T20 Cup to ignite start of 2025/26 Premier Cricket season

T20 fixtures dominate the early stages of the season, with all five preliminary rounds of the T20 Cup scheduled to be played across the next two weekends, followed closely by a finals series next month that will conclude with a monster Final’s Day on Sunday October 19. 

The popular twenty-over tournament structure and format replicates last season, with four pools made up of five teams. The top three sides from each pool at the conclusion of the preliminary rounds will advance to a finals series, whilst the bottom two clubs will be eliminated. 

Last year’s winners T20 Cup champions St George open their campaign on Saturday morning, facing Fairfield-Liverpool before squaring up against Randwick Petersham that afternoon. 

Manly Warringah will start their Poidevin-Gray Shield title defence at home on Sunday, hosting UTS North Sydney at Manly Oval, while 24/25 runners-up Bankstown will play host to Blacktown. 

Men's lower grade sides (2nd to 5th grade) will commence their McDonald's Premier Cricket seasons with T20 fixtures on September 27, while the first-grade teams start their limited overs campaigns on Saturday October 4 and their two-day fixtures on Saturday October 18. 
 

Cricket NSW Premier Cricket Manager Sean Mantle said the T20 format was a great way to launch the new season. 

“We are really excited to get the new season underway,” Mantle said. 

“Like previous seasons we are getting underway with the Kingsgrove Sports T20 Cup and for the first time lower grades will also be opening their campaigns with the T20 format.  

“This will help provide a fun and fast start to the summer for all Premier Cricket players before we move into the longer formats.   

“I want to thank all the clubs and their volunteers for their hard work and preparation in getting the season underway and wish all teams, players and officials all the best for this weekend.” 

“It is also an opportune time to thank our great partners, in particular Kingsgrove Sports, who are once again supporting the T20 Cup, for both the Men’s and Women’s competitions, with prizemoney.”  

The full fixture in season 2025/26 will include: 

• First Grade: 15 rounds including 9x Two-Day matches and 6x Limited-Overs* matches | excluding all finals fixtures 

• Lower Grades: 16 rounds including 6x Two-Day matches, 8x Limited-Overs* matches and 2x T20 contests | excluding all finals fixtures. 

• Poidevin-Gray Shield: 6 rounds including 4x Limited-Overs* matches and 2x T20 | excluding all finals fixtures 

• AW Green Shield: 7 rounds including 7 x Limited-Overs* matches | excluding all finals fixtures 

*Limited-Overs games are 50 overs per side 

VIEW ALL MEN'S PREMIER CRICKET FIXTURES FOR SEASON 2025/26 HERE

The Women's Premier Cricket competition is set to begin on the weekend of October 11 and 12.