3TC Solidarity Cup: All you need to know about the new-look tournament that restarts cricket in South Africa

Cricket is ready to restart in South Africa after the coronavirus-enforced break. While England and West Indies kickstarted international cricket on 8 July playing a thrilling Test in Southampton, cricket will appear in a completely new look in the rainbow nation. Named as the Solidarity Cup, the tournament will be in a 3TC format which will comprise 24 popular cricketers from South Africa, with eight players forming one team. The competition will have three teams namely Eagles, Kites and Kingfisher which will be led by AB de Villiers, Henrich Klassen and Quinton de Kock respectively. The contests will be 36 overs-a-side.

Make sure you set a reminder for the first-ever #3TCricket match!

🗓️ Saturday 18 July
🕚 11:00am (CAT)
📺 Live on SuperSport 2

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— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) July 16, 2020

Rabada, who was set to lead the Kingfishers, and medium-pacer Sisanda Magala have pulled out due to the deaths of immediate family members. Chris Morris has made himself unavailable for the fixture at the SuperSport Park, according to ESPNCricinfo. Former South African pacer Makhaya Ntini’s son, Thando Ntini (Kingfishers), Bjorn Fortuin (Eagles) and Gerald Coetzee (Kingfishers) have been named as the three replacements. What are the rules of the 3TC Solidarity Cup? - The matches will be played between three teams consisting of eight players each. - It will be a 36-over contest divided into two halves of 18 overs each. - Each innings will last 12 overs that will be further divided into two six-over periods in each half. - A draw will be conducted to ascertain which team will bat, bowl or be the third team that will wait in the dug-out in the first half. - During the second half, the team that finished with the most number of runs in the first half will bat first. In the case of a tie, the order of the first half will be reversed. - Each bowling team will bowl with a new ball for their 12 overs against both opponents. A bowler will be allowed a maximum of three overs in the game. - The last batsman will be allowed to bat i.e. after the fall of the seventh wicket, the last man will be allowed to bat till either the overs are completed or before he is dismissed. However, the last-standing batsman can score only in boundaries or in an even number of runs. - If a team loses all eight wickets in the first half, the remaining overs will be forfeited in the second half and the last batsman will be asked to resume the innings in the second half. - The team with the most number of runs across the two halves will be the winner. The winner will be awarded by a gold medal while the teams finishing second and third will be conferred with silver and bronze medals respectively. - In case of a tie for the gold, Super Over will be the tie-breaker. In case of a tie for the silver, both teams will share the award. What are the squads of the three teams featuring the 3TC Solidarity Cup? Eagles: AB de Villiers (c), Aiden Markram, Andile, Phehlukwayo, Lungi Ngidi, Rassie van der Dussen, Junior Dala, Kyle Verreynne, Bjorn Fortuin Kingfishers: Heinrich Klaasen (c), Reeza Hendricks, Janneman Malan, Faf du Plessis, Thando Ntini, Gerald Coetzee, Glenton Stuurman, Tabraiz Shamsi. Kites: Quinton de Kock (c), David Miller, Dwayne Pretorius, Temba Bavuma, Beuran Hendricks, JJ Smuts, Lutho Sipamla, Anrich Nortje When will the 3TC Solidarity Cup take place? The Solidarity Cup will take place on the Nelson Mandela Day on 18 July, 2020 Where will the 3TC Solidarity Cup be played? The 3TC Solidarity Cup will be played at the SuperSport Park in Centurion What time will the 3TC Solidarity Cup’s match start? The game will start at 02:30 PM IST. The toss will take place at 2 PM IST. Where to watch the 3TC Solidarity Cup? Live telecast of the 3TC Solidarity Cup match will be brought by the Star Sports Network in the sub-continent. Where can I watch the 3TC Solidarity Cup Online? The 3TC Solidarity Cup’s online streaming will be available on Disney+Hotstar.