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Minor League Cricket (MiLC) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league based in the United States that serves as the primary development league for Major League Cricket (MLC). The league consists of 26 teams, divided between the Atlantic Conference and the Pacific Conference.[1] Beginning play in 2021, the Silicon Valley Strikers won the inaugural tournament. Due to financial issues and general public disinterest, the 2024 season was shortened to eight matches per side, taking place in the fall, and was won by the Chicago Kingsmen. The league’s title sponsor is YASH Technologies, having previously been Sunoco and Toyota.

Quick Facts Countries, Administrator ...
Minor League Cricket
Official logo of Minor League Cricket (MiLC)
CountriesUnited States
AdministratorUSA Cricket
FormatT20
First edition2021
Latest edition2024
Next edition2025
Tournament formatDouble round-robin and Playoffs
Number of teams26
Current championChicago Kingsmen (1st title)
Most successful
Most runsAndries Gous (1579)
Most wicketsPhani Simhadri (85)
TV
Websiteminorleaguecricket.com
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History

Formation

Talks of an American Twenty20 league started in November 2018, just before USA Cricket became the new governing body of cricket in the United States.[2][3] In May 2021, USA Cricket announced they had accepted a bid by American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) for a $1 billion investment covering the league and other investments benefitting the U.S. national teams.[4]

In an annual general meeting on February 21, 2020, it was announced that ACE was planning to launch its professional T20 league Major League Cricket in 2021, and a developmental league, Minor League Cricket that summer.[5] USA Cricket CEO Iain Higgins stated that ACE had "demonstrated an understanding of the importance of addressing various fundamental issues within the domestic game in the United States", and listed a number of metropolitan areas that the developmental league planned to target for franchises.[6]

Both leagues would be delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, with Minor League Cricket being delayed to 2021, and Major League Cricket provisionally postponed to 2022 (in May 2021, Major League Cricket would be further-delayed to 2023 due to both the pandemic, and the need to develop more facilities).[7][8] Minor League Cricket would still soft launch in 2020 with an exhibition league;[9][10] the draft for the exhibition league began on August 22, 2020,[11] with the teams releasing their squads on August 24.[12]

2021

After the conclusion of the exhibition league, USA Cricket announced that they were planning to launch the inaugural season of Minor League Cricket in the spring of 2021.[13] The season launched on July 31, 2021,[14] and ran until October 3, 2021, where the Silicon Valley Strikers won the finals against the New Jersey Stallions by six wickets to win the inaugural season title.[15] The sanctioning body announced plans to establish women's leagues in the future.[16]

In February 2021, MLC announced plans for a youth version of Minor and Major League Cricket, as part of a pathway to give young cricketers the opportunity to play for official domestic teams and the national team.[17] In June 2022, MLC announced the inaugural season of the Minor League Cricket Youth Tournament (shortened to MiLC Youth), with UST tapped as title sponsor for the tournament.[18] The inaugural season of MiLC Youth was announced to be contested between 11 teams at the Prairie View Cricket Complex in Houston starting July 25, 2022.[19] The finals for the inaugural season took place on July 29 at between the Dallas Mustangs and the New Jersey Stallions,[20] in which the Stallions beat the Mustangs by two wickets.[21]

2022

In January 2022, USA Cricket announced that the 2022 Minor League Cricket season would start on June 25, and conclude with the final on August 28.[22] The 2022 finals were won by the Seattle Thunderbolts, who beat the Atlanta Fire by ten runs to win their maiden MiLC title.[23][24] It was also announced in June 2022 that the budget for the 2022 season was more than $5 million.[25]

2023

Amid a dispute with USA Cricket, tournament directors pushed for a June 10 start to the 2023 season of Minor League Cricket.[26] However, this was pushed back to August 4, a week ahead of the conclusion of the 2023 Major League Cricket season.[27] The season saw the discontinuation of two franchises, as well as the renaming of two other teams amid managerial shakeups.[28][29] The season concluded on October 1, with the Dallas Mustangs defeating the NJ Somerset Cavaliers by 44 runs.[30] All matches played during the season were played on either real grass or hybrid wickets.[31]

