Competitive cricket is all set to resume in Australia after a two-month coronavirus-forced break, with a T20 tournament in the presence of fans.
Since the Northern Territory has not reported any existing Covid-19 case since 21 May, it will allow 500 cricket fans at the stadium to watch the Top End T20 featuring 15 games over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend on June 6-8.
The tournament will be a testing spot for cricket in a COVID-19 environment, featuring seven Darwin Premier Grade clubs and an Invitational XI that includes best players from the Northern Territory’s ‘Asia Cup’ competition.
The Top End T20 carnival will be followed by the start of the one-day season in Darwin & District on the following weekend, scheduled as a 14-round competition with a grand final on 19 September. It will have to follow strict health guidelines.
The tournament is taking place when the ICC Cricket Committee has proposed a ban on the ball’s use of saliva as an interim solution to combat the coronavirus threat but has not permitted artificial substances to be used. Lachlan Baird, chairman of Darwin Cricket Management, said it wouldn’t be a problem in the T20s, but it needs to be addressed before the 50-over game.
The full international summer schedule was confirmed by Cricket Australia, establishing India’s tour down-under later this year. The announcement comes in amid the outbreak of the Coronavirus that engulfed the entire globe. CA CEO Kevin Roberts also emphasized that the timetable is subject to adjustment in light of the pandemic.
The schedule confirms India’s Australia tour in October for a tri-match T20 series and the December-January four-match test series. The series’s second test is a Day / Night Test at the Adelaide Oval between 11 December and 15 December. An ODI series of three matches will also follow the Test series.
Top End T20 fixtures:
| Date | Match | Time (GMT+6) |
| 06-Jun-20 | Cazalys Oval Palmerston vs Darwin | 06:00 AM |
| 06-Jun-20 | MCG 2 Sth Districts vs Tracy Village | 06:00 AM |
| 06-Jun-20 | MCG Waratah vs Nightcliff | 06:00 AM |
| 06-Jun-20 | MCG 1 PINT vs Invitational XI | 10.30 AM |
| 06-Jun-20 | MCG 2 Tracy Village vs Darwin | 10.30 AM |
| 06-Jun-20 | Cazalys Oval Sth Districts vs Palmerston | 10.30 AM |
| 07-Jun-20 | MCG 2 Nightcliff vs Invitational XI | 06:00 AM |
| 07-Jun-20 | MCG 1 Sth Districts vs Darwin | 06:00 AM |
| 07-Jun-20 | Gardens Oval PINT vs Waratah | 06:00 AM |
| 07-Jun-20 | MCG 1 Palmerston vs Tracy Village | 10.30 AM |
| 07-Jun-20 | MCG 2 PINT svs Nightcliff | 10.30 AM |
| 07-Jun-20 | Gardens Oval Waratah vs Invitational XI | 10.30 AM |
| 08-Jun-20 | Semi-Final 2 MCG | 06:00 AM |
| 08-Jun-20 | Semi-Final 1 MCG | 06:00 AM |
| 08-Jun-20 | CDU Top End T20 Final | 10.30 AM |
