T20 Spring Challenge
{{short description|Australian women's domestic Twenty20 cricket competition}}
{{Infobox cricket tournament main
| name = T20 Spring Challenge
| image = T20 Spring Challenge logo.png
| caption =
| country = Australia
| administrator = Cricket Australia
| cricket format = Twenty20
| first = 2024
| last =
| next = 2025
| tournament format = 4 Matches per Team, then Knockout Finals
| participants = 9
| champions = Hobart Hurricanes
| most successful = Hobart Hurricanes (1 title)
| qualification =
| most runs = Lizelle Lee
(252)
| most wickets = Nicola Hancock (10)
| TV = Seven Network
Fox Cricket
| website = {{url|https://www.cricket.com.au}}
| current =Current season
}}
The T20 Spring Challenge is the Australian women's domestic Twenty20 cricket competition in Australia. organised by the Cricket Australia. The first edition of the tournament took place in 2024.{{cite web |title=Schedule locked in for new T20 Challenge, 2024-25 WNCL |url=https://www.cricket.com.au/news/4066129/womens-2024-25-domestic-schedule-t20-spring-challenge-womens-national-cricket-league-schedule-games |work=cricket.com.au |access-date=28 July 2024}}{{cite web |title=ACT to join WBBL teams in new women's T20 comp
|url= https://www.cricket.com.au/news/4024852/act-meteors-join-wbbl-big-bash-clubs-in-new-national-nine-team-womens-t20-competition-cricket-australia?|work=cricket.com.au |access-date=28 July 2024}}
The competition began in 2024 and currently features eight Women's Big Bash League teams plus the ACT Meteors competing in a round-robin group stage. The competition runs before the Women's Big Bash League.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cricket.com.au/news/4146042/everything-you-need-to-know-about-t20-spring-challenge-wbbl-brisbane-heat-adelaide-strikers-act-perth-scorchers-melbourne-renegades-stars-sydney-thunder-sixers-hobart-hurricanes-t20-womens-domestic-tournament|title=Everything you need to know about the T20 Spring Challenge|work=cricket.com.au|access-date=13 October 2024}}
History
In July 2024, Cricket Australia introduces a new domestic Twenty20 Cricket event, called T20 Spring Challenge. that forms part of the Australia domestic cricket season. The league was aimed to make up for the absence of high-profile matches in Australia every year and to expose talented players from Country.{{Cite web|url=https://femalecricket.com/women-cricket-news/54433-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-inaugural-womens-t20-spring-challenge.html|title=All You Need to Know about the Inaugural Women's T20 Spring Challenge|work=female cricket|date=10 October 2024 |access-date=13 October 2024}}
Organisation
The league's structure is based on the structure of the WBBL.
Initially there are nine teams, with sides playing against each other in a double round robin format, and the four teams finishing with the most points entering the knockout-stage of the competition.
The first season of the league took place from 11 October to 20 October 2024, and featured 21 matches, all held at and in Sydney and Adelaide. Tickets were made available free to women during the first season.
Teams
{{Location map+|Australia|width=375|float=right|caption=Location of teams|places=
{{Location map~|Australia|coordinates={{coord|31|58|S|115|51|E}}|position=right|background=|mark=Orange pog.svg|label=Scorchers|label_size=100}}
{{Location map~|Australia|coordinates={{coord|34|52|S|138|29|E}}|position=left|background=|mark=Cyan pog.svg|label=Strikers|label_size=100}}
{{Location map~|Australia|coordinates={{coord|27|29|S|153|33|E}}|position=left|background=|mark=Turquoise pog.svg|label=Heat|label_size=100}}
{{Location map~|Australia|coordinates={{coord|42|52|S|147|22|E}}|position=left|background=|mark=Purple pog.svg|label=Hurricanes|label_size=100}}
{{Location map~|Australia|coordinates={{coord|37|49|S|144|8|E}}|position=left|background=|mark=Red pog.svg|label=Renegades|label_size=100}}
{{Location map~|Australia|coordinates={{coord|37|51|S|144|58|E}}|position=right|background=|mark=Green pog.svg|label=Stars|label_size=100}}
{{Location map~|Australia|coordinates={{coord|33|53|S|151|13|E}}|position=top|background=|mark=DeepPink pog.svg|label=Sixers|label_size=100}}
