ST JOHN’S, Antigua – The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) advised yesterday that this year’s Regional 4-Day Tournament will begin this coming Friday, February 28, with two matches.
Jamaica will open the season on home soil, when they face Guyana at Sabina Park, five hours later Windward Islands host defending champions Barbados at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in St Lucia in the first of nine day/night matches to be played this season.
Leeward Islands and Combined Campuses & Colleges then start their season the following day at Warner Park in St Kitts.
This year, the tournament will see the introduction of a batting and bowling points system in an effort to encourage positive play.
Teams will be awarded batting and bowling points for performances in the first 110 overs of each first innings only and retained whatever the result of the match.
A maximum of five batting points will be awarded based on runs scored by each team as follows:
200 to 249 runs – 1 point
250 to 299 runs – 2 points
300 to 349 runs – 3 points
350 to 399 runs – 4 points
400 runs or over – 5 points
A maximum of three batting points will be awarded based on wickets taken by each team as follows:
3 to 5 wickets taken – 1 point
6 to 8 wickets taken – 2 points
9 to 10 wickets taken – 3 points
The WICB also advised that the teams will be playing for two trophies this year. The team that accumulates the most points following the seven preliminary round matches will be awarded the WICB President’s Trophy and will qualify as one of four teams for the semifinals of the tournament to play for the George Headley/Everton Weekes Trophy.
Barbados claimed an unprecedented 21 regional first-class titles, following an innings and 22-run victory over long-standing, sporting arch-rivals Trinidad & Tobago with a day-and-a-half remaining in the Final last May on home soil at Kensington Oval.
SCHEDULE of MATCHES
(All scheduled start times are local times; NOTE–Jamaica is 1 hour behind the Eastern Caribbean)
ROUND 1
Friday, February 28 to Monday, March 3
Windward Islands vs Barbados – Beausejour Cricket Ground, St Lucia (15:00hrs daily)
Jamaica vs Guyana – Sabina Park, Jamaica (10:00hrs daily)
Saturday, March 1 to Tuesday, March 4
Leeward Islands vs Combined Campuses & Colleges – Warner Park, St. Kitts (10:00hrs daily)
ROUND 2
Friday, March 7 to Monday, March 10
Trinidad & Tobago vs Windward Islands – Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad (10:00hrs daily)
Guyana vs Barbados – Guyana National Stadium, Guyana (15:00hrs daily)
Leeward Islands vs Jamaica – Warner Park, St Kitts (15:00hrs daily)
ROUND 3
Thursday, March 13 to Sunday, March 16
Guyana vs Windward Islands – Guyana National Stadium (10:00hrs daily)
Friday, March 14 to Monday, March 17
Combined Campuses & Colleges vs Barbados – Three Ws Oval, Barbados (15:00hrs daily)
Trinidad & Tobago vs Leeward Islands – Queen’s Park Oval (15:00hrs daily)
ROUND 4
Friday, March 21 to Monday, March 24
Combined Campuses & Colleges vs Guyana – Three Ws Oval (15:00hrs daily)
Jamaica vs Windward Islands – Sabina Park (10:00hrs daily)
Barbados vs Trinidad & Tobago – Kensington Oval, Barbados (10:00hrs daily)
ROUND 5
Friday, March 28 to Monday, March 31
Jamaica vs Barbados – Sabina Park (10:00hrs daily)
Trinidad & Tobago vs Jamaica – Queen’s Park Oval (15:00hrs daily)
Windward Islands vs Leeward Islands – Queen’s Park, Grenada (10:00hrs daily)
ROUND 6
Friday, April 4 to Monday, April 7
Trinidad & Tobago vs Jamaica – Queen’s Park Oval (15:00hrs daily)
Windward Islands vs Combined Campuses & Colleges – Arnos Vale Multiplex, St. Vincent (10:00hrs daily)
Leeward Islands vs Guyana – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua (10:00hrs daily)
ROUND 7
Friday, April 11 to Monday, April 14
Guyana vs Trinidad & Tobago – Guyana National Stadium (10:00hrs daily)
Leeward Islands vs Barbados – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground (15:00hrs daily)
Combined Campuses & Colleges vs Jamaica – Three Ws Oval (10:00hrs daily)
SEMIFINALS
Saturday, April 19 to Tuesday, April 22
Semi-final 1: 1st vs 4th – To be hosted in the territory of 1st
Semi-final 2: 2nd vs 3rd – To be hosted in the territory of 2nd
THE FINAL
Friday, April 25 to Monday, April 28
Semi-final: 1 qualifier vs Semi-final 2 qualifier – To be hosted by higher placed team from the preliminary round
