Second XI (Australian cricket competition) explained

Toyota Second XI
Country: Australia
Administrator:Cricket Australia
Cricket Format:Four-day
First:1999–2000
Last:2022–23
Participants:7
Next:2023–24

The Second XI (currently known as the Toyota Second XI under naming rights) is a men's cricket league competed for primarily by Australian state and territory first-class cricket reserve teams. The competition is administered by Cricket Australia and is considered part of the national development pathway.

Ordinarily a low-fanfare competition that exists purely as a bridge between the Sheffield Shield and grade cricket, the tournament reached its peak of public consciousness ahead of the 2009–10 season, when it rebranded to the Futures League. This coincided with a focus on youth, driven by a restriction on teams to field only three players over 23 years of age. This proved unpopular, and age restrictions were relaxed for the 2011–12 season before being removed entirely ahead of the 2013–14 season.

After 21 seasons of consecutive competition, the 2020–21 Second XI was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic preventing play. Upon its resumption in the 2021–22 season, the Second XI abstained from publishing official points tables, meaning that champions are no longer awarded. League champions were previously calculated based on a points quotient that accounted for the varying numbers of matches that each team may play in a season. The most recent championship was awarded in 2019–20 to the Queensland Academy of Sport.[1]

History

The Second XI competition was established in the 1999–2000 season on an experimental basis as the ACB Cup, named after the then Australian Cricket Board (ACB). Competing teams were divided into two groups and played a series of three-day and one-day matches against each other.[2] The competition schedule grew in 2000–01 as each team would play a minimum of four matches per season, with a winner awarded based on a ratio of matches played to matches won.[3] The competition was renamed the Cricket Australia Cup ahead of the 2003–04 season in line with the ACB's rebrand to Cricket Australia.[4]

In 2009, ahead of the 2009–10 season, Cricket Australia revamped the competition to become a youth-focused under-23 tournament. Now known as the Futures League, it limited teams to just three overage players in their squad, and restricted matches to three days. While the format still allowed for two innings per side, each team's first innings overs were limited to 96 and total overs to 144. A week-long Futures League Twenty20 tournament was also added to the schedule.[5] [6]

Beginning in the 2011–12 season, the Futures League returned to four-day matches with no over restrictions and increased the amount of overage players per team to six.[7] However, the age restrictions remained controversial, with West Australian all-rounder Theo Doropoulous describing the league as a "glorified juniors competition" in a July 2013 Tumblr post.[8] This prompted Cricket Australia to remove age restrictions entirely in November 2013.[9]

Ahead of the 2019–20 season, the competition rebranded to the Second XI to better reflect the purpose of the league.[10]

Teams

Current teams

TeamFirst seasonTotal seasonsTitles wonRunners-up
 Australian Capital Territory Second XI1999–2000181
 New South Wales Second XI1999–20001453
 Queensland Second XI2021–20222
 South Australia Second XI1999–20001921
 Tasmania Second XI1999–2000194
 Victoria Second XI1999–20001911
 Western Australia Second XI1999–20001924

Former teams

TeamFirst seasonLast seasonTotal seasonsTitles wonRunners-up
 ACT / NSW Country Second XI2017–182022–235
 Australian Centre of Excellence XI2009–102009–101
 Australian Cricket Academy1999–20002001–023
 Cricket Australia Under-19s XI2018–192018–191
 New South Wales Under-23s XI2009–102012–13411
 New South Wales Metropolitan Second XI2017–182022–235
 Queensland Academy of Sport XI1999–20002019–202163
 South Australia Under-23s XI2009–102012–1341
 Tasmania Under-23s XI2009–102012–1341
 Victoria Under-23s XI2009–102012–1341
 Western Australia Under-23s XI2009–102012–1341

Competition format

The Second XI competition began in the 1999–2000 season as an experimental tournament conducted by the Australian Cricket Board. Teams played a combination of three-day and one-day matches. As the teams were divided into two groups, no overall champion was awarded. As the tournament expanded the following season, teams now played four-day matches exclusively, although the numbers of matches per season per team did vary.

