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by Howard Campbe

The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) bowls off this weekend with two exciting matches at Central Broward Regional Park.Today, 2016 runners-up Guyana Amazon Warriors play St. Kitts And Nevis Patriots at 10 am; while champions Jamaica Tallawahs take on Barbados Tridents at 3:00 pm.

The teams will play each other again tomorrow.

Peter Miller, head of communications for the August 4-September 9 tournament, tells CNW that South Florida has a big part to play in making cricket a mainstream sport in the United States.

“The CPL is quite serious about expanding the game of cricket in the US. Coming to Florida again shows they see the potential to grow,” said Miller.

Central Broward Regional Park, located in the heart of a flourishing Caribbean community, is the only venue in the US sanctioned by the International Cricket Council, cricket’s governing body.

Most of the fans who showed up to watch the CPL’s maiden run in 2016 are West Indians who live in South Florida and across the Sunshine State.

Many of them still follow the international game on the Internet.

Miller acknowledges that the majority of these fans grew up on the game in the West Indies. While the CPL is eager to reach a younger demographic, he believes older fans bring a sense of nostalgia to matches.

“They have that strong West Indian vibe which is a good thing, and they’re starved for cricket, exciting cricket. But then the young people bring their own flavor too, like the (sound system) selectors and dancing girls,” he said.

It is estimated that over 30,000 fans attended the six matches at Central Broward Regional Park last year. They generated over $12 million for the local economy.

By profession, Miller is a journalist who has covered the game in his native England for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), ESPNCricinfo and Cricketer Magazine.

Miller is confident the CPL has put together a package that will score with fans.

“We’ve got a really good show with four outstanding teams. We expect everyone to come together for a fantastic experience,”

he said.

Gibbs

bowled over

by T20

Amid the speeches at an introduction function at Central Broward Regional Park for the Jamaica Tallawahs on August 1, Lance Gibbs soakedup adulation from fans, as he expressed his views on T20 cricket.

A West Indies cricket legend, the former right arm offspinner has lived in South Florida since 1979. The cricket scene here is a big contrast to cricket-hungry Guyana, his native land.

Gibbs, who is approaching his 83rd birthday, looks fit and trim. He is a vice-president of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 tournament which bowls off at Central Broward Regional Park on August 5th. The South Florida leg concludes on August 6th.

After retiring from first-class cricket in 1976, Gibbs migrated to the United States, not exactly a bastion of cricket.

Not much has changed in terms of the game’s popularityin the US, but Gibbs believes with the CPL making a mark in its debut South Florida run last year, the tournament can do even better in 2017. For cricket to take off in the US, he noted, nurturing its roots is critical.

“You’ve got to start (promoting the game) in the schools. Look at soccer, you pass every park and kids are playing… It wasn’t like that one time. Now, soccer is huge!” he exclaimed.

Gibbs still has a preference for Testmatches (played over five days), but has no problem with the frenetic T20 format which attracts thousands of fans to matches in the Caribbean while support for the longer version has declined.

“You can’t blame them for looking out for their welfare.

Look, when I was a world-record holder I was getting one pound (sterling) a day playing for the West Indies,” – Gibbs The one-day game was starting to take off at the end of his career. He played only three One-Day Internationals, the last against Sri Lanka in 1975.

Gibbs empathizes with players who have turned their backs on Test matches for the glamor of T20. It’s more hip and the pay is not bad. “You can’t blame them for looking out for their welfare. Look, when I was a world-record holder I was getting one pound (sterling) a day playing for the West Indies,” he said.

At the time of his retirement from Tests in 1976, Gibbs had taken 309 wickets, a record.

This weekend, he will be at Central Broward Regional Park, more than likely cheering Guyana Amazon Warriors against St. Kitts And Nevis Patriots.

Maybe he’ll turn his arm over for old time’s sake.

The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will work closely with ICC Americas to offer developmental opportunities to American cricketers during the tournament's South Florida leg.

