SAN FRANCISCO, CA (April 27, 2023) – Minor League Cricket (MiLC) announced today that Sunoco will be the title sponsor for the third season of the most extensive nationwide T20 championship in American cricket. The Sunoco Minor League Cricket Championship will return this summer, with approximately 150 matches set to take place in August and September. The domestic player draft will take place in May, part of the selection process that will see more than 400 US-based players participate in the tournament featuring 26 teams. The draft date and complete match schedule will be released soon.
The MiLC season will follow the inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC) season that ends in July, with the world class competition set to ignite a new era for American cricket. Dozens of domestic players featuring in MLC will continue their summer of cricket in MiLC, allowing fans to follow many of the stars of the competition across 20 cities.
“Sunoco is pleased to continue our support of Minor League Cricket,” said Fred McConnell, Director of Marketing, Sunoco. “We know how much cricket means to so many of our customers and station owners, and we’re proud to continue investing in the sport’s exciting growth across the United States.”
“2023 will be a banner year for American cricket, and the Minor League Cricket championship returns to provide another huge step for the sport as all games this season will be played on natural turf or hybrid playing surfaces for the first time,” said Zubin Surkari, Tournament Director, Minor League Cricket. “Improved playing conditions and the growing talent pool in the United States have established MiLC as a key pipeline to both the USA National Team and Major League Cricket and we are grateful to Sunoco and our team owners for their continued investment into the growth of the game across the country.”
America’s first nationwide T20 championship saw its second season won by the Seattle Thunderbolts in August 2022, with the team from the Pacific Northwest claiming a $150,000 first place prize by defeating the Atlanta Fire in the final.