Four-day cricket continued up until the competition overhaul ahead of the 2009–10 season, which introduced age restrictions and capped overs to the tournament. Matches were reduced to three days for the following two seasons. During this time, a Twenty20 (T20) tournament ran concurrently, and a winner was crowned separately to the full-length competition. Four-day cricket returned from 2011–12 onwards, and the T20 tournament would continue in its own right until the end of the 2014–15 season.

After a three-year hiatus, a T20 component returned to the then-Futures League for the 2018–19 season.[11] Rather than contributing to the overall win-loss ledger, pairs of teams had either eight, six, four or two points added to their full-length season points total depending on their performance in the T20 carnival.[12] This continued in the 2019–20 season, leading to a situation where although Western Australia won the most total matches for the year, they finished second in the overall standings due to T20 results carrying less weight.[13]

Following a year's break in competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic preventing play, the Second XI resumed in the 2021–22 season without official points tables, meaning that champions are no longer awarded.

Champions

Full-length competition

YearChampionsRunners-upMost runsMost wicketsPlayer of the YearRef.
1999–2000No champion awarded
2000–01Western Australia Second XIQueensland Academy of SportLuke Williams (ACA/SA) – 585Paul Rofe (SA/ACA) – 30[14]
2001–02New South Wales Second XIWestern Australia Second XIBrett van Deinsen (NSW) – 438Shawn Bradstreet (NSW) – 17[15]
2002–03Queensland Academy of SportNew South Wales Second XIDavid Dawson (ACT) – 552Andrew Downton (TAS) – 25[16]
2003–04New South Wales Second XISouth Australia Second XIAaron Nye (QAS) – 534Darren McNees (ACT) – 26[17]
2004–05Victoria Second XINew South Wales Second XILuke Williams (SA) – 591Chris Duval (SA) – 16[18]
2005–06South Australia Second XINew South Wales Second XIBen Cameron (SA) – 551Gary Putland (SA) – 18[19]
2006–07New South Wales Second XIWestern Australia Second XIPeter Forrest (NSW) – 441Tim MacDonald (WA) – 29[20]
2007–08Western Australia Second XITasmania Second XILiam Davis (WA) – 447Luke Swards (ACT) – 25[21]
2008–09New South Wales Second XIWestern Australia Second XIUsman Khawaja (NSW) – 419Nathan Lyon (ACT) – 15[22]
2009–10Victoria Under-23sNew South Wales Under-23sBrett Forsyth (VIC) – 632Cullen Bailey (ACT) – 19[23]
2010–11Australian Capital TerritoryQueensland Academy of SportSam Miller (ACT) – 593Mark Higgs (ACT) – 28[24] [25]
2011–12Tasmania Under-23sSouth Australia Under-23sJono Dean (ACT) – 336Andrew Maher (ACT) – 23[26]
2012–13New South Wales Under-23sWestern Australia Under-23sSteven Cazzulino (TAS) – 436Ryan Duffield (WA) – 18Nick Winter (ACT)[27] [28]
2013–14Queensland Academy of SportSouth Australia Second XIDean Russ (VIC) – 350Shane Devoy (ACT) – 20Vele Dukoski (ACT)[29] [30]
2014–15Queensland Academy of SportTasmania Second XIDavid Dawson (ACT) – 593Cameron Gannon (QAS) – 21Ben Dunk (TAS)[31] [32] [33]
Ben Rohrer (NSW)
2015–16New South Wales Second XIQueensland Academy of SportNick Larkin (NSW) – 697Liam O'Connor (WA) – 28Nick Larkin (ACT)[34] [35]
2016–17Queensland Academy of SportTasmania Second XINick Larkin (NSW) – 521Nick Winter (SA) – 25Tom Rogers (ACT)[36] [37]
2017–18South Australia Second XIVictoria Second XIPeter Forrest (QAS) – 759Luke Robins (SA) – 31[38]
2018–19Queensland Academy of SportTasmania Second XIHenry Hunt (ACT) – 737Jake Reed (VIC) – 31
2019–20Queensland Academy of SportWestern Australia Second XIJake Carder (WA) – 581Liam Hatcher (NSW-M) – 25
2020–21No competition held due to the COVID-19 pandemic[39]
2021–22No champion awardedAshley Chandrasinghe (VIC) – 423Tom O'Connell (VIC) – 19[40]
2022–23No champion awardedCharles Wakim (TAS) – 575Lloyd Pope (SA) – 37[41]