CPL reaches out to

us heroes

Matches in the region will be played August 5-6 at Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill.

Defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs, 2016 runners-up Guyana Amazon Warriors, St. Kitts And Nevis Patriots and Barbados Tridents are the competing teams.

The Hero CPL will provide opportunities for USA Under-19 squad members to be immersed with their counterparts from other teams during the buildup to the matches in South Florida and throughout the tournament which ends September 9.

The USA Under-19s players will serve as net bowlers, act as 12th men during matches, sit on the

The players involved are: Barbados Tridents Awais Mubarak Gaurav Patanker

Guyana Amazon Warrriors Karthik Gattepalli Keshav Pabbisetty Jamaica Tallawahs Motak Buch Raymond Ramrattan

Gaurav Patanker & Raymond Ramrattan

bench during games and be fully integrated in the dressing room to experience the atmosphere of a world-class squad.

Ricardo Powell, USA's chairman of selectors said, “This is an exciting opportunity to have some of the best bowlers from the USA Under19 team who recently participated in the World Cup Qualifier in

Toronto last month, to develop their skills and be around some of the best players in the world.”

Pete Russell, Chief Operating Officer of the Hero CPL, is excited about the initiative: “The Hero CPL is firmly committed to supporting the development of cricket in North America and we see this as another example of that. We really

SKN Patriots Sahil Patel Sam Das

hope that these young and exciting USA players get a huge amount out of this developmental opportunity.”

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Lendl Mark Platter Simmons

Born: January 25, 1985, Port of Spain, Trinidad Current age: 32 years Playing role: Top-order batsman Batting style: Right-hand bat Bowling style: Right-arm medium-fast Fielding position: Occasional wicketkeeper A player who has enjoyed international success in both the ODI and Test spheres, Simmons is one of the Caribbean's most explosive opening batsmen who leaves bowlers with bad memories and fans with great ones. A huge part of Trinidad and Tobago's Twenty20 success, he is a powerful batter, can keep things tight through the middle overs with the ball and is known as having one of the safest pairs of hands in the Caribbean. When he is on form, this is the ideal Twenty20 player.

Longing for...

The good

ole days

Some Caribbean-Americans who grew up on cricket in the Caribbean were disappointed at ďŹ nding relatively little cricket played on migrating to the United States of America.

CNW reached out to some of these people as they express their nostalgia and hope for a brighter cricketing future in the U.S.

Mascelles “Mass” Bailey Mascelles “Mass” Bailey, a frequent visitor to South Florida, is an avid cricket enthusiast. He played the game at club level in Jamaica prior to migrating. Bailey also played as a member of Lucas Sports Club of New York. He has been involved in the development of the game in the US, having served as President of the NY Metropolitan Cricket League, the country's oldest cricket league .

Bailey, who also served as executive secretary of the USA Cricket Association, says the T20 format is great for the game in America.

“The pace of the limited over game fits the fast pace of American sports. But despite this effort the game is more popular with Caribbean, some European and Asian migrants to the US,” he told CNW. Bailey says he misses the waning traditional Test match format which is played over five days. He acknowledges it could become extinct.

He believes South Florida has strong potential as a focal point for cricket in the US.

It's not sufcient to have professional cricket for just a few days out of the year. More professional games should be played at the Central Broward Regional Park more often.

“New York has the market, but doesn't have the facilities that South Florida has for professional cricket. Those involved in cricket in South Florida should focus more on marketing the game. It's not sufficient to have professional or international cricket for just a few days out of the year. More professional and international games should be played at the Central Broward Regional Park more often. It is all about marketing.”

Don Daly Veteran (30 years) South Florida broadcaster Don Daly has fond memories of the game growing up in St. Mary, east Jamaica.

“I only played backyard cricket, but I loved the game dearly. I remember getting up very early in the mornings when the West Indies played in places like Australia to listen to cricket broadcast. Sometimes the reception was so bad you could hardly hear, but nonetheless we glued our ears to the radio.”

