Some of the biggest names in local cricket could be taking part in the fourth edition of the popular Christ Church Foundation School Joel Garner Twenty/20 Cricket Tournament with the inclusion of four of the newer secondary schools.
Barbados players Ryan Hinds, Tino Best and Dwayne Smith will be able to take part as Princess Margaret, Garrison Secondary, St Leonard’s Boys and Deighton Griffith will be joining the battle for the first time.
All three were part of the Barbados team which finished fourth in last weekend’s Caribbean T20 Competition at Kensington Oval.
A record 16 teams will be taking part this year, all with the aim of dethroning defending champions Coleridge and Parry who had taken the 2011 title with a thrilling last over victory over the Alleyne School.
The action bowls off today at Dover at 7 p.m.
The tournament was started in 2009 under the patronage of West Indies legend Joel Garner, involving old scholars from Foundation School or related units. Last year, teams from Harrison College, The Lodge School, Combermere, The Alleyne and Ellerslie were invited to participate.
Foundation, while looking to maintain the original concept of raising funds to build a pavilion at the school, have streamlined their teams to four with the hopes of reclaiming the title.
Matches will be played at Briar Hall on Mondays and at Dover on Wednesdays and Fridays.
A whopping 24 matches will be staged before the play-offs with double headers on Friday nights. The action will move to Foundation for the semi-finals on March 16 and the finals one week later.
Proud
In a launch held at Mount Gay on Monday night, Garner indicated that he was proud to once again link his name to the well-run tournament which had grown to be a key fixture on the sporting calendar.
Tournament director, Erskine King said that, while raising funds for the school, the tournament had rekindled old relationships and created new ones.
It was also held in a safe environment, he added.
“In giving the authorities my support for the competition, I was able to state that the police would hardly have problems with our cricket,” said King. “Our disputes are settled after the game at the bar.”
King said that exciting times and great games were anticipated and that the schools taking part were given the opportunities to review and assess the vibrancy of their old scholars associations and alumni.
Tonight 2010 champions Norman/Roy Marshall (Lodge Road) will battle Joseph Harris/Anderson Cummins (Foundation B) in the tournament’s opener.
