By Tym Glaser, Associate Editor - SportIF YOU thought one-day cricket was fast paced and exciting, wait until you get a load of what the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) has in store over next month's Heroes Day weekend.
For the first time in about a quarter of a century, international double-wicket cricket will be staged in the island as 16 two-man teams will battle it out for top honours at the Kaiser Sports Club from October 18-20.
At a press launch yesterday at the Hilton Hotel, Kingston, the Jamaica Double Wicket Championship's format and teams were revealed.
Each team's players will bowl two overs apiece, they will be provided with eight fielders and a wicketkeeper. When batting, if one is dismissed during the four overs - he will stay at the crease to run with his partner until the overs expire or the other batsman is dismissed. Naturally, the team with the highest score wins.
JCA vice president George Sterling described the three-day tournament as "novel and innovative" at the launch.
"We hope it will become an annual activity on the JCA calendar," Sterling said.
"The board has given itself a mandate where cricket is played as a gentleman's game and more importantly fun because cricket is entertainment," he said.
The teams, divided into four groups of four, will compete for the Laurie Williams Memorial Trophy and impressive prizemoney: first - $100,000, second - $50,000. The highest wickettaker will collect $5,000; most runs in an innings $10,000 and best fielder $5,000.
The island will be well represented by Jamaica Black (Ricardo Powell/Mario Ventura), Green (Franklyn Rose/Donovan Pagon), Gold (Brenton Parchment/David Bernard Jnr), Masters (Courtney Walsh/Jeff Dujon), Youth (Krishmar Santokie/ Xavier Marshall), Surrey champions JDF (Wayne Cuff/Warren Medwynter), St. Catherine CA (Lloyd Rattray/ David Harrison), St. Catherine CC (Tamar Lambert/Danza Hyatt), Hotel Select (Howard Harris/Richard Hoilette) and Westmoreland (Cleveland Davidson/Myron Wilson).
The international challengers are Antigua (Sylvester Joseph/ Wilden Cornwall), Barbados (Philo Wallace/Floyd Reifer), Grenada (Rawle Lewis/Devon Smith), English County side Surrey (players yet to be named), UWI (Maurice Clarke/Llewellyn Meggs) and West Indies Masters (Carlisle Best/Ezra Moseley).
Action starts at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, October 18 with no admission charge. Start time on the Saturday will be 9:00 a.m. and on the Sunday, 9:30 a.m. with admission $300 each day. There will also be discos and live entertainment during the breaks.
The main sponsors of the event are the JCA, Kaiser Sports Club, CVM TV and Air Jamaica.
