WICB look for one-day sponsors

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) marketing team officials are still searching for a sponsor for the regional limited overs series carded to begin on October 8. The previous sponsor, Red Stripe Brewery, is no longer on board and according to a source close to the WICB, no other corporate entity has indicated an intention to take up the slack. The popular Jamaican brew was the sponsor for the past six years. They replaced Shell who sponsored the tournament in 1996 and 1997. Prior to this Geddes-Grant was the benefactor for over a decade. The WICB have announced a revision to the structure of the tournament but is yet to disclose who the sponsors are.

The source added: “The WICB is hard at work in trying to come to a final deal with a sponsor and as far as how it looks at the moment, they may have to bear the costs of the 2004 tournament.” The 2004 tournament will no longer be contested as in previous years with the teams playing a minimum of ten matches in the preliminary round. This time around there will be no guest teams and no dividing of teams. The six traditional teams — Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands — will compete in a two-round preliminary match-up.

The first round will be played in one country, while the second round will be played in another and the semi-finals and final will be staged in a third. This new format, according to the Newsday source, will result in more traveling for the teams and hence a higher cost to run the tournament. “The WICB will have to fork out a lot to stage this tournament as it stands right now. There is no question of canceling because this series is important preparation for the International limited overs tournaments later in the year,” he said. Previously the Red Stripe Bowl was staged in two countries (Jamaica and the Leewards) with the final in Jamaica, home of the sponsors.