By Neto Baptiste

A two-week window spanning April 25 to May 7 has been identified as the timeline set to host the Cool & Smooth T20 Explosion. This is according to head of the tournament’s organizing team, Dario Barthley, who said the majority of the country’s top tier teams will compete for the EC$20,000 grand prize.

“We will have eight of the ABCA clubs participating within the tournament and as usual we are looking forward to a fair cricketing competition. Also, from our perspective, we will add in the entertainment aspect and hopefully, this year we can bring back the tournament really strong. We have been on a hiatus since Covid19 where the pandemic put a stop to a lot of things including Cool & Smooth T20, but we are back and we are excited to be back, we are excited to be partners with the ABCA in terms of
developing this format of cricket within the country,” he said.

The tournament will be making its anticipated return following a two-year hiatus owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. Hinting that there could be changes to this year’s format, Barthley said the organizing
team is still in the planning stages and would welcome meaning feedback from stakeholders.

“Obviously it’s good; there are things that we do that are good, but everything can be better and that’s not just from the perspective of on the field in terms of play, but in terms of preparation, in terms of professionalism. I encourage anyone who has innovative ideas about the tournament to reach out to me. I think that we have a solid team on the ground, ready and willing to work to put things in place,” he said.

The Cricket West Indies (CWI) media officer revealed also that the players draft, which allows teams to select from a pool of regional and international players, will also feature ahead of this year’s
tournament. “Based on conversations with the ABCA, what we are looking at is a draft system.

However, how exactly that system will work is still in formulation. What we spoke about is
reverse order drafting [team finishing last in previous tournament gets first pick in the
draft] based on finishes in the last Cool & Smooth T20 tournament and that type of structure which we would have employed in the past. There will be some type of drafting system, however, the details of
that we will try to reveal during this week,” Barthley said. PIC Liberta Blackhawks won the 2019 edition of the tournament.

It was a weekend of commanding cricket as the various teams turned out for the longer format of the ABCA Competitions. There were landslide victories for Liberta Black Hawks, Pigotts Crushers, All Saints Pythons and Rising Sun Spartans.

However, there was one player who dominated the opposition as if he had their names in his back pocket. Kofi James produced a match-winning performance collecting 11 wickets for just 29 runs in the game. Earlier, he helped his team to put a good total on the board with a patient knock of 51 (104) after Joshua Thomas stroked 79 (180 balls). Nino Henry and Ian Eusebe picked up four wickets apiece as Liberta was bowled out for 266.

New Winthorpes could only manage 93 in their first innings as they struggled against the spin of the Hawks. James was the chief destroyer picking up 5 for 19 while Kadeem Phillip and Ürï Smïth picked up two each.

Liberta asked New Winthopes to bat again in the second innings and in a similar fashion but must sooner the innings came to an end with James picking up 6 wickets for 9 runs. The Lions simply lost their appetite and were taken advantage of by the Black Hawks. Liberta won by an innings and 94 runs.

We are pleased to announce that for the second week in a row, Kadeem Phillip has been named Player of the week. After much deliberation from the selection committee, he was selected because of another whirlwind innings of 43 from just 26 balls to help propel the Black Hawks to 233 for 9 from 40 overs.

PIC Liberta was able to recapture the prestigious title after Pigotts Crushers were bowled out for a measly 150. Kofi James and company were able to contribute to keeping the men from Pigotts in check throughout the innings to its end.We’d like to wish Mr Phillip continued success for the rest of the season. Thank you to our sponsors Velvet Touch Spa, Zamine Shipping Services, Wayne’s Electrical Services and Eric’s Trucking and Heavy Equipment Services.

Cricket: The Game of Glorious Uncertainties! When you have a player with the calibre of Kadeem Phillip, the opposing team must tread lightly. Empire Nation had control of things up to the 34th over, which meant that Phillip had just over 36 balls to bat. The big burly figure of Phillip began an onslaught that left Empire searching for someone to contain him. He smashed 5 sixes and 3 fours from just 26 balls in an unbeaten score of 53 and was well supported by Joshua Thomas as the two put on 67 runs from 6 overs.

Empire got off to an absolutely great start, in fact, they were cruising to victory in front of their home crowd with 211-3 from 29.2 overs. It meant that they only need 49 from 64 balls. A team that boasts the likes of Justin Athanaze and Mail Richards, you’d expect them to take this home comfortably right? Wrong!

It was that man again: Kadeem Phillip! After getting back some of what he dished out earlier, he showed resilience and composure to remove a set and experienced Juari Edwards (71) who skied one to Avier Christian leaving the Nation at 211-3. And in familiar fashion, when a set batsman leaves a pressure situation, someone else has to do the job.

Melvin Charles came and went but Captain Kenrick Scott (43) who had smashed Phillip in his first over seemed to have just changed his approach and looked to bat the end. It wasn’t to be as Phillip managed to squeeze one passed the defence of the skipper. The rest was history! Liberta delivered an upset to Empire.

