What Is Test Twenty? All You Need To Know About Cricket's New Mixed-Gender Format

A new mixed-gender cricket format called Test Twenty was launched on Friday in the presence of former Australia batter Matthew Hayden, ex-Sri Lanka cricketer Russel Arnold and renowned Indian coach Rajkumar Sharma.

The format, described as cricket’s fourth format, will bring boys’ and girls’ teams together in the same match. Unlike traditional cricket, where teams compete separately, Test Twenty will combine the performances of both teams to decide the final result.

The inaugural season will take place from November 14 to 29, with four continental teams, South Asia, Australasia, Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa, competing in 10 matches.

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What Is Test Twenty? How Will The New Cricket Format Work?

Test Twenty is a mix of Test cricket and T20 cricket. Each match will have four innings, with both sides getting two opportunities to bat for 20 overs each.

Then the second innings will take place. The amount of runs scored in the first innings will not be reset. Instead, they will be carried forward, making the combined score important in deciding the result.

Despite having four innings, a Test Twenty match will be completed in a single day, with a total of 80 overs scheduled.

How Will Boys And Girls Play Together In Test Twenty?

One of the biggest features of this format is its ‘Parity Rule’. Every franchise will have two separate teams a Boys’ XI and a Girls’ XI.

Players aged between 13 and 21 will take part in the competition. Both teams will play separate 40-over innings, and their combined performances will decide the franchise’s overall score and position in the tournament.

This means that the boys’ and girls’ teams will contribute equally to the final match result rather than competing for separate titles.

Can A Test Twenty Match End In A Draw Or Tie?

Test Twenty also borrows some rules from traditional Test cricket. The format allows teams to enforce a follow-on, while matches can end in a win, loss, tie or draw.

If a match ends in a tie, the winner will be decided through a Super Over.

A draw is also possible, but under a specific condition. The team batting in the fourth innings must lose no more than four wickets by the time the final ball is bowled.

Matthew Hayden, Russel Arnold Back New Format

Former Australian batter Matthew Hayden, who will mentor the Australasia franchise, backed the initiative and highlighted its potential to help young cricketers.

Hayden is also part of the tournament’s advisory board, which includes former South Africa captain AB de Villiers and West Indies legend Sir Clive Lloyd.

He believes Test Twenty can give young players more opportunities to gain match experience and improve their skills. He also made it clear that the new format is meant to complement existing high-performance cricket programmes rather than compete with them.

Former Sri Lanka cricketer Russel Arnold also supported the concept. He said the tournament would allow young players to learn from different cricketing cultures while gaining valuable experience.

Indian coach Rajkumar Sharma, who chairs the selection committee, described Test Twenty as a fresh concept with plenty of potential.

Test Twenty Inaugural Season: Teams, Schedule And Final

The inaugural tournament will feature four continental franchises:

• South Asia
• Australasia
• Europe
• Sub-Saharan Africa

The competition begins on Saturday, November 14, with Sub-Saharan Africa taking on Australasia.

All four teams will first play each other in a single round-robin league stage. The tournament will then move into the knockout phase, featuring two qualifiers and an eliminator before the final on November 29.