A total of 11 teams, including Nepal, will be competing in the fourth edition of the Top End T20 Series, an annual cricket tournament organised by the cricketing body of Australia’s Northern Territory, taking place in Darwin from August 14 to 24.
“A record four international cricket teams will travel to Darwin to compete alongside six inter-state domestic teams and the NT Strike [hosts],” NT Cricket said. “A record 36 T20 fixtures will be played across five venues—DXC Arena, TIO Stadium, Gardens Oval, Cazaly’s Arena and Freds Pass.”
The four international teams are Nepal, ‘A’ teams of Pakistan and Bangladesh, and Chicago Kingsmen, champions of the 2024 Minor League Cricket in the USA. The six domestic teams are featured by the Academy Squads of the franchises competing in the Big Bash League, Australia’s premier T20 franchise cricket league: Hobart Hurricanes, Perth Scorchers, Adelaide Strikers, Melbourne Stars, Melbourne Renegades and ACT Comets.
Meanwhile, despite 11 teams in the event, a team will only play six matches each in a partial round-robin format.
Pakistan and Bangladesh will open the tournament at TIO Stadium while there are three to four fixtures on other match days.
Nepal’s first game will be against the hosts, NT Strike, at DXC Arena on August 15. The Rhinos will then face the Tigers (Bangladesh) on August 16 at the same venue.
The academy teams of Melbourne Stars, Hobart Hurricanes and Melbourne Renegades will be Nepal’s opponents on August 18, 19 and 20, respectively. Nepal will return to TIO Stadium on August 18 while the fixtures against Hurricanes and Renegades will be played at Cazaly’s Arena.
Nepal’s last league-stage game will be against the team from Pakistan at DXC Arena on August 22. As per Ticketebo, the ticketing partner of the tournament, there is a ‘free entry if a fan is wearing his/her team colours (jersey) in the Pakistan vs Nepal match’.
Nepal will progress to the semi-final stage if they succeed in securing a place among the Top 4. The first-place team will face the fourth-placed in the first semi-final at DXC Arena on August 24, while the second- and third-placed teams will meet at Gardens Oval on the same day. The two semi-finals kick off at 10am local time.
Further, the two finalists will play for the title at DXC Arena on the same day, at 4pm local time.
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