St John's (Antigua), Jun 23 (IANS): The Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on Wednesday unveiled THE 6IXTY, a new 60-ball tournament, which will be played between August 24 and 28 at Warner Park in St Kitts & Nevis.

The inaugural edition of THE 6IXTY is expected to feature men's and women's teams competing in a new set of playing conditions.

Among the key rules highlighted by the organisers are that each batting team will be considered all-out at the fall of the sixth wicket. They'll have two Power Play overs with fielding restrictions, and can unlock a third if they hit two sixes in the first 12 balls of the innings. This extra over of PowerPlay may be taken between overs 3-9.

The bowling side will bowl 30 balls (five overs) from one end before switching to the other for the second half. No bowler will be allowed to bowl more than two overs in the innings.Also, as a measure to keep the games racy and fast-paced, bowling teams will be punished for not bowling their overs in time. A member of the defaulting team will be taken off the field for the final six balls.

Meanwhile, fans too will play a part in the game and will vote for the timing of a "Mystery Free Hit".

"THE 6IXTY has come about because of a close collaboration between CPL and CWI which is the way forward. I am really excited about the innovation, excitement and entertainment that it is going to bring to the fans," said Ricky Skerritt, President of Cricket West Indies.

Pete Russell, CEO of the CPL said, "There will be world-class men's and women's cricketers taking part in a fantastic event for the Caribbean and this combined with cutting-edge innovations, signals a great moment for all fans of West Indian cricket."