NT Strike League resumes with weekend double-header

The one-day component of the Top End's Cricket 365 program will schedule a double-header round this weekend to make up for the recent postponement of matches due to Darwin's snap COVID-19 lockdown.

Northern Territory Cricket announced this afternoon the two matches scheduled to be played last weekend will be staged tomorrow, with the round three fixtures following a day later in a bid to keep the program as close as possible to its original structure.

However, the COVID-19 outbreak in the Territory has forced the cancellation of the TIO Junior Strike League tournament that was due to take place in Darwin next week while no turf cricket will be played across the city this weekend because the lockdown left curators unable to adequately prepare pitches.

When Cricket 365 was unveiled earlier this year, it scheduled the TIO Men's One-Day Series to run from June 20-July 25, to be followed by a three-match one-day series between a combined team of NT-based players and a Cricket Australia XI made up of interstaters involved in the program.

That latter cohort includes New South Wales representatives Chris Tremain, Jason Sangha and Arjun Nair as well as Tasmania allrounder Tom Andrews and ex-South Australia opener Conor McInerney who took part in the opening round of the one-day series last month.

Other high profile players who have signed for the program's subsequent T20 series include former Australia Test batter Kurtis Patterson, SA and Adelaide Strikers opener Jake Weatherald and Tasmania and Melbourne Renegades all-rounder Beau Webster.

NT Cricket have also flagged the prospect of additional teams – possibly existing KFC BBL clubs – being added to the four-team T20 competition that is scheduled to begin on August 15.

Tomorrow's matches pit round-one winners Southern Storm and Desert Blaze at Cazalys Arena while the so-far winless Northern Tide and City Cyclones play at DXC Arena.

On Sunday, Cyclone play Storm at Cazalys and Blaze and Tide do battle in a day-night fixture starting 1.30pm at DXC, with crowds limited to 500 per venue in line with a number of COVID-safe protocols outlined by the NT Government and the Territory's Chief Health Officer.

NT Cricket chief executive Joel Morrison welcomed the lifting of restrictions amid concerns an ongoing lockdown had the potential to cause havoc for the two-month Cricket 365 program that has been earmarked as a breakthrough event for the game in the Top End.

"It’s great to have cricket back in action this weekend and we’d like to acknowledge the work undertaken by the NT Government and front line workers to keep the community safe and get us to this position so quickly," Morrison said.

"We understand it is a privilege to get back on the field this weekend and we encourage everyone to keep playing their part by following the restrictions that remain in place.

"Cricket will look and feel a little different this weekend but it’s important that we all do what is necessary to keep the community safe."