Twenty20 competition

YearPremiersRunners-upMost runsMost wicketsRef.
2009–10Western Australia Under-23sTasmania Under-23sJono Dean (ACT) – 157Ryan Duffield (WA) – 7[42]
2010–11Victoria Under-23sNew South Wales Under-23sRyan Carters (VIC) – 192Luke Doran (NSW) – 11[43]
2011–12South Australia Under-23sQueensland Under-23sAshton May (TAS) – 183Steven Reid (VIC) – 11[44]

References

  1. Web site: 2023 . Cricket Australia Second XI Competition 2019/20 Points Table . 2023-08-24 . . en.
  2. Web site: 2007 . ACB Cup Table 1999-2000 . 2023-08-24 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  3. Web site: Australian Cricket Board . Australian Cricket Board . 2000-09-11 . ACB Cup fixtures released . 2023-08-24 . . en.
  4. Web site: Cricket Australia . Cricket Australia . 2003-07-14 . Extra tour match for India results in minor changes to 2003-04 domestic and international programs . 2023-08-24 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  5. Web site: 2009-10-01 . Cricket Australia launch new-look Futures League . live . https://archive.today/20230824023050/https://www.t20worldcup.com/news/156370 . 2023-08-24 . 2023-08-24 . T20 World Cup.
  6. Web site: Cricket Australia reaches out for talent . Greg Buckle . 1 October 2009 . Brisbane Times. 24 November 2010.
  7. Web site: Sheffield Shield to go twilight. 17 August 2011. . . 18 August 2011.
  8. News: Barrett . Chris . 2013-07-27 . A 'glorified juniors competition': all-rounder says Futures League's age rules are holding back game . 8 . . 2023-08-24.
  9. News: Saltau . Chloe . 2013-11-30 . Cricket Australia redefines age guidelines for Futures League . . 2023-08-24.
  10. Web site: Helmers . Caden . 26 August 2019 . Futures League consigned to the past as Cricket Australia revamps second XI competition . 20 October 2019 . The Canberra Times.
  11. Web site: Ilott . Brad . 2018-06-23 . New changes to Futures League T20 good for premier cricket . 2023-08-24 . . en-US.
  12. Web site: 2019-10-04 . Cricket Australia State Competitions - Toyota Second XI 2018/19 . live . https://archive.today/20230824074212/https://mycricket.cricket.com.au/common/pages/public/rv/ladder.aspx?gradeid=6073_1&seasonid=148&save=0&entityid=17240 . 2023-08-24 . 2023-08-24 . MyCricket.
  13. Web site: 2020-04-16 . Cricket Australia State Competitions - Toyota Second XI 2019/2020 . live . https://archive.today/20230824075347/https://mycricket.cricket.com.au/common/pages/public/rv/ladder.aspx?gradeid=6073_1&seasonid=151&save=0&entityid=17240 . 2023-08-24 . 2023-08-24 . MyCricket.
  14. Web site: 2009 . ACB Cup, 2000/01 . 2023-08-24 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  15. Web site: 2007 . ACB Cup 2001-02 Points Table . 2023-08-24 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  16. Web site: 2023 . ACB Cup 2002/03 Points Table . 2023-08-24 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  17. Web site: 2007 . Cricket Australia Cup 2003/04 Points Table . 2023-08-24 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  18. Web site: 2007 . Cricket Australia Cup 2004/05 Points Table . 2023-08-24 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  19. Web site: 2007 . Cricket Australia Cup 2005/06 Points Table . 2023-08-24 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  20. Web site: 2007 . Cricket Australia Cup 2006/07 Points Table . 2023-08-24 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  21. Web site: 2023 . Cricket Australia Cup 2007/08 Points Table . 2023-08-24 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  22. Web site: 2023 . Cricket Australia Cup 2008/09 Points Table . 2023-08-24 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  23. Web site: 2023 . Futures League 2009/10 Points Table . 2023-08-24 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  24. News: Spasaro . Joshua . 2011-02-25 . Comets taste success at last . 31 . The Canberra Times.