Daly said when he migrated to New York he didn't miss cricket all that much.

“Several teams played league cricket in New York.” But when he relocated to Southwest Miami, there was little cricket in that region, “but my interest never waned. I have grown to enjoy US sports but cricket is very special. Having international cricket tournaments like the CPL in South Florida is long overdue and augurs well for the future of cricket in this region.”

“My interest never waned. I have grown to enjoy US sports but cricket is very special.

Having international cricket tournaments like the CPL in South Florida is long overdue and augurs well for the future of cricket in this region.” – Daly

Courtney Phipps Courtney Phipps played cricket in his hometown of St. Michael, Barbados.

“I played almost every weekend from eight years-old until I migrated to Florida at age 26. Not even rain stopped me from playing. When I came to Florida and people said baseball was like cricket I just laughed. I am glad that gradually the game is coming into its own here. But it still has a long way to go before it's generally accepted.”

Phipps said although he has grown fond of limited-over cricket he prefers Test matches.

“I grew up watching West Indies Test series with England, India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand. I really miss those games. The T20 format is too commercialized.

The players even have advertisement on their uniforms. But you know something, the T20 format was born from the one-day cricket we played in the Caribbean as youth. Those games had to have a winner the same day. This is what oneday cricket is, although it looks like the old 'catchy-shubbie' game. The CPL games in Lauderhill are good for cricket in America.”

Margaret Barrett Former Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) representative and Broward resident, Margaret Barrett, is a cricket fan from living in Jamaica where she was a member of Melbourne Cricket Club.

“In Jamaica, the stimulus was there. Every Saturday/ Sunday there was a match somewhere with high caliber and international players,” she said.

When Barrett migrated to Florida, there were a number of cricket clubs playing in Broward County and Palm Beach on Sundays.

“I attended a few games in Palm Beach and Pembroke Pines. Through Jamaica National, I sponsored a tournament with local and Jamaican players. I wanted this to be a regular event. But, it was a fundraiser so there was no guaranteed continuity. The problem was there was no unity. There was too much jealousy and internal competition amongst the ruling bodies.”

She believes there's sufficient interest for cricket in South Florida, but noted, “What's lacking is one regional governing body, not segregated by country or nationality.”

Wayne LeBlanc West Palm Beach resident Wayne LeBlanc from Trinidad and Tobago said, “Growing up, cricket was just a way of life in Trinidad. As boys, you either played cricket or soccer. But to me cricket was the game. Whatever piece of wood we found served as a cricket bat. And we had a variety of balls; even limes and breadfruit were used. We improvised a lot, but we played cricket.”

LeBlanc said when the West Indies played international Test cricket, whether at Queens Park Oval or broadcast on radio, “Everything else stopped. People in the fields, offices, school found some way to listen to broadcast of these matches. People celebrated when the West Indies won, and when the team lost it was like someone died.”

Leblanc said he was “elated” when the cricket stadium was built in Lauderhill, “but I expected much more cricket matches to be played there. I hope the CPL games become an annual event at the park. Caribbean-Americans, Indians, Pakistanis, English, Australians, all live in South Florida.

They love cricket, and want to see more games here.”

Pitch-perfect

at Central Broward Stadium

by Karyl Walker

Come August 5 and 6, cricket fans can expect a feast of runs and scintillating bowling at Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, as the second season of the Hero CPL T20 tournament gets underway in South Florida. Organizers have worked feverishly to prepare a pitch that favors batsmen while providing some assistance to the bowlers. This makes for exciting cricket.

Curator Milton Taylor has been preparing pitches in the parish of Clarendon (southcentral Jamaica) for two decades. Along with International Cricket Council-recommended New Zealander Mark Perham, he is responsible for preparing the Broward strip.

Bermuda Princess 77 grass is a dark green, fine leaf textured variety of grass used in the NFL Super Bowl.

According to Taylor, the clay is different than the type used in the Caribbean.

“There, you use 90 percent clay but for this tournament we use less clay because this variety is more compact,” he said.

