A superb unbeaten 134 by Kjorn Ottley led Trinidad and Tobago Red Force to a commanding six-wicket win over Windward Islands Volcanoes during their CG United Insurance Super50 Competition encounter at Queen’s Park Oval on Thursday.

Replying to Windward Islands’ score of 254-9, Trinidad and Tobago achieved victory at 255-4 with 12 balls to spare.

Batting first, Windward Islands owed their total to a brilliant knock of 89 from Johnson Charles, who smashed eight fours and five sixes in his 69-ball stay before he was dismissed by Yannick Cariah, who also claimed the wicket of Johnson’s opening partner Alick Athanaze for 39.

Kavem Hodge contributed 45 while Captain Andre Fletcher, batting much lower in the order, made 36 to help take the Windwards to a competitive total.

Cariah also took the wickets of Sunil Ambris for 10 and Tevyn Walcott for six to end with figures of 4-57. Sunil Narine provided support with 2-29.

The chase was relatively uneventful was Ottley dominated the bowling scoring his runs from 142 balls during which he hit 11 fours and three sixes. Fellow opener Tion Webster scored 40 and there were contributions of Terrence Hinds, who was not out on 26 at the end, and Darren Bravo, 25 and Jason Mohammed, 20.

Kenneth Dember was the best of the bowlers with 2-23.

Ahead of the start of the CG United Super50 Cup, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced a major increase in prize money and bonuses for teams participating in the tournament as well as other regional competitions – totaling over US$2.5 million over a four-year period.

With the region’s marquee List A tournament set to bowl off on Tuesday, there is the incentive for the champions to take home a top prize of US$100,000 as well as the Sir Clive Lloyd trophy when they win the grand final on Saturday 11 November under lights at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

The losing finalists will receive US$50,000 while the team that tops the points table in the league phase will also get US$50,000. This is the biggest prize money in the history of the tournament.

Dr Kishore Shallow, President of CWI said: “The aim is to incentivize our cricketers, which will ultimately result in more intense and competitive cricket. We expect this along with other developmental programs will help to close the gap between international cricket and our regional tournaments. These new prize monies represent a significant increase in the reward purse for teams in regional cricket. We firmly believe this will act as a fillip to players’ performances and their pursuit of excellence. This is part of our investment in the game and those who fly the flag on the field.”

The increase also extends to all senior men’s and women’s tournaments. There is a big boost in the West Indies Championship that will be played in the first half of 2024. The champions of this traditional “red ball” four-day, first-class competition will win US$250,000. The second-placed team will receive US$100,000.

There is an increase in winnings for the Women’s CG United Super50 Cup and the T20 Blaze. The winners of the 50-overs will receive US$20,000 next year with a minimum increase of US$10,000 annually over the next 4-year cycle. The runners-up will receive half these amounts.

The T20 Blaze winners will also be rewarded with an increase – US$10,000 for the winners next year - with further increases annually for the upcoming four years. The runners-up will receive half these amounts.

CWI is finalizing a new 4-year MOU with the West Indies Players Association, which will see further increases for individual players, including a major boost to women’s remuneration.

The West Indies Academy players will assemble in Antigua from Monday, 9 October for a High-Performance camp ahead of their participation in the upcoming CG United Super50 Cup.

The 14 players will be under the guidance of Head Coach Andre Coley and Assistant Coach Rayon Griffith during the week-long camp at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG). Following the camp, they will travel to Trinidad to participate in the eight-team CG United Super50 Cup. Nyeem Young, the batting allrounder has been named captain.

Coley said: “We are really looking forward to competing in this year’s edition of the CG United Super50 Cup. The camp provides an excellent opportunity for us to prepare and focus on our white ball skills and certain match scenarios, as we build on the performances of the previous tournament and explore ways to execute the brand of cricket that we want to play as a West Indian team.”

