Expansion plans for South Africa's franchises

Cricket South Africa's (CSA) Franchise Review Committee has recommended that the board increases the number of franchises from six to eight with effect from the start of the 2009-10 season. The two new teams would be Border and Griqualand West, and they would be created by splitting the existing Eagles and Warriors sides.

The committee, which was reviewing the first four years of the new system, recommended it continue for another eight seasons and that there should be no more fundamental changes to the way it operates.

The two new franchises would only come into being if they fulfilled some conditions. Border would need to show that had sufficient sponsorship and would have to prove it covered the area starting immediately east of the Kei River and must include the area formerly known as Transkei. Griqualand West would also have to provide the financial guarantees and show it covered the Northern Cape Province.

This expansion would also create the new franchises of Eastern Province who would cover the area starting from immediately west of the Kei, including the South Western Districts, and Free State, who would cover the whole of the Province of Free State but would also be expected to focus on the development of black African cricket especially in the Gold Fields, Botshabelo and Rocklands areas.

The other franchises of Titans (Northerns and Easterns), Dolphins (KwaZulu-Natal and KwaZulu-Natal Midlands), Lions (Gauteng and North West) and Cobras (Western Province and Boland) will remain unchanged. The moves still have to be approved by the CSA executive.