In June, MiLC signed a deal with Cricket Canada and Boundaries North to help grow the game in the country through the potential formation of around 4-6 teams based in the area.[32] MiLC announced that they were looking into the British Columbia and Greater Toronto Areas for expansion as soon as the 2024 season.[33]

2024

The 2024 season is expected to be played following the conclusion of the 2024 Major League Cricket season, sometime in August.[34]

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Current teams

Unlike Major League Cricket, Minor League Cricket uses privately owned franchises. American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) announced 24 teams and their owners on August 15, 2020.[35] On June 3, 2021, ACE added three more teams.[36] Additionally, the teams are part of two conferences, which are each split into two divisions. This consists of the Pacific Conference, split into the Western and Central divisions, and the Atlantic Conference, split into the Eastern and Southern divisions.[37]

More information Conference, Division ...
Conference Division Team Base Venue Founded
Atlantic Conference Northern Empire State Titans New York, NY Idlewild Park, Queens, NY 2020
Manhattan Yorkers New York, NY Mercer County Park, West Windsor, NJ 2020
New England Eagles Boston, MA Keney Park, Hartford, CT 2020
New Jersey Somerset Cavaliers Somerset, NJ Howe Athletic Complex, Somerset, NJ 2020
New Jersey Stallions Jersey City, NJ Howe Athletic Complex, Somerset, NJ 2020
The Philadelphians Philadelphia, PA Exton Park, Exton, PA 2020
Southern Atlanta Fire Atlanta, GA Atlanta Cricket Field, Cumming, GA 2020
Atlanta Lightning Atlanta, GA Atlanta Cricket Field, Cumming, GA 2022
Baltimore Royals Baltimore, MD Veterans Memorial Park, Woodbridge, VA 2020
Ft. Lauderdale Lions Ft. Lauderdale, FL Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, FL 2020
Morrisville Raptors Morrisville, NC Church Street Park, Morrisville, NC 2020
Orlando Galaxy Orlando, FL Silverstar Recreation Park, Orlando, FL 2020
Pacific Conference Central Chicago Kingsmen Chicago, IL Hanover Park, Hanover Park, IL 2020
Chicago Tigers Chicago, IL Hanover Park, Hanover Park, IL 2022
Dallas Mustangs Dallas, TX Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, TX 2020
Dallas Xforia Giants Dallas, TX Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Grand Prairie, TX 2023
Houston Hurricanes Houston, TX Prairie View Cricket Complex, Prairie View, TX 2020
Lone Star Athletics Houston, TX Moosa Stadium, Pearland, TX 2020
Michigan Cricket Stars Detroit, MI Lyon Oaks Cricket Ground, Wixom, MI 2020
St. Louis Americans St. Louis, MO ACAC Park, Wentzville, MO 2020
Western East Bay Blazers San Jose, CA Morgan Hills Sports Complex, Morgan Hills, CA 2020
Golden State Grizzlies Sacramento, CA Arroyo Park, Davis, CA 2020
San Diego Surf Riders San Diego, CA Canyonside Park, San Diego, CA 2020
Seattle Thunderbolts Seattle, WA Tollgate Farm Park, North Bend, WA 2020
Silicon Valley Strikers Silicon Valley, CA Morgan Hills Sports Complex, Morgan Hills, CA 2020
SoCal Lashings Los Angeles, CA Leo Magnus Cricket Complex, Los Angeles, CA 2020
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Strikers & Blazers
Strikers & Blazers
Lashings
Lashings
Grizzlies
Grizzlies
Surf Riders
Surf Riders
Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts
Athletics
Athletics
Hurricanes
Hurricanes
Stars
Stars
Americans
Americans
Mustangs & Xforia Giants
Mustangs & Xforia Giants
Blasters & Tigers
Blasters & Tigers
Eagles
Eagles
Cavaliers & Stallions
Cavaliers & Stallions
Titans
Titans
Philadelphians
Philadelphians
Royals
Royals
Yorkers
Yorkers
Fire & Lightning
Fire & Lightning
Lions
Lions
Raptors
Raptors
Galaxy
Galaxy
Atlantic Conference: Eastern Division, Southern Division
Pacific Conference: Western Division, Central Division
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League structure

