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The 6ixty: 60-ball tournament with new rules to launch in Caribbean

Last updated on .From the section Cricketcomments186

Jamaica Tallawahs celebrate a dismissal
The Caribbean Premier League is one of the organisers of the new format

A new 60-ball cricket format, which includes the chance for fans to vote for a batter to have a 'free hit' where they can't be dismissed, will launch in the Caribbean in August.

The 6ixty is being organised by Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Men's and women's teams are to compete.

"I am really excited about the innovation, excitement and entertainment," said CWI president Ricky Skerritt.

The tournament will introduce new rules with the aim of making the game faster, including:

  • Each batting team has six wickets - at the fall of the sixth wicket they are all out.
  • Each batting team has two powerplay overs. They can unlock a third powerplay by hitting two sixes in the first 12 balls. This extra powerplay over can be taken at any time between overs 3-9.
  • There will be 30 balls bowled from one end before the action switches to the other end for the final 30 balls.
  • The 30 balls will be delivered as five separate overs, with no bowler being able to bowl more than two overs for the innings.
  • If teams do not bowl their overs within the allotted time a member of their team is removed from the field for the final six balls.
  • Fans will vote for the timing of a 'mystery free hit' where a batter can't be dismissed by the bowler

Organisers have said some of the world's best cricketers will be involved, though have not said who.

CPL chief executive officer Pete Russell said: "This is a hugely exciting moment for both CPL and Cricket West Indies as we create a tournament that will see cricket fans brought closer to the game.

"There will be world-class men's and women's cricketers taking part in a fantastic event for the Caribbean, and this combined with cutting-edge innovations, signals a great moment for all fans of West Indian cricket."

Cricket is trying to find new audiences and one way in which the sport is aiming to do so is through new formats. The Hundred, a 100-ball tournament, was introduced in England and Wales in 2021 in a bid to open the sport to new fans.

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186 comments

  • Comment posted by ANDY, at 16:56 22 Jun

    How about a 25 ball tournament, 5 overs of 5 balls, only the wicket keeper can stand outside the circle in the 1st 2 overs. All bowlers have to bowl with their wrong arm, batmens play with a chopstick, and a member of the crowd has to face the next ball if there's a dot ball. FFS what next

    • Reply posted by Gate49, at 17:17 22 Jun

      Gate49 replied:
      Not radical enough.

      Every time a boundary is hit, all players born on an odd date have to hop on one leg until the next ball is bowled. If its a dot ball, same applies to all players born on an even date.

      That makes much more sense.

  • Comment posted by Nom de Spume, at 16:12 22 Jun

    Like the Blundred. A gimmick's gimmick. A meta-gimmick. And people thought Allen Stanford was bad!

    It'll degenerate into rounders [baseball] soon. I despair.

    • Reply posted by The Spin Doctor, at 17:02 22 Jun

      The Spin Doctor replied:
      Just like all gimmicks the novelty factor will wore off real fast and this version of 'cricket' will die a quick death.

  • Comment posted by JeffFew, at 16:46 22 Jun

    Why does everything have to be in the favour of the batsman?
    Why not have:
    A bowling power play, one over where the bowler gets unlimited bouncers and is allowed two beamers as well.
    A fan voted super ball, umpires only tell fielding team when it is, bowler can bowl from 15 yards rather than 22
    Bowling team get a new ball, old ball, ancient ball. Bowler can pick any 1 for each ball, secretly.

    • Reply posted by crw1990, at 17:04 22 Jun

      crw1990 replied:
      Let’s also include:
      Blindfolded batsman - The bowling team get to pick one batsman who is blindfolded for their entire innings.
      The double ball, ball - One ball an innings where the batsman faces two bowlers, at the same time.
      Non-Stop over - 6 bowlers line up and start their run up as soon as the bowler in front of them releases the ball.

  • Comment posted by Dreaders, at 16:04 22 Jun

    For goodness sake… let’s have a tournament where games are decided by the coin toss. Seems a logical next step.

    • Reply posted by cb, at 09:27 23 Jun

      cb replied:
      Too slow paced :) Slogfests r to b the way fwd, atttract those who generally lose interest the quickest, exclude those who stick around the longest. Just when England are starting to make test cricket enjoyable again, T20 is looking ok as the main short form, look the man in marketing fearing for his job comes up w another pointless comp to wear out the best players & give the bin juice a run out!

  • Comment posted by lappers, at 15:25 22 Jun

    Sounds like a T10 tournament to me. Nothing new about that

  • Comment posted by Rockin_Rog, at 15:46 22 Jun

    *** Checks date *** No - looks like someone actually thinks this is a good idea.

    By all means do it - but don't call it cricket.

