- MLC star players including Unmukt Chand, Sami Aslam, Shehan Jayasuriya to participate in the Altius NSL 2022 50-Over competition
- Support of Northern Californian Cricket Association (NCCA) league demonstrates MLC commitment to growing the standard of competition in domestic 50-Over cricket
- Altius NSL (NCCA Super League) opener this Saturday will debut Hybrid H3 wicket at Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Complex
Major League Cricket (MLC) announced today a partnership with the Northern California Cricket Association (NCCA) supporting the launch of a pathway 50-Over league, the Altius NSL 2022, that will run from Saturday, April 16 to Saturday, June 11, 2022. MLC-contracted players located in Northern California will participate in the competition, as well as training alongside and providing mentorship to developing players in the league to help create a high-performance environment.
In a first for 50-Over cricket in the United States, one of this Saturday’s two opening matches in the Altius NSL will take place on a hybrid H3 turf wicket at Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Complex. MLC is investing in the development of hybrid wickets that will allow for faster and more cost-effective quality turf wickets to be developed across the country. Hybrid H3 wickets, developed by Gabba Sports Products, combine the qualities of natural and synthetic pitches using high-quality synthetic grass filled with natural soil.
The participation of MLC players in the Altius NSL is an important step in MLC’s goal to help raise the standard of 50-Over cricket across the country, with the league currently exploring other opportunities for its contracted players based elsewhere in the country to take part in similar competitions. This support will help propel the growth in the quality of 50-Over cricket nationwide, building the pathway for player development in that format of the game for the USA National Team.
“Elevating the standard of cricket in all formats of the game is an important goal for Major League Cricket in support of building the sport nationwide,” said Sameer Mehta, Co-Founder, Major League Cricket. “With MLC’s recruitment of more than 30 professionals with vast experience in first class cricket, we are able to seed the development of the 50-Over game and support leagues like the Altius NSL with our players contributing on the field and sharing best practices on fitness and game preparation with emerging players.”
Founded in 1892, the Northern California Cricket Association (NCCA) is one of the oldest and largest cricket associations in the country, with more than 3500 players participating in its affiliated leagues. The NCAA has adopted youth cricket as its backbone to build the pathway for young aspiring home grown cricketers over the years, including in the NCCA Youth League.
“The NCCA is delighted that MLC has committed to supporting the Altius NSL 2022 season, an important step for high-performance 50-Over cricket in the Northern California region,” said Biju Nair, Tournament Chair of the Altius NSL 2022 league. “The best in homegrown regional talent will play alongside experienced professionals from Major League Cricket, taking the level of competition to the next level.”
Altius Strategic Consulting LLC has agreed to be the title sponsor for the 2022 edition of the NSL. Altius’s sponsorship alliance with NCCA is another step for the company in supporting a pathway platform for domestic men and youth cricketers in the Bay Area.
Participating players from Major League Cricket’s pool of professional players are expected to include Unmukt Chand, Sami Aslam, Shehan Jayasuriya, David White and Carmi Le Roux. The Super League competition in Northern California will consist of four teams each with 20-man rosters:
- Bay Area (BA) Blazers
- Davis Grizzlies
- SARE All-Stars
- Stanford Strikers
Matches will take place over eight weeks of play at Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Complex and Davis Cricket Ground. For the schedule and more information on the league, please visit www.nccacricket.org.