Teams in each division will play anywhere from 14 to 16 games in the league stage. Once the league stage is completed, the top two teams in each division will advance to the quarterfinals, wherein the top team in each division will face the second-placed team in the other division of their conference for a best-of-three series. The remaining games will be regular knockout matches, with the semifinals sending one team from each conference to the final.[38] The official schedule and the venues of the playoffs was released on September 20, 2021, by Major League Cricket.[39] The league structure was changed ahead of the 2023 season, with teams in each division now playing 10 games in the league stage. The top team of each division advances directly to the Super 8s, whereas the next two teams advance into the knockout stage. During the knockout stage, a total of 4 teams advance to the Super 8s, wherein the top two teams face each other in the finals.[27]

The inaugural season of Minor League Cricket had a total prize pool of $250,000, the highest ever in American cricket.[40] This was increased to $350,000 for the 2022 season, $150,000 of which went to the tournament champions, the Seattle Thunderbolts.[41]

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Tournament season and results

More information Season, Venue ...
MiLC season winner
Season Venue Final Player of the series No. of teams Matches
Winner Result Runners-up
2021 Church Street Park, Morrisville Silicon Valley Strikers Silicon Valley Strikers won by 6 wickets Scorecard New Jersey Stallions Hammad Azam 27 225
2022 Church Street Park, North Carolina Seattle Thunderbolts Seattle Thunderbolts won by 10 runs Atlanta Fire Phani Simhadri 26 197
2023 Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas Dallas Mustangs Dallas Mustangs won by 44 runs NJ Somerset Cavaliers Andries Gous 26 150
2024 Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas Chicago Kingsmen Chicago Kingsmen won by 4 Wickets East Bay Blazers 25 113
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Venues

A complete list of ground venues, along with the 2024 season's schedule, was released on July 31.

More information Chicago Kingsmen, Chicago Tigers ...
Chicago Kingsmen Chicago Tigers Houston Hurricanes
Kingsmen Stadium Tigers Park Prairie View Cricket Complex
Lone Star Athletics Dallas Mustangs Dallas Xforia Giants
Moosa Stadium Grand Prairie Stadium Grand Prairie Stadium
Michigan Cricket Stars St. Louis Americans Baltimore Royals
ACAC Park
Empire State Titans New England Eagles New Jersey Somerset Cavaliers
Glenville Cricket Complex Mercer County Park Mercer County Park
New Jersey Stallions Philadelphians Manhattan Yorkers
Mercer County Park Hatfield Park Mercer County Park
Atlanta Fire Atlanta Lightning Ft. Lauderdale Lions
Param Veers Cricket Field Atlanta Cricket Field Broward County Stadium
Morrisville Raptors Orlando Galaxy Bay Blazers
Church Street Park Santa Clara Cricket Stadium
Hollywood Master Blasters San Diego Surf Riders Golden State Grizzlies
Leo Magnus Cricket Complex Canyonside Park Arroyo Park
Silicon Valley Strikers SoCal Lashings Seattle Thunderbolts
Morgan Hills Sports Complex Leo Magnus Cricket Complex Tollgate Farm Park
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Morgan Hill
Morgan Hill
Arroyo Park
Arroyo Park
Canyonside Park
Canyonside Park
Tollgate Farm Park
Tollgate Farm Park
Santa Clara
Santa Clara
Prairie View
Prairie View
ACAC Park
ACAC Park
Kingsmen
Kingsmen
Tigers Park
Tigers Park
Hatfield Park
Hatfield Park
Glenville
Glenville
Atlanta
Atlanta
Param Veers
Param Veers
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  • – Western Division (Pacific Conference)
  • – Central Division (Pacific Conference)
  • – Eastern Division (Atlantic Conference)
  • – Southern Division (Atlantic Conference)
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Former teams

  • Dallas Mustangs (2021–2023)
  • Florida Beamers (2021)

Media

Matches are streamed by Major League Cricket on its YouTube channel and the streaming platform FanCode.[42]

See also

References

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