Mason Crane To Take Part In Quarantine Cup

Hampshire's Mason Crane has been unveiled as a participant in The Cricketer’s online gaming competition, the Quarantine Cup.

The tournament, which will see the leg-spinner compete against fellow professionals from ten other counties on the PlayStation 4 game Cricket19, will get underway on Sunday 12th April.

Following the announcement that the county season is to be delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, The Cricketer, in collaboration with the first-class counties, will bring live streamed matches to the screens of supporters through the competition.

The draw for the group stage of the inaugural Quarantine Cup has also been made ahead of the competition getting under way on Sunday 12th April.

The competing teams have been split into two groups, with the top two from each progressing to the semi-finals.

Group One contains Hampshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire. Meanwhile, Sussex, Glamorgan, Surrey, Leicestershire and Kent make up Group Two.

The round-robin format will see teams play each other once in matches lasting five-overs-a-side.

The remaining county players will be revealed this week, as well as the identity of a number of high-profile commentators from across the world of cricket.

Sussex paceman Tymal Mills, Essex seamer Jamie Porter and Nottinghamshire wicket-keeper Tom Moores are among the names of other participants already announced, whilst the commentators reveal has so far included Test Match Special's Henry Moeran, Alison Mitchell and  Dan Norcross.

Matches will be live-streamed on The Cricketer's YouTube channel and will be staged on weekdays at 7pm and weekends at 2pm and 5pm.