The Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) bowls off its Premiership I League fixtures with four round one matches on Friday.
The welcome return of domestic red ball cricket comes after it was prematurely stopped in 2020 owing to the pandemic, did not play in 2021 for the same reason and was held back last year because of time constraints with clubs after the reopening of domestic sport in February.
Action resumes with Queen’s Park Cricket Club (QPCC I) hosting Preysal at the Queen’s Park Oval, in Port of Spain, Central Sports against Victoria at Felicity, Comets face QPCC II at Pierre Road Recreation Ground and PowerGen play Clarke Road at Syne Village, Penal.
The Premiership I will play seven rounds of matches with the first, fourth and seventh rounds contested over three days. The other rounds will be two-day contests.
The league’s official opening begins at the Oval on Friday with TTCB officials scheduled to meet the players both competing clubs at that venue, from 12.30 pm, before their match which bowls off at 1pm.
At the TTCB’s launch of its 2023 calendar of events in December last, its president Azim Bassarath was pleased to welcome domestic red ball cricket back to the forefront. He believes its return could augur well for TT Red Force’s title hopes in the regional four-day tourney.
Bassarath said, “In the long run, if we are to compete in the regional four-day competition, we must play three-day cricket. It is simple math and we are hoping that from 2024, the Premiership I will play all seven matches over three days—Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
“We are hoping the clubs are putting themselves in place to ensure that happens. The clubs may not be supporting the idea of playing Friday, Saturday and Sunday but the TTCB is responsible for preparing the players and the TT teams to participate at the regional level and the buck stops with us.”
“We have to do what we have to do to make sure the players are well prepared. We want to play more red ball cricket, so we are putting things in place for that.”
Premier II North and South fixtures bowl off on Saturday. Their however, remains a two-day competition.
Today’s Premier I League Matches
QPCC I vs Preysal (Queen’s Park Oval)
Central Sports vs Victoria (Felicity)
Comets vs QPCC II (Pierre Road)
PowerGen vs Clarke Road (Syne Village, Penal)
