international cricketer who currently plays in various T20 leagues around the globe and for North West in domestic cricket as a bowling all-rounder. He announced his retirement fro ...
50* (17)
Kingfishers 113/5 (12 overs)
*
Janneman Malan
Janneman Nieuwoudt Malan (born 18 April 1996) is a South African cricketer. He made his international debut for the South Africa cricket team in February 2019.
Domestic and T20 career
Malan was included in the North West squad for the 2016 Afr ...