The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

The focus will be on regional and international play for the upcoming week, but the following month will see a shift to competition between the top local teams in the cricket community.

The BCA will host the Bahamas T-20 Cricket Tournament at Haynes Oval and Windsor Park, March 30th through April 1st.

Seven local teams and a visiting team from the Cayman Islands will compete for cash prizes.

The local teams will include Dynasty, Police, Teachers, St Agnes, St George’s, St Albans and Westerns.

At the tournament, 40 persons who have made “significant contributions” to the sport over the last 40 years will be honoured by the BCA.

According to BCA Committee Chairman Paul Thompson, the BCA has selected the honoress from a group of players, coaches, umpires, scorers and administrators.

“During the Easter tournament it is expected that these persons who have been involved and made significant contributions to the game will be honoured. Among the honourees will be past and present players, administrators, officials and sponsors,” he said, “This is a good way to tie in the development of the game and the independence of the Bahamas.”

This weekend, the BCA is slated to host the International Cricket Council Tournament of the Americas Division II February 4-9.

Participating teams will include Argentina, Belize, Panama, Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas.

The Bahamas previously captured the ICC Americas Division II title despite losing a thrilling final match to Suriname by three wickets, so the Bahamas looks to be one of the major players in the tournament.

“Cricket continues to thrive, although it’s not getting the publicity it deserves. Cricket and music, unlike politics, united the people of the Caribbean and made us feel proud. Recent statistics have shown that cricket is second only to soccer in the world of sports. The game is played in 125 countries worldwide with 655 million viewers. To that end, we are hoping we get some support for the upcoming tournaments,” Thompson said.

Thompson highlighted the recent achievements of international teams. “The Bahamas national teams, Under-15, Under-19, and senior teams have participated successfully in International Cricket Council-sponsored tournaments all over the region of the Americas,” he said. “The 2001 team emerged as champions in the tournament played in Jamaica, in 2004, the team beat Panama to qualify to play in the World League, and in 2009, the Bahamas won the Under-15 regional tournament and the Pepsi Cola ICC tournament for senior teams.”

In 2006, the BCA took a bold step in hiring an international cricket coach from England to take the game into the country’s schools. The coach was able to make contact with 26 primary schools in Nassau, seven in Grand Bahama and one in Bimini, where Kwik Cricket was introduced to the young boys and girls.

A total of 13,600 school children are involved in that scheme. Out of that programme, the BCA was able to start an U-15 and U-13 league with four teams in each competition, with the U-15s playing with a hard ball.