- National T20 cricket finals to be held under the lights at scenic Church St Park near Raleigh, NC with event free for all fans to attend.
- Four teams featuring international cricket stars to compete for largest prize money in American cricket.
Minor League Cricket (MiLC) announced today that the finals of the 2022 Toyota Minor League Cricket Championship presented by Sunoco will be held at Church Street Park in the Town of Morrisville, part of the Greater Raleigh region in North Carolina. The Semi-finals will be held as a doubleheader on Saturday, Aug. 27, and the championship match on Sunday, Aug. 28. The winning team will take home $150,000 out of a total $350,000 total purse, the largest in American cricket history.
The finals weekend festival at Church Street Park, located only 15 miles from downtown Raleigh, is free to attend for all games. Fans will have the opportunity to meet and greet with international star cricketers, enjoy local food trucks, a kids’ cricket clinic, music and a family activity zone. New fans of cricket, the second most popular sport in the world, can learn about the game throughout the weekend from roaming “Cricket 101” Ambassadors introducing the sport.
High-definition live television and streaming coverage for the finals weekend will feature a premium production and top-tier international announcer team in place for all three games. The games will be broadcast under the lights at Church Street Park, one of the most scenic settings for cricket in America.
The Finals Weekend schedule is as follows:
- Pacific Conference Final | Saturday, Aug. 27 at 1 p.m.
- Atlantic Conference Final | Saturday, Aug. 27 at 5:30 p.m.
- National Championship Final | Sunday, Aug. 28 at 5 p.m.
Church Street Park, a multi-million dollar cricket facility opened in 2015, is the home of Minor League Cricket’s Morrisville Raptors and the Triangle Cricket League, one of the largest cricket leagues in the United States. The venue features one of the best pitches in the country. Major League Cricket (MLC) and the Town of Morrisville are partnering on a further multi-million dollar investment into Church Street Park, with upgrades to the facility scheduled for completion by spring 2023.
“Cricket continues to be a very important sport to the Town of Morrisville and we’re looking forward to another great finals weekend at Church Street Park,” said TJ Cawley, Mayor of Morrisville. “I encourage our residents to come out and support this event as we conclude another Minor League Cricket season.”
“The 2021 MiLC finals at Church Street Park showcased incredible passion for cricket in the Morrisville and broader Greater Raleigh region, and we can’t wait to return for an even bigger Finals Weekend festival this summer,” said Justin Geale, Tournament Director, Minor League Cricket. “To see the best cricketers in the country compete for a national championship under the lights at Church Street Park will make for a special broadcast available to American cricket fans nationwide.”
The route to qualification for the Finals Weekend will come via the Conference Semi-finals, to be held the prior weekend, Aug. 20-21. The top two teams from each of Minor League Cricket’s four divisions following the end of regular season play will take part in best-of-three matchups, with the four winning teams advancing to Finals Weekend.
Finals Weekend will conclude the second season of the Toyota Minor League Cricket Championship presented by Sunoco, the most extensive competition in American cricket. The tournament has launched a new era for the sport in the United States, with 26 participating teams competing in over 200 matches taking place in 20 cities nationwide this season, running over 10 weekends of play.
The full schedule and list of all competing 26 teams and their divisional breakdown is available at www.minorleague.cricket.