EMPIRE, the famous club from Bank Hall left for their 100th year tour to England yesterday with 40 people who are sure to create a stir on and off of the field.
Leaving the island as part of the touring party was Empire, Barbados and West Indies legends, Sir Everton Weekes, Seymour Nurse and Charlie Griffith, along with ten-time calypso monarch Stedson Red Plastic Bag Wiltshire who will function as a tour ambassador.
If that group alone will not create some excitement in England, also joining the tourists will be the only living national hero, Sir Garfield Sobers and president of the Barbados Cricket Association, Joel Garner.
President of Empire Adrian King, along with vice-president Pat Cheltenham QC and former senator Gregory Nicholls are among the touring group.
The nucleus of the club’s Elite cricket team including captain Jamal Smith, Kevin Stoute, Roston Chase, Jomel Warrican, Shadd Simmons and Ryan Hinds, who has just returned from an outstanding season in Dubai are touring along with some of the senior females in the club.
The team which will play five 50-overs games in England will be joined by Carleon Brome, Justin Greaves, Ian Perryman and Jerome Jones, who are already in the United Kingdom.
Empire will play one of those games at the famous Lords on Friday with the team returning on August 22 the day before they take on Sagicor UWI in a key Elite match.
Last Saturday, runaway leaders ICBL Empire fielded a reserve team against LIME and they currently have the opponents reeling while seeking their fourth win in four matches. (KB)
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