ST. JOHN’S, Antigua — Half-dozen of the 30 matches in the upcoming the West Indies Cricket Board’s Professional Cricket League Digicel SportsMax Regional 4-Day Tournament will be day/night contests played with pink cricket balls, it was announced on Thursday.
In keeping with the trend worldwide and to further pursue the experiment that it started six years ago, the WICB has scheduled the matches throughout the coming season which begins on Nov. 11.
“We welcome the return of day/night matches with the pink ball in the Digical SportsMax R4Day,” said WICB Manager, Cricket Operations Roland Holder, as the regional governing body released fixtures for the first half of the season on Thursday.
“Each team has two matches – one home, one away – as gradually international boards begin to embrace this concept.
“The purpose of the re-introduction of day/night matches is two-fold. First, it allows our elite players to familiarise themselves with the pink ball, and secondly, it allows for greater spectator attendance, as patrons can have a relaxing evening watching their favourite team.”
Four of the day/night matches, which will begin at 3 p.m. daily, have been scheduled before the Christmas/New Year’s holiday break in the Tournament. They include an opening round fixture between Trinidad & Tobago Red Force and Windward Islands Volcanoes at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad.
Defending champions Guyana Jaguars will be part of the second day/night match, when they travel to St. Lucia to face the Volcanoes at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Ground in the third round from November 26 to 29.
The Jaguars return home to host long-standing rivals Barbados Pride in the following round from Dec. 9 to 12 at the Guyana National Stadium in a day/night contest, another of which takes place between Leeward Islands Hurricanes and Jamaica Scorpions from Dec. 15 to 18 at Warner Park in St. Kitts during the fifth round.
The last two day/night matches are currently scheduled to be contested in the New Year during the second half of the Tournament in April.
Recently, West Indies completed their first ever day/night Test, when Pakistan bounced them by 56 runs in a tense finish in Dubai. They are scheduled to play another day/night Test next year at Edgbaston on their tour of England.
SCHEDULE OF MATCHES
Round 1 – Nov. 11 to 14
- Red Force vs Volcanoes – Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad (3 p.m.)
- Jaguars vs Scorpions – Guyana National Stadium, Guyana (9:30 a.m.)
- Hurricanes vs Pride – Warner Park, St. Kitts (10 a.m.)
Round 2 – Nov. 18 to 21
- Scorpions vs Volcanoes – Sabina Park, Jamaica (10 a.m.)
- Red Force vs Pride – Queen’s Park Oval (10 a.m.)
- Hurricanes vs Jaguars – Warner Park (10 a.m.)
Round 3 – Nov. 25 to 28
- Scorpions vs Pride – Sabina Park (10 a.m.)
- Red Force vs Hurricanes – Queen’s Park Oval (10 a.m.)
Round 3 – Nov. 26 to 29
- Volcanoes vs Jaguars – Darren Sammy National Cricket Ground, St. Lucia (3 pm)
***EARLY SEASON BREAK ***
Round 4 – Dec. 8 to 11
- Scorpions vs Red Force – Sabina Park (10 a.m.)
Round 4 – Dec. 9 to 12
- Volcanoes vs Hurricanes – Windsor Park, Dominica (10 a.m.)
- Jaguars vs Pride – Guyana National Stadium (3 p.m.)
Round 5 – Dec. 15 to 18
- Hurricanes vs Scorpions – Warner Park (3 p.m.)
Round 5 – Dec. 16 to 19
- Pride vs Volcanoes – Kensington Oval, Barbados (10 a.m.)
- Jaguars vs Red Force – Guyana National Stadium (9:30 a.m.)
***CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR’S BREAK ***