West Indies: NorTel Championship - planners try again (16 Jul 1998)

16 July 1998

NorTel planners try again

By Garth Wattley

After a week of anguish and much discussion, the cricketers and officials involved in the NorTel West Indies Under-19 cricket tournament have a new competition to look forward to. Weather permitting.

After the loss of over 70 hours of cricket because of rain, damp pitches and sodden outfields, the organising committee after consultation with the managers and the West Indies Board have abandoned the three-day format in favour of a limited-overs series.

Last week, the steady loss of play prompted the manager of the Jamaica team Lyndel Wright to raise the question of switching the tournament to a territory where conditions were more favourable.

However, according to Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board president Alloy Lequay, no change of venue was considered.

Instead, two contingency plans were tabled. The first one involved staging two-day matches with the original structure.

But, according to Lequay, "they came up with the suggestion that if we did that, and a day was washed out, we would be back to a washout situation."

So it is plan two which goes into effect on Monday. This format is based on the Red Stripe Bowl senior limited-overs concept.

In the new scenario, the six championship teams all play each other in a round-robin 50 overs competition with the first-placed team playing the third-placed side and team two playing team four.

The winners of these matches will meet in the final at the Queen's Park Oval on July 30.

The guest Canada team and the NorTel development squad will play three one-day games and a three-day match against each other.

A release from the organising committee yesterday stated further that an emergency meeting was held on Tuesday to ensure that "all arrangements are in place, more particularly ground preparation. The best possible grounds in the prevailing situation have been selected."

As a result, Presentation College Chaguanas, where no play was possible on any of the six scheduled days, Inshan Ali Park where Trinidad and Tobago's first match against the Windward Islands was rained out, and the Sir Frank Worrell ground at the University of the West Indies have been excluded from the new itinerary.

Instead the Oval, which was originally carded to stage just two matches, will now host four.

Reserve days have been set aside in case matches cannot be completed in a single day.

It has also been agreed that while the two Tobago fixtures carded to start today between the Windward Islands and Canada and NorTel Development and Jamaica will go ahead but the others will not.

Instead, a schedule of net sessions and discussions on cricket have been established for the four teams in Trinidad.

This programme continues until Sunday when the hosts play the Windwards at the Oval, defending champions Guyana tackle Jamaica at Gilbert Park, Barbados play the Leewards at Squadron ground and Canada play NorTel development at the Powergen ground.

The success of the new plan still depends on the weather, but Lequay is optimistic things will work out.

"I'm hopeful," he told the Express, "It's the best we can do."

Source :: The Trinidad Express (https://www.trinidad.net/express/)