Tony Becca - FROM THE BOUNDARY THE FINAL of the Carib Beer International Challenge Trophy is scheduled for March 25, 26, 27 and 28, it is between defending champions Barbados and Jamaica, and the fans are looking forward to an exciting encounter to a thrilling climax to the regional tournament.
Although Barbados, winners of the Carib Beer Cup, won all their matches in the preliminary round for a perfect 84 points, even though second-placed Jamaica finished 32 points behind, such have been the contests, the rivalry, between the two teams in recent years, so close was the contest at Sabina Park during the preliminary round, and led by the exciting Christopher Gayle and Dwayne Smith, such are the players on either side that it should be the match of the season. There is one concern, however. An occasion like that, a match like that, deserves to be the centre of attraction. In fact, for those four days, it should be the only attraction in the country where it is being played and it should be played at the number one venue. Unfortunately, that will not be the case. There will be another match in Barbados at the same time and the final will not be played at Kensington Oval.
THE FINAL
According to the Jamaica Cricket Association, the final, based on what it has been told, will be played at North Star in St. Lucy, and according to the fixtures for the England series, the tourists will be playing a Carib Beer XI on March 26, 27 and 28 at the Three Ws Oval in Bridgetown.
What that means is that with the exception of the first day of the final, the fans in a small country will be asked to support two matches and as much as Barbadians love cricket, as far as spectator support is concerned, one is sure to suffer.
Had the tournament started one week earlier, the final could have been played when the semi-finals were played, and apart from asking why it did not, there are two obvious questions: why the clash of dates and why play both matches in the same country?
With England in the West Indies and Bangladesh to follow, the clash of dates was unavoidable.
TOP STANDINGS
As the team that finished top of the standings, Barbados won the right to stage the final once they were in it, and with the semi-finals played only last week, the West Indies Board did not know who would host the final.
The only solution, therefore, is to move the match between the tourists and the Carib Beer XI to another country, and with that match scheduled for Barbados but not at Kensington Oval, with England playing a Test match in Trinidad without playing there before, with England playing a Test match in Antigua without playing there before, and with the match three weeks away, that should not be difficult.
Tour match is important, but more so is the final of the tournament, and as far as attracting the fans is concerned, the West Indies Board should have ensured that it would have no competition.
