Top clubs in KFC Super Sixes

THE TOP cricket clubs in Trinidad and Tobago have confirmed their participation in a novel Super Sixes Challenge this weekend at the Monroe Road Recreation Ground, Cunupia. The three-day competition on Indian Arrival weekend (Friday May 30, Saturday May 31 and Sunday, June 1) will be sponsored by the KFC chain of fast food restaurants and will have as the first prize $10,000. There will also be valuable incentives for the runners-up, the third placed team and other outstanding performances. Official launch of the KFC Supersixes Cricket Challenge took place yesterday at KFC, Independence Square, Port-of-Spain.

Present were Nigel Bissoon, Marketing Manager of Prestige Holdings, parent company of KFC; Parasram Ramsubhag, secretary of the Cricket Board’s Regional and Local Matches Committee; and Manohar Ramsaran, president of the Monroe Road Cricket Club who is the current Member of Parliament for Chaguanas and a former Minister of Sports. Also witnessing the draw for the first round of the competition were representatives of the clubs taking part including former national captain Rangy Nanan (Clico Preysal), ex-Trinidad and Tobago opener Suruj Ragoonath (Alescon Comet) and local batting star Lincoln Roberts (Trinidad Ceramic Merryboys).

Giving details of the competition yesterday, Bissoon said the inaugural tournament will involve 12 teams: Alescon Comet, Clico Preysal, Queen’s Park, Monroe Road, Merry Boys, Aranguez Sports, PowerGen, Couva Sports, FCB Clarke Road, Moosai’s Sports, Mayo Sports; and Wanderers. Teams of six players will bat for six overs with each player having to bowl one over. “Because there are only six fieldsmen, the potential for huge scoring also exists,” said Bissoon. He said the idea was the brainchild of Ramsaran, adopted from Hong Kong, where the concept was first tried out successfully but which will be given a Trini flavour over the coming weekend.

In the first round, the 12 teams will be divided into four groups of three teams playing on a round-robin basis with the top two teams advancing to the second round. The second round will have a knockout format and it is expected that overall 21 matches will be played. On Friday and Saturday, the first and second rounds will be contested starting at 9 am each day. The semi-finals, third-place play-off and final will be staged on Sunday.This is in addition to an exhibition match featuring the best players from the eight teams eliminated at the semi-final stage.

They will comprise the KFC Cruncher VI and KFC Snack Box VI who will match skills before the third-place play-off. Ramsaran said he proposed the idea to KFC after hearing complaints that cricket was too long and were only attracting a handful of spectators except at national limited-overs finals. “The idea is to tailor the competition for exciting cricket,” Ramsaran said. He held out the promise of allowing participation by guest teams in the future especially from other regional countries, possibly on the Easter weekend if free from Test or One-Day International matches involving the West Indies in Trinidad. Ramsaran said a deal has also been reached for the live televising of the final on TTT providing the Cable and Wireless One-day International between West Indies and Australia in Grenada on Sunday ends before 4 pm. Efforts are also being made to have the matches broadcast from the venue on one of the local  radio stations.

FIRST ROUND DRAW
Group 1: A Aranguez Sports; B Alescon Comet; C FCB Clarke Road
Group 2: A Couva Sports; B Monroe Road;
C Queen’s Park
Group 3: A Mayo Sports; B Moosai’s Sports;
C Clico Preysal
Group 4: A PowerGen Sports; B Merry Boys;
C Wanderers.