Getting 20/20 sharp

Barbados and Montserrat will play a series of Twenty20 cricket matches at the end of this month as both islands intensify preparations for next month's Stanford 20/20 tournament in Antigua.

Barbados coach Hendy Springer told Nationsports they will welcome the trip by the Leeward Islands side and the full format for the Stanford 20/20 will be used during the warm-up games.

"Montserrat have decided to come here for some matches to help with their preparations and that will be great preparation for us as well," said Springer, a former Barbados allrounder. "We will be trying to use the equipment which will be put in place during the Stanford 20/20 tournament. That will include the black bats and the balls, as we have to get as close to ready as we can be."

The Stanford 20/20 tournament will be played at the Stanford Cricket Ground in Antigua from July 11 to August 13. Barbados' opening match will be against Anguilla on Tuesday, July 18, at 7 pm, while Montserrat open against Guyana on Friday, July 21, at 3 pm.

So far the Barbados team has been training at the Texaco Ground, Brighton, because of renovations ongoing at the 3Ws Oval and Kensington Oval as the island prepares for the World Cup. The matches against Montserrat are expected to be played at the Carlton Club, Black Rock. The organisers are looking at the possibility of having double headers - one match in the afternoon under natural light, one at night under floodlights.

Springer said he was pleased with the progress so far and indicated the final squad will be named this week. "Our preparations against Montserrat will be as if we were in the tournament going after the title. We need to first of all get familiar with the new version of the game and create a winning system," Springer said. "To win in cricket, you need a system and stick to that plan. We need some luck as sell. In cricket you always need luck, and we have to back ourselves at all times."