Ramdin guides Amazon Warriors to victory in opening Limacol CPL match

By Patrick R. Anderson

The Biggest party has come to the Caribbean yet again !

That’s how organisers have billed the second edition of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League T20 Championship, CPL, as The Guyana Amazon Warriors beat the Antigua Hawksbills by 2-wickets with three balls to spare.

Sent to bat, The Hawksbills made 136-8 off their 20-overs, clearly falling about 20 runs short of a testing total for the Warriors. Australian Ben Dunk 38 and Danzil Hyatt 36 led the scoring for the Hawksbills against the bowling of New Zealand’s Jimmy Neesham 3-33. The mystery bowler Sunil Narine again showed why he is the greatest bowler in comtempory T20 cricket, sending down 4-overs, 1-maiden and conceded a miserly 3 runs at 0.75 runs per over. He was the spoke in the Hawksbills’ batting wheel.

In reply, The Warriors were paced by West Indies captain Denesh Ramdin 51, who is full of confidence at present. Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez gave support with 35 against Jamaica’s Sheldon Cottrell 3-24, as Narine hit the winning run, a straight drive over the top off fast bowler Carlos Brathwaite for four.

Ramdin was named man of the match.

The Limacol CPL continues on Saturday with two matches, also at the National Stadium in St. George’s, Grenada. Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel plays Barbados Tridents at 9:30am Jamaican time, followed by defending champion Jamaica Tallawahs against St.Lucia Zouks at 1:30p.m.

The Jamaica Tallawahs match will be televised LIVE on Television Jamaica, TVJ.

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Ramdin guides Amazon Warriors to victory in opening Limacol CPL match

Inaugural Limacol CPL breaks records on and off the pitch

Sport

Thursday, September 05, 2013

FROM overflowing stadiums, thumping party vibes and mass enthusiasm to scorching bowling, massive hitting and blistering catches, the inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premier League (LCPL) went off with a bang right across the Caribbean.With a record-breaking quarter-of-a-million people attending the matches across the six countries and the action being beamed into more than 135 million homes across the globe, the stage was set for a truly electrifying cricket extravaganza.And the highlights of the action justified the hype around the tournament. Playing for the Antigua Hawksbills, Jamaica soldier Sheldon Cotterrell, who customarily bowls at over 140 kilometres per hour, bowled the fastest ball of the tournament with a 150.1 kilometres per hour thunderbolt.Not to be outdone, Tino Best playing for the St Lucia Zouks, took the honour of bowling seven of the 10 fastest balls in the tournament with a highest speed of 149.6 kilometres per hour.And the batsmen made sure to wow the crowds with a total of 238 sixes and 415 fours being smacked in the tournament — an average of 10 and 17, respectively, per match.Loved by the fans and feared by the bowlers due to his mammoth hitting, Jamaica Tallawahs captain Chris Gayle predictably took the honour for both the fastest 50 of the tournament off just 23 balls against the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel — and for blasting the longest six which sailed 114 metres into the stands.Commenting on the cricketing fireworks, winning team captain Gayle said; “Cricket in the Caribbean is all about big powerful displays. It’s always a pleasure to bring the fans to their feet with some serious hitting. And to be able to do that with millions of people watching in the stands and on TV is just a great experience. I had a blast and can’t wait for next year.”CEO of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League, Damien O’Donohoe, added: “There’s nothing like the buzz you get as a cricket fan when these giants of Caribbean cricket are firing on the field. The action in every match was just breathtaking and the crowd revelled in it. It’s fair to say that the action on the pitch matched the fun of it. We’re delighted that the “biggest party in sport” delivered on its promise. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the amazing support and enthusiasm of the fans — I would like to thank them most sincerely for the awesome part they played in making the CPL such a success.“The biggest party in sport” bowled off in Barbados on Tuesday, 30 July and beautifully showcased the Caribbean passion for cricket as it journeyed through six countries across the region culminating in the final in Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday, August 24, which was won by the Jamaica Tallawahs, who beat the Guyana Amazon Warriors by seven wickets. Planning is now under way for the 2014 staging of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League.Limacol CPL winners Jamaica Tallawahs celebrate their triumph against the Guyana Amazon Warriors. (PHOTO: CPLT20 Ltd 2013)

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Inaugural Limacol CPL breaks records on and off the pitch

WICB happy with success of Limacol CPL

St John’s, Antigua — President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Whycliffe ‘Dave’ Cameron says he is very pleased with the success of the inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premier League (LCPL) T20 Tournament so far, and impressed with the response the league has received both regionally and internationally.

