| Cricket in Hong Kong is played during the cooler months of the year, from September to April. Although there are numerous clubs playing cricket, not all clubs possess their own grounds and/or facilities. There are currently two grass wickets available in the territory, at the Hong Kong Cricket Club and the Kowloon Cricket Club. All other matches are played on artificial surfaces.
For the men, there are two main competitions - one played on Saturdays and the other played on Sundays. A round-robin League cmpetition is followed by a knock-out Cup competition. Junior cricket is played at Under 13, Under 15, Under 17 and Under 19 age levels and there are also various inter-school competitions played at primary school and secondary school levels.
The Saturday League competition comprises 18 teams that play each other in 35 overs per side matches. Each team plays 10 matches in a preliminary competition, with the top eight teams advancing to a play-off competition. Bowlers are restricted to ten overs and there are no fielding restrictions. The Saturday Cup is played following Twenty20 format, with winning teams advancing to the next phase of the competition.
The Sunday League competition is more serious, with 9 teams play one another on a home and away basis in 50 overs per side matches, following ICC International rules. The Sunday Cup knock-out competition is played after the Sunday League is completed, with winning teams advancing to the next phase of the competition.
In 2008-09, the HKCA introduced a four-team Super League competition involving teams from each of the two main clubs, Hong Kong Cricket Club and Kowloon Cricket Club and two teams made up from players from Independent Clubs. The competition format followed the rules of the HKCA Sunday League.
For women, the HKCA Women's League has been played since the 2004-05 since. Matches are usually played on Sundays and following similar competition rules to the men's HKCA Saturday League. In the 2008-09 season, teams introduced coloured uniforms and games were played with white balls. A knock-out competition is also played at the conclusion of the league competition.
During the off-season, the Summer Eights are also played. The Challenge League is also played throughout the year for non-league teams.
|
