By Neto Baptiste
Antigua will host all five rounds of matches in the Cricket West Indies Four-Day Championships slated to bowl off in April.
This was confirmed by President of the Antigua and Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA), Leon Rodney, who said the development is a diversion from the original plan to host only the first three rounds of matches here before moving to Trinidad for the final two rounds.
The CWI four-day tournament, where the first three rounds of matches were supposed to be played here in Antigua; and when I say the first three rounds matches, I mean all the matches. So the six teams would assemble in Antigua and would have been here for like maybe a month or so, because they will play the four-day and then rest. I think it’s one or two days, just like if you were travelling and then play and then rest again and then play. Now it is confirmed that all five rounds of matches would be played here in Antigua,” he said.
Three venues: Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Coolidge Cricket Grounds and the historic Antigua Recreation Grounds (ARG) are earmarked to host matches in the regional tournament starting April 10 and running until June.
Rodney said the country will also host the CWI Rising Stars Under-15 Championships over the Easter weekend in early April.
“So you know that Antigua has been the host venue for the West Indies Under-15 tournament for the last three years so that tournament comes up here in Antigua, the CWI Under-15 tournament comes up here in Antigua and that will be hosted here in Antigua again, but I hope my memory is right when one day there [is] no international,” he said.
The Guyana Harpy Eagles won the Four Day championship for the past three seasons while Barbados won the Rising Stars Under-15 title.
