UBL switches to Twenty20

ABU DHABI // The UBL Trophy will be held for the third successive year with renewed enthusiasm and a new format. In keeping with the modern fervour, the 25-over tournament has been converted to the popular Twenty20 format and with increased prize money even in times of financial crisis. The event, sponsored by United Bank Limited, will be played over 17 weeks with four games each week.

The Abu Dhabi Cricket Council, which will be hosting the premier domestic event at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, had to limit the number of teams to 24 clubs. The participating clubs have been drawn into four groups and will play on a league basis before two teams from each group make the knockout quarter-final stages. The winning purse will be Dh12,000, an increase by two thousand from last year while the runners-up team will get Dh8,000 compared to Dh7,000 from last year. The tournament starts Friday and will comprise 67 games, most of them to be played under floodlights.

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