South African women's cricket competition
The CSA Women's T20 Challenge, previously known as the CSA Women's Provincial T20 Competition, is a women's domestic Twenty20 cricket competition organised by Cricket South Africa. The tournament began in the 2012–13 season, and currently sees sixteen teams competing.
Western Province are the most successful side in the history of the competition, with seven title wins. Central Gauteng are the current holders, winning the 2022–23 tournament.
History.
The tournament began in the 2012–13 season, running alongside the CSA Women's Provincial League. Sixteen teams competed in four groups, with the group winners progressing to the knockout rounds. Western Province won the competition, beating Gauteng in the final. The following tournament, 2013–14, was won by Boland, who beat Northerns in the final.
Western Province then went on to win the next four competitions, between 2014–15 and 2017–18. North West ended their run in 2018–19, winning all five of their matches to win their first T20 title. The 2019–20 season was ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but was won by Western Province based on results that had occurred before the tournament was cut short.
The 2020–21 season was cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament returned for the 2021–22 season, beginning in January 2022, with Western Province winning their seventh T20 title. Central Gauteng won their first title in 2022–23.
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 tournament, the teams in the Top 6 Division would now have eleven professional players (up from six), alongside full-time coaching staff. The tournament was renamed the CSA Women's T20 Challenge (aligning with the men's tournament) as part of the changes.
Matches in the tournament are played using a Twenty20 format, with sixteen teams competing. Currently, the tournament has a top tier "Top 6" league, with the winner of the league winning the competition, and two lower Pools, A and B, with promotion and relegation. Teams in the top division play each other twice, whilst teams in the lower pools play each other once.
References.
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