National Cricket Competition steps up

The national cricket competition has responded to the instruction of quick march, and will see for the first time this season seven matches being fixtured.

This after the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association was given permission to use more grounds.{{more}}

Three matches are scheduled for the RBTT Premier Division and four are set for completion in the Bottlers First Division.

In the RBTT Premier Division, ECGC Radcliffe and Eat Rite Saints face off at the Arnos Vale One Playing Field, with the News Spartans and Victors One battling at Arnos Vale Two.

At the Sion Hill Playing Field, MVC Rivals and Police Two engage each other.

Sion Hill is down to meet Digicel Neil Williams Academy at the Grammar School Grounds. Victors Two and Belmont United play at Buccament Bay; Smashers takes on PKF Saints at Brighton and CLICO A’Level College meets ASCO at the North Union Playing Field.

While seven grounds are available, the newly enhanced Stubbs Playing Field is still out of compliance as running repairs are being done to its outfield.

The slow pace of the competition saw at times two matches being played, with the Premier Division being the hardest hit with a one match per weekend diet.

For four consecutive weeks, there were no matches. A series of events, including the hosting of the World Cup qualifier between St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Canada, as well as the first One Day International Cricket match between the West Indies and Australia, and there was also a break last weekend for the national Carnival celebrations.

In addition, all did not seem well between the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association and the National Sports Council.

In some recent developments, both have accused each other of stalling the progress of the competition. The cricket authorities complained of the NSC’s management not recognising that, they more than any other sporting organisation in the state, contributed the most revenue to the NSC, in terms of the rental of grounds.

The NSC rebutted with some counter punches, stating that the cricket association was looking for preferential treatment, and were behaving like “Cinderellas”.

Some years ago, the local cricket competition ended as late as October, and cricket pundits are predicting a near similar ending to this year’s competition.

After this weekend, the Premier Division will still have a fair number of matches remaining.

A similar situation obtains in the First Division.