  25. News: Williams . Guy . 2011-03-07 . Rockhampton's White claims spot in state academy squad . 44 . The Morning Bulletin.
  26. Web site: 2023 . Futures League 2011/12 Points Table . 2023-08-24 . . en.
  27. Web site: 2023 . Futures League 2012/13 Points Table . 2023-08-24 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  28. Web site: Brettig . Daniel . 2013-03-20 . Ponting named Sheffield Shield player of the year . 2023-08-24 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  29. Web site: 2023 . Futures League 2013/14 Points Table . 2023-08-24 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  30. Web site: Coverdale . Brydon . Brydon Coverdale . 2014-03-19 . North named Sheffield Shield player of the year . 2023-08-24 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  31. News: Reardon . Nathan . Nathan Reardon . 2015-03-06 . Runs galore as batsmen shine at Cup . 45 . Sunshine Coast Daily.
  32. Web site: 2016 . Cricket NSW Annual Report and Yearbook 2014/15 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160323032028/http://cricketnsw.com.au/about/publications/~/media/391B09516F5B44C0A2F8A536655FBF09.ashx . 2016-03-23 . 2023-08-24 . . PDF.
  33. News: Smith . Adam . 2015-03-25 . Knight's Roar impact feted . 43 . The Mercury.
  34. Web site: 2023 . Futures League 2015/16 Points Table . 2023-08-24 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  35. Web site: 2016-03-23 . Head named Sheffield Shield Player of the Year . 2023-08-24 . ESPN Cricinfo.
  36. Web site: 2017-07-31 . Cricket Australia State Competitions - Toyota Second XI: Toyota Futures League 2016/17 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230824065125/https://mycricket.cricket.com.au/common/pages/public/rv/ladder.aspx?gradeid=6073_1&seasonid=124&save=0&entityid=17240 . 2023-08-24 . 2023-08-24 . MyCricket.
  37. News: Helmers . Caden . 2017-08-18 . Canberra cricketer Tom Rogers calls Tasmania a 'pretty bloody good' place to be . . 2023-08-24.
  38. Web site: 2018-04-05 . Cricket Australia State Competitions - Toyota Second XI 2017/18 . live . https://archive.today/20230824070326/https://mycricket.cricket.com.au/common/pages/public/rv/ladder.aspx?gradeid=6073_1&seasonid=126&save=0&entityid=17240 . 2023-08-24 . 2023-08-24 . MyCricket.
  39. Web site: 2021-05-15 . Cricket Australia State Competitions 2020/21 - Ladders All Grades . live . https://archive.today/20230824081955/https://mycricket.cricket.com.au/common/pages/public/rv/ladder.aspx?id=LAD&mode=0&save=0&entityid=17240 . 2023-08-24 . 2023-08-24 . MyCricket.
  40. Web site: 2022-05-10 . Toyota Second XI 2021/22 - Season Fixture . live . https://archive.today/20230824081149/https://mycricket.cricket.com.au/common/pages/public/rv/draw.aspx?gradeid=6073_1&seasonid=155&save=0&entityid=17240 . 2023-08-24 . 2023-08-24 . MyCricket.
  41. Web site: 2023-02-14 . Toyota Second XI 2022/23 - Season Fixture . live . https://archive.today/20230824081541/https://mycricket.cricket.com.au/common/pages/public/rv/draw.aspx?gradeid=6073_1&seasonid=157&save=0&entityid=17240 . 2023-08-24 . 2023-08-24 . MyCricket.
  42. Web site: 2023 . Tas23 vs WAU23 Final Junction Oval, Melbourne December 17, 2009 Live Score of Futures League Twenty20 2009 . 2023-08-24 . . en.
  43. Web site: 2023 . NSW23 vs Vic23, Futures League Twenty20 2010/11, Final at Melbourne, December 23, 2010 - Full Scorecard . 2023-08-24 . . en.
  44. Web site: Futures League Twenty20 Points Table Futures League Twenty20 Standings Futures League Twenty20 Ranking . 2023-08-24 . . en.

External links