Big names to feature in new Southern Smash T20

Albany will launch a premier regional Twenty20 competition next month, with the introduction of the new Southern Smash as a marquee two-day event.

After years of talking about a franchise-style T20 competition, a new initiative separate from the normal senior competition has been agreed on and will begin in late December. The Southern Smash will take place on December 27 and 28 featuring four corporately sponsored teams.

Players will nominate and then be drafted into the four teams, who will each have a several marquee players.

About 15 marquee players are expected to be announced, with many playing first or second-grade cricket in Perth or being part of the Country XI program. Retravision Warriors, Elders Albany, Inswing Inswingers and Camtrans Bulldogs are the four competing teams.

Ryan Kinnear, part of the Southern Smash organising committee, said it had been a long time coming but there was plenty of interest around the concept.

“We have finally got it off the ground,” Kinnear said.

“It has been talked about for a long time.”

“We will hopefully have 15 marquee players of grade or Country XI standard which will give the competition a real spark and some quality.”

Kinnear said the high-profile players would be revealed in coming weeks but he said interest was already growing since the news dropped this week.

“We’ve had so many calls already, guys wanting to play and just talking about it which is great,” he said.

“It’s a great opportunity for guys 17-21 that haven’t been exposed to that level of cricket before.

“The whole thing will have a festival feel.”

Teams will play two games with the top two playing off in a final while there will also be a third and fourth play-off. Players can now nominate for the draft which will be held on December 1.

Meanwhile the Albany Cricket Association has a new name, among the vast changes which include taking junior cricket under their banner.

The ACA will now be officially known as the Albany & Districts Cricket Association, incorporating senior and junior cricket in the Great Southern region.

This week’s ADCA senior fixtures will be played on Sunday due to the Albany Show, with the unbeaten Manypeaks facing the winless Denmark on Turf East. Mt Barker face defending premiers Railways at Turf North and Collingwood Park do battle with Royals on Turf South.