<P> Since its inception the game has been very successful resulting in its spread around the cricket world . On most international tours there is at least one Twenty20 match and all Test - playing nations have a domestic cup competition . The inaugural ICC World Twenty20 was played in South Africa in 2007 with India winning by five runs against Pakistan in the final . Pakistan won the second tournament in 2009, and England won the title in the West Indies 2010 . West Indies won in 2012, with Sri Lanka winning the 2014 tournament . West Indies are the reigning champions, winning the 2016 competition, and in doing so, became the first nation to win the tournament twice . </P> <P> When the Benson & Hedges Cup ended in 2002, the ECB needed another one day competition to fill its place . Cricketing authorities were looking to boost the game's popularity with the younger generation in response to dwindling crowds and reduced sponsorship . It was intended to deliver fast paced, exciting cricket accessible to thousands of fans who were put off by the longer versions of the game . Stuart Robertson, the marketing manager of the ECB, proposed a 20 over per innings game to county chairmen in 2001 and they voted 11--7 in favour of adopting the new format . </P> <P> The first official Twenty20 matches were played on 13 June 2003 between the English counties in the Twenty20 Cup . The first season of Twenty20 in England was a relative success, with the Surrey Lions defeating the Warwickshire Bears by 9 wickets in the final to claim the title . The first Twenty20 match held at Lord's, on 15 July 2004 between Middlesex and Surrey, attracted a crowd of 27,509, the highest attendance for any county cricket game at the ground--other than a one - day final--since 1953 . </P> <P> Thirteen teams from different parts of the country participated in Pakistan's inaugural competition in 2004, with Faisalabad Wolves the first winners . On 12 January 2005 Australia's first Twenty20 game was played at the WACA Ground between the Western Warriors and the Victorian Bushrangers . It drew a sell - out crowd of 20,000, which was the first time in nearly 25 years the ground had been completely sold out . </P>

When was the first t20 cricket match played