Our Player of the Week is Kadeem Phillip deservedly so! Congratulations to him and the PIC Liberta Blackhawks. Thanks to Velvet Touch Spa Zamine Shipping Services Wayne’s Electrical Services & Eric’s Trucking and Heavy Equipment Services for the Player of the Week Award!
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#abcacricket #libertablackhawks #AntiguaSports #antiguacricket #antiguaandbarbuda

Kerry Mentore is our Player of the Week for week 5 of the ABCA Super 40 Competition. The captain of the All Saints Pythons took on the men of Pigotts Crushers in brilliant fashion smashing 86 (84) with 7 fours and 5 sixes.

He was also well supported by the talented Kenny Sutton as the two put on 149 runs for the 4th wicket. Moreover, Mentore has contributed greatly to the success of his team this season scoring 261 runs at an avg of 65.25. We’d like to wish him continued success for the 2022 season.

We could not ignore the brilliant display of pace bowling from PIC Liberta Black Hawks Miandre James who had figures of 5o-3m-6r-5w. The youngster bowled with pace, bounce and accuracy as he quickly reduced the Tigers’ top order to 18 for 5 in 10 overs. Jennings was eventually bowled out for a paltry 59 in 26.1 overs.

On Saturday, he picked up 2 for 26 to help PIC Black Hawks beat Bolans Blasters by 149 runs. We would like to wish him continued success as the season progresses. Thank you to our sponsors Velvet Touch Spa, Wayne’s Electrical Services, Zamine Shipping Services and Eric’s Trucking and Heavy Equipment Services.

Honourable Mentions:

Deran Benta 115 (78 balls) vs Massy Combined Schools

Karima Gore 100 vs Bolans Blasters

Richie Thomas 5 for 17 vs All Saints Pythons

At 55 years old many would say you should be coaching or be a part of management. Well for the Veteran Earl Waldron, he will tell you age is just a number. On Sunday, he batted authoritatively against the bottom of the table Rising Sun Spartans smashing them all about the park in a quickfire 97* (72) which contained 14 fours and 3 sixes. He anchored the men from Bolans as they beat Spartans by four wickets.

Saturday’s game vs Jennings he managed to score 31 (38) which wasn’t enough to help his team reach the target set at 148. Waldron continues to be an integral figure in the Bolans Cricket Club both on and off the field of play. With all that said, we have chosen him as our Player of the Week.

Compliments to Velvet Touch Spa, Wayne’s Electrical Services Eric’s Construction and Heavy Equipment Services and Zamine Shipping for the Player of the Week Award.

After an intriguing second week of the ABCA Super 40 Competition, we’d like to announce Mr Kadeem Henry of Pigotts Crushers as our Player of the Week for his knocks of 67(68) vs Combined Schools and 99 (114) vs Bolans Blasters. Congratulations to Mr Henry on his achievement. Player of the Week Award by Velvet Touch Spa Zamine Shipping Wayne’s Electrical Services Eric’s Construction and Heavy Equipment Services. We’d like to wish him continued success as the season goes.

The Antigua and Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA) has named a 21-member training squad as they jumpstart preparations for the regional under-19 women’s competition set for later this year.

The team, according to an ABCA release, will commence training sessions on Thursday under the watchful eyes of Keith Frederick and Leon Rodney.

Rodney, who is also the president of the cricket association, said the players will start their preparations in hopes of making it onto the Leeward Islands squad for the regional competition.

“Remember, they usually have the under-19 tournament every year and it took place in Trinidad but because of Covid it went on the back burner, so they will be up and running with that again. But I think they will just push it back to June or July, so we have just a small window to get the best part of the girls and then come together with St Kits or Montserrat and whosoever else have other girls and do a thing and get a team,” he said. 

Rodney hinted that the selection of the training squad was especially difficult given that there have been no schools cricket in two years.

However, he said the association has had dialogue with ministry officials on the way forward for schools cricket.

“I initiated a meeting with Heather Samuel Daley [Director of Sports] but she wasn’t there [in office] really so she had put me on to the deputy in Evan Jones and the ABCA initiated a discussion with the ministry and Jones and Ridley Jacobs [Coordinator of schools cricket] were there. We were basically saying that the time has come where the ABCA and the ministry have to work together to look about the age cricket and there have been talks, but I don’t want to go into the details with it,” he said.

Thursday’s training will start at 2:30 pm at the Police Recreation Grounds. The under-19 competition is slated for July.

Squad: Chey-Anne Moses, Kimberly Anthony, Yenique Walsh, Darisha Joseph, Alliyah Plant, Mea Pryce, Adara Joseph, Keyarah Hope, Alana Welcome, Shupet Spencer, Keitonya Skepple, Johanna Humphreys, Summer Lake, Sanna Reifer, Courtney Browne, Shaleka Liking, J’Naye Charles, Teriqka Michael, Nyesha Shaw, Tiquesha Shaw and Briana Stay.

Written by Neto Baptiste

After the first two rounds of the ABCA Super 40 Competition, we have chosen Mr Jedidiah Martin of Jennings Tigers as our Player of the Week for his contributions with both bat and ball.

He scored 61 from 59 balls against Rising Sun Spartans on Saturday to help his team to a commanding total of 215 for 6 from their 40 overs. He then followed up that performance with 3 for 32 against New Winthorpes Lions as he bowled valiantly to restrict them to 15 runs short of the target.

Player of the Week Award by Velvet Touch Spa and ZamineShipping. We’d like to wish him continued success as the season goes.