    • Reply posted by kevirl, at 15:47 22 Jun

      kevirl replied:
      Rounders??

  • Comment posted by Nom de Spume, at 16:24 22 Jun

    If W.G. Grace were alive today he'd be turning in his grave.

    • Reply posted by Tony, at 17:07 22 Jun

      Tony replied:
      If he were alive he'd not be in a grave. But I get your point 😂

  • Comment posted by ron watt, at 16:21 22 Jun

    It’s cricket Jim but not as we know it.......It’s nonsense forgettable game after game . I can’t remember any of Jonny Bairstows white ball hundreds but I will never forget the hundred in the second test at Trent Bridge against the Kiwis

    • Reply posted by Knowledgeable Fan, at 16:35 22 Jun

      Knowledgeable Fan replied:
      That 100 at TB was played like a white-ball innings, though, Ron. 136 off 92 balls is not something you normally see in red-ball games.

      I will never forget YJB's first ODI 100 against the WI back in 2017. Or his 100 against NZ in the WC group stage in 2019.

  • Comment posted by AndyB_MOT, at 15:52 22 Jun

    And we thought the "Hundred" was bad...

    • Reply posted by DAP1, at 18:47 22 Jun

      DAP1 replied:
      It is

  • Comment posted by gooner7, at 18:02 22 Jun

    Sounds absolutely awful.

  • Comment posted by Socks, at 17:12 22 Jun

    Pathetic ideas apart from penalising a slow over rate, I’m all for that in any form of cricket.

  • Comment posted by A-FORCE, at 17:33 22 Jun

    Thanks to the ECB for encouraging crap like this.

  • Comment posted by James, at 15:40 22 Jun

    How long before "6 or out"?

    As long as you keep hitting 6's you can bat but once you stop you're out

    • Reply posted by kevirl, at 15:46 22 Jun

      kevirl replied:
      Should be that way anyway, no reason not to be, no bowlers around anymore good enough for this rule not to be thing

  • Comment posted by Mark, at 18:16 22 Jun

    Coming soon... heads or tails cricket. Guess right when the umpire tosses the coin and you win. Just imagine the tactics, statistical analysis, the high drama of that one moment where it's winner takes all, slow motion replays of the spinning coin. For the traditionalists there's a longer form of the game called best of three.

    • Reply posted by saint dave, at 06:25 23 Jun

      saint dave replied:
      You forgot to take into count the weight of the coin, whether heads or tails is on top, the force of the toss which creates a number of revolutions and most importantly the hardness of the hard whether it bounces or just plops into the softer surface.

  • Comment posted by Glozboy, at 19:07 22 Jun

    It's so insulting that they constantly say it's "for new fans". If you can't appreciate the beauty of a Test match without getting bored, find another sport.

    • Reply posted by Wobbly Orange, at 06:53 23 Jun

      Wobbly Orange replied:
      Not saying this format is a bad idea, but you simply have no comprehension of professional sport. It’s about the profit and loss margins. Test just don’t attract enough to make the money.

  • Comment posted by flying lizard, at 18:02 22 Jun

    how about using a bowling machine and it sends down 60 balls every 5 seconds. See how many runs you can hit and swap over. No need for bowlers just meat head batsmen................

    • Reply posted by flying lizard, at 18:04 22 Jun

      flying lizard replied:
      sorry that doesn't make sense! the article not my post!!

  • Comment posted by Ingatestonan, at 17:49 22 Jun

    Don't think I've read a story on the BBC website before where I have wanted to thumbs up every comment made. Until now.

  • Comment posted by BiggMarketboulevardier, at 17:44 22 Jun

    Coming soon - T10, boundary rope moved to mid om/off, bowlers bowl underarm whilst wearing boxing gloves, batsmen failing to hit 6 every shot are put on a ducking stool, batsmen hitting shots into next time zone will win their own island and a team of staff unicorns. Bring your own kits.

  • Comment posted by Tony, at 17:13 22 Jun

    It not April the first is it?.

    • Reply posted by hutchs88thminuteflyingheader, at 07:29 23 Jun

      hutchs88thminuteflyingheader replied:
      It used to be.

  • Comment posted by Doc Daneeka, at 18:54 22 Jun

    Just laughable.

    • Reply posted by hutchs88thminuteflyingheader, at 07:30 23 Jun

      hutchs88thminuteflyingheader replied:
      Good name, doc.

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