PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC
Defending champions Barbados will open against Jamaica in a rematch of last year's title-decider when the 2005 CLICO West Indies Under-15 cricket tournament starts today.
Barbados and Jamaica will clash at Inshan Ali Park, while Guyana face hosts Trinidad and Tobago at National Cricket Centre (NCC) and the Leeward Islands meet the Windward Islands at Gilbert Park in the other first round matches.
The Guyana/Trinidad and Tobago game at the NCC in Couva will be the venue for the official opening ceremony of the tournament.
The 2005 tournament starts a five-year sponsorship association with insurance company CLICO, worth US$725,000.
Barbados, who were also 1997 champions, clinched the title last year in St. Vincent with a tense two-wicket last-ball victory over two-time champions Jamaica at Sion Hill.
most successful team
Hosts Trinidad and Tobago, with three championship wins, have been the most successful team in the junior tournament now entering its 10th year. They won consecutive titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Guyana, Barbados, and Jamaica are two-time winners, while the Leewards and Windwards have never won the tournament.
For the first time this year, the players will take part in two-day as well as one-day games.
The previous tournaments consisted only of one-day games but this year, each team will contest one non-championship two-day game as a developmental fixture carrying no points.
Those games will be the Leewards against the Windwards on April 2-3 at the NCC, Guyana against Trinidad and Tobago at Gilbert Park on April 5-6, and Jamaica versus Barbados on April 8-9 at NCC.
A challenge trophy will be presented to the winner and a plaque to the runner-up.
And through CLICO's sponsorship, there will be a Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for each team as well as Man-of-the -Match awards for the games.
