2023–24 CSA Women's T20 Challenge

The 2023–24 CSA Women's T20 Challenge is the ongoing 11th edition of South Africa's provincial Twenty20 cricket tournament. The tournament is taking place from October 2023 to April 2024, with 16 teams competing in three divisions.[1][2] Central Gauteng are the defending champions.

2023–24 CSA Women's T20 Challenge
Dates1 October 2023 – 14 April 2024
Administrator(s)Cricket South Africa
Cricket formatTwenty20
Tournament format(s)Round robin
Participants16
Matches50

The Top 6 Division of the tournament forms part of the CSA Professional Domestic Women's League alongside the Top 6 Division of the CSA Women's One-Day Cup. Newly introduced for the 2023–24 season, the six teams competing in the division each have eleven professional players, alongside a permanent coaching set-up.[3]

Background

Prior to the 2023–24 season, the women's Twenty20 cricket competition in South Africa was known as the CSA Women's Provincial T20 Competition.[4] In August 2023, as part of the legacy of South Africa hosting the 2023 ICC Women's T20 World Cup, Cricket South Africa announced the introduction of a new "professional domestic system" for women's cricket. Whilst maintaining much of the structure of the CSA Women's Provincial T20 Competition, the teams in the Top 6 Division would now have eleven professional players (up from six), alongside full-time coaching staff.[5] The T20 tournament was renamed the CSA Women's T20 Challenge (aligning with the men's tournament) as part of the changes.[3]

Competition format

The 16 teams are divided into three divisions: a professionalised top division named "Top 6", and two lower divisions, Pools A and B. Teams in Pools A and B play each other team in their group once in a round-robin format, whilst teams in the Top 6 league play each other team in their group twice. Matches are played using a Twenty20 format. The winner of the Top 6 league will be crowned the Champions.[2][1]

The tournament runs concurrently with the 2022–23 CSA Women's Provincial T20 Competition, with matches played either the day before or day after the corresponding encounter between two teams in the T20 tournament. To maintain this link for the following season, promotion and relegation in the Women's T20 Challenge is determined by standings in the Provincial League.[2][6]

The groups work on a points system with positions being based on the total points. Points are awarded as follows:[1]

Win: 4 points.
Loss: 0 points.
Abandoned/No Result: 2 points.
Bonus Point: 1 bonus point available per match.

Tied matches are determined via a Super Over.

Teams
Top 6 Central Gauteng Free State Northerns KwaZulu-Natal Coastal South Western Districts Western Province
Pool A Boland Border Eastern Province Kei Northern Cape
Pool B Easterns KwaZulu-Natal Inland Limpopo Mpumalanga North West

Tables
As of 24 October 2023

Top 6
Team Pld W L T NR A BP Pts NRR
Western Province 22000008+0.570
Central Gauteng 11000004+0.496
South Western Districts 11000004+0.000
Northerns 10100000+0.000
Free State 20200000–0.359
KwaZulu-Natal Coastal 10100000–0.900

Pool A
Team Pld W L T NR A BP Pts NRR
Boland 11000004+0.274
Border 10100000–0.274
Eastern Province 10000102+0.000
Northern Cape 10000102+0.000
Kei 00000000+0.000

Pool B
Team Pld W L T NR A BP Pts NRR
Easterns 11000004+0.200
KwaZulu-Natal Inland 00000000+0.000
Limpopo 00000000+0.000
Mpumalanga 00000000+0.000
North West 10100000–0.200

References
  1. "CSA Women's Professional T20 Competition 2023/24". CricketArchive. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  2. "CSA Announce Fixtures for the Inaugural Professional Domestic Women's League". Cricket South Africa. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  3. "CSA Celebrates Landmark Moment in Women's Cricket with the Launch of Professional Domestic Women's League". Cricket South Africa. 23 August 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  4. "CSA Women's Provincial T20 Competition 2022/23". CricketArchive. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  5. "South Africa's women's team to get equal match fees as the men". ESPNcricinfo. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  6. "CSA Women's Professional League 2023/24". CricketArchive. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
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