The WICB signed an agreement with LCPL with the goal of further developing and strengthening West Indies cricket by expanding the global fan base, as well as increasing the number of West Indian cricketers under regional retainer contracts, and showcasing the talent and beauty of the Caribbean internationally. Cameron says he believes these objectives are being met.“The support of the Limacol CPL by the West Indian fans has been overwhelming and this is evidenced by the sold-out crowds at each and every match so far. That says to me that the interest and passion for the game is still there, and it’s our responsibility to continue to nurture that love which is what the LCPL is all about,” said Cameron.“In addition, the entire world has come to play through the global reach and appeal that the tournament has achieved. The combination of some of the best regional and international T20 players with the amazing carnival, party-like atmosphere for which the Caribbean is renowned has turned the eyes and ears of the world to our shores, and we could not be more pleased about that exposure.”The Limacol CPL is being broadcast on television in India, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean and the USA, reaching millions of viewers through such networks as ESPN3, Fox Sports, BT Sports and Sony. ESPN Caribbean also produces a weekly highlights show of the tournament, which airs on the ESPN Caribbean television network and online at ESPN Play. In addition, the Line and Length Radio Network offers live ball-by-ball commentary of all the matches, which airs on 22 radio stations in the English-speaking Caribbean and reaches over 850,000+ listeners.The Limacol CPL has also developed a strong presence on social media networks Facebook and Twitter, with thousands of fans and followers keeping up to date on the latest news and match information from the six franchise teams. Celebrities such as actor Mark Wahlberg – part-owner of the Barbados Tridents – and Virgin Group Chairman Sir Richard Branson – sponsor of the Antigua Hawksbills team – who tweet about the tournament have added to the interest.Cameron said that he is impressed by the hidden talent that is emerging as a result of the league.“Players like young Nicholas Pooran (Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel) and the likes of Rayad Emrit (Barbados Tridents), Sheldon Cotterell (Antigua Hawksbills) and Steven Jacobs (Guyana Amazon Warriors) to name a few, that may have flown under the radar or been overshadowed by the bigger names in the region have now been given their time to shine, and they are indeed taking advantage of that opportunity. I expect that the Limacol CPL will open many doors for these young men to play cricket all over the world and it’s satisfying to know that it all started with the LCPL.”Limacol CPL Chief Executive Officer Damien O’Donohoe agrees. “As the governing authority for cricket in the region, the WICB have shown great foresight and support in how they have partnered with us to develop the LCPL. While in our inaugural year of the tournament we recognise we have a long way to go to build and achieve all our mutual goals, we are warmed by the reception that the WICB and all local territorial boards have provided throughout, and the passion with which they have interacted with us concerning our future development programmes, which we think will yield far-reaching results for the sport in the region.”The Limacol Caribbean Premier League T20 Tournament began on July 30 and was scheduled to conclude yesterday in Trinidad and Tobago.Whycliffe ‘Dave’ Cameron (left), president of the WICB, and Kieran Foley, director of Limacol CPL, enjoying the moment.

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WICB happy with success of Limacol CPL

Philander to show credentials in Limacol CPL

SOUTH Africa seam and swing bowler Vernon Philander is out to show he is more than just an outstanding Test match bowler during the upcoming Limacol Caribbean Premier League (LCPL).

The 28-year-old’s red-ball credentials are outstanding with 89 wickets in 16 Tests, reaching 50 wickets in the longest form of the game in just his seventh match, the third fastest to the mark in the history of the game.However, Philander has been overlooked by South Africa’s selectors for the most part for short-form cricket, with only eight One-Day Internationals and seven Twenty20 Internationals under his belt. He hopes he can use the Limacol CPL, where he will line up for the Jamaica Tallawahs, as a way of putting himself forward for selection when the time comes to pick the Proteas’ limited-overs line-up in future.“I have obviously not played a lot of white-ball cricket for South Africa,” he said. “This tournament is a chance for me to step up in the shortest form of the game, and I am pretty excited about it.“I back myself in the shorter formats and want the opportunity at international level, so if I can put my name on the board then that is what I want to do.”First and foremost though, Philander will have to adapt to Caribbean conditions which are not always regarded as wholly conducive to swing and seam bowlers of his type.“The conditions will pose challenges and as I have not played in the West Indies before, that is something I will have to get used to,” he said. “It will be a case of getting used to the decks and bowling up front as quickly as possible.”Philander is currently playing with Kent Country Cricket Club.“I know the (Tallawahs) squad is linking up this week, but I have got some more commitments with Kent and will not arrive until around the 29th (of July), but the good thing is I am playing matches for Kent, including plenty of Twenty20 games, and there is no better practice than playing out in the middle.”With his aim to play for South Africa in the shorter forms of the game, Philander could be forgiven for having one eye on next year’s ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, the next global event on the calendar.But he is happy to take one step at a time, starting with trying to impress in the Caribbean.“I am not looking as far ahead as that (ICC) World Twenty20,” he said. “Obviously I would love to play in it, but my first priority has to be to do well in the LCPL. If I can do that, make my mark and make a name for myself, then I will be in a much better position for selection, but the LCPL is the first thing to get right.”The Tallawahs get their campaign under way with a clash against the Guyana Amazon Warriors at Providence Stadium on August 2, and are stocked with a host of top players including not only Chris Gayle, but also fellow West Indies stars Andre Russell and Ravi Rampaul, and Sri Lanka’s spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan. How does Philander rate their chances?“Like any bowler, I am relieved to be on Chris’s team rather than up against him,” he said. “He will pose a real danger to any opposition side, but we will have our challenges too. It will be up to us to win a couple of games early on and if we can do that then who knows how far we can go.”The inaugural Limacol Caribbean Premier League starts on July 30 in Barbados and concludes on August 24 in Trinidad.PHILANDER… the conditions will pose challenges, I have not played in the West Indies before. (PHOTO: ESPNCRICINFO

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Philander to show credentials in Limacol CPL