{{Location map~|Australia|coordinates={{coord|33|51|S|150|33|E}}|position=left|background=|mark=Lightgreen pog.svg|label=Thunder|label_size=100}}
}}
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%;" |
| colspan="2" style="width: auto;" | Team
! style="width: auto;" | Location{{efn|name=location1|Administrative and training base}} ! style="width: auto; align=center" | Home ground{{efn|name=ground1|Primary ground for WBBL{{!}}08}} ! style="width: auto;" | Coach ! style="width: auto;" | Captain ! style="width: auto;" | {{nowrap|Titles won}} |
|---|
| align="center"
| style="background:#009FDF;" | |Canberra, Australian Capital Territory | | |
| align="center"
| style="background:#009FDF;" | |{{nowrap|North Adelaide, South Australia}} |{{nowrap|Karen Rolton Oval}} | |
| align="center"
| style="background:#00B3C4;" | | |
| align="center"
| style="background:#69359C;" | |1 |
| align="center"
| style="background:red;" | |{{nowrap|Melbourne Renegades}} |{{nowrap|Sophie Molineux}} | |
| align="center"
| style="background:#00B13F;" | | | |
| align="center"
| style="background:#ff8000;" | |{{nowrap|East Perth, Western Australia}} |{{nowrap|Shelley Nitschke}} | | |
| align="center"
| style="background:#FF0090;" | |{{nowrap|Moore Park, New South Wales}} |{{nowrap|North Sydney Oval}} |{{nowrap|Charlotte Edwards}} | | |
| align="center"
| style="background:#96D701;" | |{{nowrap|Sydney Olympic Park, New South Wales}} |{{nowrap|Blacktown ISP Oval}} | | |
Venues
| class="wikitable"style="text-align:center;margin:auto;font-size:87.5%;
|+ ! colspan="5" |{{Flag|Australia}} |
| colspan="2" | |
| Adelaide
! rowspan="5" |{{location map+ |float=none |Australia |width=350 |caption= |places= {{location map~ |Australia |lat=-34.5539 |long=138.36 |label=Adelaide |position=left }} {{location map~ |Australia |lat=-33.5204 |long=151.1236 |label=Sydney |position=left }}}} ! colspan="3" |Sydney |
|---|
| Karen Rolton Oval, Adelaide |
Tournament seasons and results
= Finals =
Records and statistics
A summary of the most notable statistical records associated with the tournament is provided below:
| class="wikitable" |
| colspan="3" style="color: white; background: black;"|Batting Records |
|---|
| Most runs
|252 |
| Highest score
|113 |
| Highest partnership
|Anika Learoyd & Tahlia Wilson |137 |
| Most fours
|36 |
| Most sixes
|9 |
| Most fifties
|2 |
| Most hundreds
|Laura Harris, Lizelle Lee, Madeline Penna |1 |
| colspan="3"| Bowling Records |
| Most wickets
|10 |
| Best bowling figures
|4/18 |
| colspan="3" | Fielding |
| Most dismissals (wicket-keeper)
|7 |
| Most catches (fielder)
|6 |
| colspan="3" | Team records |
| Highest total
|183/3 |
| Lowest total
|93/10 |
- Source: ESPNcricinfo
Broadcasting
In July 2024, Fox Sports, announced it had acquired the global media rights for TV and digital broadcasts for the tournament.
The initial season of the league is broadcasting in Australia on the Fox Sports TV channel and the Kayo Sports app.
The first season of the competition was broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports, in India by Fancode, in the United States and Canada by Willow TV and in South Africa by SuperSports, in New Zealand it is aired by Sky Sport NZ.
| class="wikitable hover-highlight"
|+ Broadcasters for the T20 Spring Challenge ! scope=col | Region ! scope=col | Country/Sub-region ! scope=col | Television Broadcaster ! scope=col | Streaming | ||
| rowspan=8 scope=row | Asia
| Afghanistan || Ariana Television || {{N/A}} | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | ||
| India | Fancode | |
| Hong Kong | rowspan=2 | Astro Cricket | rowspan=2 {{N/A}} |
| Malaysia | ||
| Pakistan | PTV Sports Ten Sports | |
| Singapore | StarHub | {{N/A}} |
| Sri Lanka | ||
| rowspan=3 | Europe
| Netherlands || || rowspan=2 {{N/A}} | ||
| Ireland | rowspan=2 | Sky Sports | |
| United Kingdom | ||
| rowspan=3 | Americas
| Canada || rowspan=2 | Willow || rowspan=3 {{N/A}} | ||
| United States | ||
| Caribbean | ESPN Caribbean | |
| rowspan=3 | Oceania
| Australia || Fox Sports||Foxtel | ||
| New Zealand | Sky Sport NZ | rowspan=2 {{N/A}} |
| Papua New Guinea | TVWan | |
| rowspan=2 | Africa
| Middle East and North Africa || || | ||
| African Union | Super Sport | {{N/A}} |
Notes
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}