Taylor and Persham are working with Hero CPL T20 venue operations manager Dennis Hardial who is positive fans will get their money's worth.

“We are pulling out all the stops to ensure that everything runs smoothly. The work on the pitch has been going on since March and we are fine-tuning our efforts now,” Hardial explained.

Last year, 20,000 fans attended T20 matches at Central Broward Regional Park. This year's matches see 2016 runners-up Guyana Amazon Warriors playing St. Kitts And Nevis Patriots at 10 am and champions Jamaica Tallawahs playing Barbados Tridents at 3:00 pm.

The teams play again on August 6 at the same times.

“The pitch will have 70 percent clay and we use Bermuda Princess 77 grass to keep the strip compact.

We try our best to prepare a pitch that will assist the batsmen and should also be helpful to the bowlers. We are preparing a pitch that should make for an exciting contest between bat and ball,” – Taylor

Kieron Adrian Pollard

Born: May 12, 1987, Tacarigua, Trinidad Current age: 30 years Playing role: Allrounder Batting style: Right-hand bat Bowling style: Right-arm medium-fast A strapping all-rounder from Tacarigua, a town 10 miles outside of Port-of-Spain on Trinidad’s east-west corridor, Pollard seems purpose-built for T20 cricket. His powerful physique is the launch pad for his awesome big-hitting, while gravity-defying out ďŹ elding and tricky medium-pace add to his armoury. A veteran of 2 Cricket World Cups and 3 ICC World T20 World Cups, the 27 year old is one player that will always keep fans on the edge of their seats.

Expect one big party It will be more than just cricket. when the Hero CPL T20 tournament gets underway at Central Broward Regional Park on August 5-6. The Party Stand has been designated a special operations zone by organizers.

Patrons who venture into that section of the ground will be in for a treat. “It will be awesome, we are promising an unforgettable experience. It will be a big, big party in the stand,” concessionaire for the Party Stand, Marco Brown told CNW.

Hero CPL organizers have promised free food and drink throughout the two days as well as other prizes and surprises.

“We will be offering finger food, like stamp and go in the morning and patrons will have a choice of one of four meals during the lunch break. There will be an assortment of drinks including those from the top shelf,” he said.

“Tickets are selling fast. We anticipate a full house and we intend to make sure the party goes on,” – Marco Brown.

On opening day, the Third World band will perform during the 90 minute break between matches; the following day, soca artist Roger George does the honors. In addition, Disc Jockeys Barry Hype, DJ Radcliffe and Hyper D will keep the venue rocking with popular songs.

A party atmosphere is key at cricket matches in the Caribbean. In Jamaica, at Sabina Park there is the Mound; in Trinidad, the Trini Posse keeps things hot at Queens Park Oval; there are similar scenes in Barbados at Kensington Oval and St. Kitts at Warner Park.

The tournament gets underway in South Florida with The Guyana Amazon Warriors going up against St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots while the Barbados Tridents take on champions Jamaica Tallawahs. There will be a repeat of the matches on the following day.

Christopher Henry Gayle

Born: September 21, 1979, Kingston, Jamaica Current age: 37 years Playing role: Allrounder Batting style: Left-hand bat Bowling style: Right-arm offbreak The supremely talented West Indies international is arguably the biggest star in the Carribean Premier League. He is one of only four players to have scored two triple centuries at Test level and holds the record for the fastest century across any format when needing just 31 balls. The West Indies' all-time leading T20 run-scorer, Gayle will be looking to lead his new team to their first CPL title with his astoundingly powerful stroke play and measured off-spin.

This well-versed allrounder has plied his trade from Pakistan to England and India to Australia.

Tanvir brings a great deal of experience to the Amazon Warriors' dressing room as he looks to contribute with both bat and ball.

Sohail Tanvir

Born: December 12, 1984, Rawalpindi, Punjab Current age: 32 years Playing role: Bowler Batting style: Left-hand bat Bowling style: Left-arm medium-fast