A new all-singing, all-dancing cricket competition with players competing for cash prizes is being launched this season.

The Varistha Cheltenham Premier T20 is the brainchild of businessman and Cheltenham Cricket Club player Sathya Prakash Timmaraju, and the tournament will adopt many of the features that has made the quickfire format so popular around the globe.

“Teams will wear coloured clothing and they’ll play with a pink ball,” said Prakash, who captained Cheltenham’s 3rd XI last season. “There will be music and razzmatazz.”

Six teams will compete in the inaugural competition – Cheltenham Spartans, Charlton Super Kings, Dumbleton Dynamite, Hatherley Hurricanes, Tewkesbury Royals, and the University of Gloucestershire Giants – with matches being played on Tuesday evenings at 6pm.

And the money on offer is an added attraction.

“The winning team will receive £800 and the runners-up will get £400,” continued Prakash, who runs his own software company. "There will be £200 for the other participating clubs.

“I’m putting £2,000 of my own money into the competition.”

The competition will replace the Arthur Bailey Challenge Cup and Prakash added: “The six teams will play four home games and four away games, with the top four going through to the semi-finals. Each team has to register 18 players before the tournament.

“The competition will start at the beginning of May and the final will be in the first week in July at Cheltenham Cricket Club.”

And 47-year-old Prakash has big plans for the competition moving forward.

“We’re looking to get sponsors on board,” he said. “Next year we want to extend the competition to Gloucester and Bristol.

“I want to make it very big in the next few years with increased prize money.

“My ambition is to run a champion of champions, with the ultimate winners being crowned T20 county champions.”

Prakash, who left India to move to this country some 23 years ago, already sponsors the Cheltenham Football League, but cricket is clearly his first love.

“Cheltenham has been very kind to me,” he said. “I’m a big cricket fan, I have a huge passion for the sport.”

And he’d love to play in his own competition.

“If I can get selected,” he said.

For more information about the Cheltenham Premier T20, visit

https://cheltenham.premiert20.com