NORTH SOUND, Antigua, CMC – Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana, the only teams to have captured regional Twenty20 titles, will both be in action when the 2012 Caribbean tournament starts here today at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
Title holders Trinidad & Tobago, under a new captain in wicket-keeper/batsman Denesh Ramdin, will oppose the Darren Sammy-led Windward Islands in the first match at 4 p.m. (Eastern Caribbean time), while the 2010 champions Guyana, with all-rounder Christopher Barnwell at the helm, clash with the Leeward Islands at 8 p.m.
Both matches are in Group A, which is completed by Canada.
There are three overseas teams in Canada, Netherlands and Sussex.
The Netherlands and Sussex are in Group B along with Barbados, Jamaica and Combined Campuses & Colleges.
Guyana won the title in 2010 after lifting the now defunct Allen Stanford tournament in 2006, while Trinidad & Tobago were also Stanford winners in 2008.
As was the case last year, the tournament is being played in two phases at the very same venues. The first phase will be at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium from January 9 to 14, with Kensington Oval in Barbados gaining the attention from January 17 to 22.
The winners will pocket US$62,500, along with the glittering trophy.
Overall, close to US$125,000 will be up for grabs.
The second-placed team will collect US$25,000. There are also incentives for the losing semi-finalists. The third-placed team will get US$12,500 and the fourth-placed US$10,000. The Star-of-the-Match in each match will get US$500 as well as a custom-designed plaque.
The other big incentive for the top placed Caribbean team is the opportunity to play in the Champions League later this year in India.
All matches will be broadcast live on ESPN.
Caribbean T20 Itinerary:
ANTIGUA – Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Grounds
January 9
Windward Islands v Trinidad and Tobago (4pm)
Leewards Islands v Guyana (8pm)
January 10
Sussex v Netherlands (4pm)
CCC v Jamaica (8pm)
January 11
Canada v Windward Islands (4pm)
Leeward Islands v Trinidad and Tobago (8pm)
January 12
Sussex v Jamaica (4pm)
Netherlands v Barbados (8pm)
January 13
Canada v Leeward Islands (4pm)
Guyana v Trinidad and Tobago (8pm)
January 14
Sussex v CCC (4pm)
Barbados v Jamaica (8pm)
BARBADOS – Kensington Oval
January 17
Canada v Guyana (4pm)
Leeward Islands v Windward Islands (8pm)
January 18
Netherlands v CCC (4pm)
Sussex v Barbados (8pm)
January 19
Canada v Trinidad and Tobago (4pm)
Guyana v Windward Islands (8pm)
January 20
Netherlands v Jamaica (4pm)
CCC v Barbados (8pm)
January 21
Semi Final 1 – Group A 1 v Group B 2 (4pm)
Semi Final 2 – Group A 2 v Group B 1 (8pm)
January 22
3rd Place Playoff – Loser SF 1 v Loser SF 2 (4pm)
Final – Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2 (8pm)
