England and cricket go hand in hand. It is a game played during the summer months in the Uk. A 'good innings' has also become a much used idiom in England over the years, describing someone who has lived to a good age.
A newly-introduced variant of cricket from the general one-day matches, T20 cricket or Twenty20 cricket may be defined as a short cricket match limited to 20 overs of gameplay, lasting for about 80 minutes per innings, with half-an-hour interval in between. The beginnings of the T20 format can be traced to 2003 when it was introduced by the England and Wales Cricket Board. The format has met with mixed reactions from cricket experts and fans.
Since inception, the T20 format of cricket has made its way into almost all cricketing nations across the globe and enjoys much popularity, especially in the Indian sub-continent, South Africa, and Australia. What sets this format of cricket apart is the fact that it has become a franchised form of sports, like some British football clubs, where individuals of high net-worth may own cricket teams, which may then play against each other in the form of tournaments.
This has been particularly popular in India where several teams have been formed, and a high-octane T20 series is played out each year amidst much fanfare. One of the most distinguishing features of the T20 format exercised in India is that the various franchises are free to rope in players from cricket teams of other countries. For instance, the teams have been known to have brought in players like Michael Clarke from Australia and Chris Gayle from West Indies on various occasions, besides several others. This has not only resulted in greater cross-country participation in cricket but has also become a launchpad for various new cricketers who make their career debuts through this format.
