Cricket is specifically a summer sport in Australia. And most of the cricketing action happens in the south, east and west of the country.
That means there’s little action in the north. So to make the north a hotspot for cricketing action, Northern Territory Cricket launched the Top End T20 Series in 2022.
It isn’t your usual franchise T20 league. Rather, the tournament puts Australian domestic teams and a few international sides up against each other.
This guarantees a bit of entertainment and a platform for the developing cricketers to show their talent. And these upcoming talents have helped their team win the tournament.
So here’s a look at the winners of the Top End T20 Series.
Top End T20 Series Winners: Year by Year
| Season | Winner | Runners-Up |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Cricket Australia XI | Melbourne Renegades Academy |
| 2023 | Northern Territory Strike | Pakistan Shaheens |
| 2024 | Adelaide Strikers | Bangladesh High Performance |
| 2025 | Perth Scorchers Academy | Adelaide Strikers Academy |
| 2026 | Adelaide Strikers Academy | Victoria Cricket Association XI |
2022 | Cricket Australia XI
The inaugural season featured five teams headlined by hosts Northern Territory Strike. Cricket Australia (CA) XI, Melbourne Stars Academy, Melbourne Renegades Academy and Papua New Guinea were the other four teams.
CA XI and Melbourne Stars qualified for the finals. CA XI won the match by 30 runs to lift the inaugural Top End T20 Series title.
2023 | Northern Territory Strike
The 2023 edition expanded to six teams. While four of those sides were the same, ACT Comets and Pakistan Shaheens made their first appearances.
And in their very first season, Pakistan Shaheens entered the final. They were up against hosts Northern Territory Strike.
The Strike won the toss and chose to bat first. Riding on the back of Jack Wood’s unbeaten 101, the Strike posted 185 for 4 on the board.
The target was steep. And so the Shaheens crumbled under the pressure, managing 139 for 7. As a result, the hosts won by 46 runs to win the 2023 Top End T20 Series.
2024 | Adelaide Strikers
The previous two editions’ success resulted in the tournament expanding further to nine teams. Adelaide Strikers, Bangladesh High Performance (HP) XI, Perth Scorchers and Tasmania were the four new entrants.
This season too saw an Australian and an Asian side compete in the final. And the finalists were Adelaide Strikers and Bangladesh HP XI.
After Bangladesh HP XI asked the Strikers to bat first, they put up 169 for 7 on the board. Tom O’Connell top-scored with 53 off 33, while Ryan King (35 off 19), Liam Scott (30 off 18) and Sam Rahaley (20* off 13) played crucial knocks.
Then the Strikers bowlers performed collectively to bowl out Bangladesh HP XI for 137 to become the champions.
2025 | Perth Scorchers Academy
The 2025 season was even bigger, with 11 teams in the fray. Nepal, Chicago Kingsmen and Hobart Hurricanes Academy made their debuts.
Defending champions, Adelaide Strikers Academy, made it to their consecutive final. And they looked set to retain their crown.
But Perth Scorchers Academy had some other plans. After being asked to bat first, the Scorchers posted 205 for 2, thanks to Baxter Holt’s unbeaten 114 and captain Teague Wyllie’s unbeaten 56.
The target was big. But Mackenzie Harvey (83*) and Harry Manenti (60) put up a solid fight for the Strikers.
However, their efforts weren’t enough as the Strikers managed to score 190 for 6, handing over the crown to the Scorchers.
2026 | Adelaide Strikers Academy
Adelaide Strikers Academy made a hat-trick of their final appearance. This time, they were up against Victoria Cricket Association (CA) XI.
Victoria asked the Strikers to bat first. Harry Nielsen (72*), Jerrssis Wadia (49) and Connor Carroll (36) helped the Strikers aggregate 177 for 5 in 20 overs.
In response, Victoria had a shaky start. And despite Blake Macdonald’s (58), Victoria could muster 152 for 8 to hand the Strikers their second Top End T20 Series title.
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