In a move aimed at familiarising regional players with the pink ball, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has taken the initiative to play some matches in the Digicel SportsMax Regional Four-Day tournament, with the ball and as day/night affairs.
Just last week, the West Indies cricket team played their first ever day/night Test losing to Pakistan by 56 runs in Dubai. T&T will have the first bite of the pink cherry, when they host the Windward Islands in the first round at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain. In fact each team will have one home game with the pink ball and another while playing away from home.
Six of the 30 matches in the tournament, will be played as day/night affairs, something that has made WICB operations manager Roland Holder a happy man.
He said, “We welcome the return of day/night matches with the pink ball in the Digicel SportsMax Regional Four-Day. Each team has two matches—one home, one away—as gradually international boards begin to embrace this concept.
“The purpose of the re-introduction of day/night matches is two-fold. First, it allows our elite players to familiarise themselves with the pink ball, and secondly, it allows for greater spectator attendance, as patrons can have a relaxing evening watching their favourite team.”
Four of the day/night matches, which will begin at 3 pm daily, have been scheduled before the Christmas/New Year’s holiday break in the Tournament.
Defending champion Guyana Jaguars will be part of the second day/night match, when they travel to St Lucia to face the Volcanoes at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Ground in the third round from November 26-29.
The Jaguars return home to host long-standing rivals Barbados Pride in the following round from December 9-12 at the Guyana National Stadium in a day/night contest, another of which takes place between Leeward Islands Hurricanes and Jamaica Scorpions from December 15-18 at Warner Park in St Kitts during the fifth round. The last two day/night matches are currently scheduled to be contested in the New Year during the second half of the Tournament in April.
Matches
Round 1 – November 11-14
Red Force vs Volcanoes – Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad, 3 pm
Jaguars vs Scorpions – Guyana National Stadium, Guyana, 9.30 am
Hurricanes vs Pride – Warner Park, St Kitts, 10 am
Round 2 – November 18-21
Scorpions vs Volcanoes – Sabina Park, Jamaica, 10 am
Red Force vs Pride – Queen’s Park Oval, 10 am
Hurricanes vs Jaguars – Warner Park, 10 am
Round 3 – November 25-28
Scorpions vs Pride – Sabina Park, 10 am
Red Force vs Hurricanes – Queen’s Park Oval, 10 am
Round 3 – November 26-29
Volcanoes vs Jaguars – Darren Sammy National Cricket Ground, St Lucia, 3 pm
Early season break
Round 4 – December 8-11
Scorpions vs Red Force – Sabina Park, 10 am
Round 4 – December 9-12
Volcanoes vs Hurricanes – Windsor Park, Dominica, 10 am
Jaguars vs Pride – Guyana National Stadium, 3 pm
Round 5 – December 15-18
Hurricanes vs Scorpions – Warner Park, 3 pm
Round 5 – December 16-19
Pride vs Volcanoes – Kensington Oval, Barbados, 10 am
Jaguars vs Red Force – Guyana National Stadium, 9.30 am
Christmas/New Year’s break