The region’s premier List A 50-over tournament will bowl off on Tuesday 17 October and conclude on Saturday 11 November with a new eight-team league format followed by Semi-Finals and Finals to determine the 2023 CG United Super50 Cup Champions. The West Indies Academy’s first fixture is against Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC) on the 19 October. 

The event will feature 31 matches to be played at three venues: the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA), the Queen’s Park Oval (QPO) and the Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Grounds of the University of the West Indies Sport and Physical Education Centre (UWI SPEC) at the St. Augustine Campus. 

All 13 matches at the BLCA, including the Semi-Finals and Final, will be televised live on ESPN Caribbean, with 12 of those matches being day/night games.

FULL SQUAD

Nyeem Young (Captain)

Ackeem Auguste

Joshua Bishop

Teddy Bishop

Carlon Bowen-Tuckett

McKenny Clarke

Matthew Forde

Leonardo Julien

Johann Layne

Kimani Melius

Matthew Nandu

Ashmead Nedd

Kelvin Pitman

Kevin Wickham

CG United Super50 Match Schedule:

Venues: Queen’s Park Oval (QPO); Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA); UWI SPEC

Matches in bold are televised matches, exclusively live on ESPN Caribbean

All other matches are streamed live on the windiescricket YouTube channel

17 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs CCC at QPO – 9am

17 October: Guyana Harpy Eagles vs Windward Islands Volcanoes at BLCA – 1pm

18 October: Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Jamaica Scorpions at BLCA – 1pm

19 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Windward Islands Volcanoes at QPO – 9am

19 October: CCC vs West Indies Academy at BLCA – 1pm

20 October: Barbados Pride vs Jamaica Scorpions at UWI SPEC – 9am

21 October: Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs West Indies Academy at QPO – 9am

21 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Guyana Harpy Eagles at BLCA – 1pm

22 October: Windward Islands Volcanoes vs CCC at UWI SPEC – 9am

23 October: Guyana Harpy Eagles vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at QPO – 9am

23 October: Barbados Pride vs West Indies Academy at UWI SPEC – 9am

25 October: Windward Islands Volcanoes vs Barbados Pride at BLCA - 9am

25 October: West Indies Academy vs Jamaica Scorpions at QPO – 9am

25 October: Guyana Harpy Eagles vs CCC at UWI SPEC – 9am

26 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at BLCA – 1pm

27 October: Jamaica Scorpions vs CCC at UWI SPEC – 9am

28 October: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs West Indies Academy at QPO – 9am

29 October: Barbados Pride vs Guyana Harpy Eagles at UWI SPEC – 9am

29 October: Jamaica Scorpions vs Windward Islands Volcanoes at BLCA – 1pm 

31 October: Windward Islands Volcanoes vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at QPO – 9am

31 October: CCC vs Barbados Pride at UWI SPEC – 9am 

1 November: West Indies Academy vs Guyana Harpy Eagles at UWI SPEC – 9am

2 November: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Jamaica Scorpions at QPO – 9am

2 November: Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Barbados Pride at BLCA – 1pm

3 November: West Indies Academy vs Windward Islands Volcanoes at UWI SPEC – 9am

4 November: CCC vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes at QPO – 9am

4 November: Jamaica Scorpions vs Guyana Harpy Eagles at BLCA – 1pm

5 November: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force vs Barbados Pride at BLCA – 1pm 

8 November: Semi-Final 1 at BLCA – 1pm

9 November: Semi-Final 2 at BLCA – 1pm

11 November: Final at BLCA – 1pm

Cricket West Indies (CWI) hosted the Professional Cricketers draft last Thursday for the Territorial Board Franchises. Each Franchise drafted five players to complete their 15-member squads for an interim three (3) month period ahead of the 2023 CG United Super50 Cup, scheduled to take place in October 2023.

Each team had already retained 10 players and the Professional Cricketers Draft enabled each team to add five players to complete their 15-member squads. The Draft took place over five rounds via a videocall with representatives from all six Territorial Board Franchises.  The interim contracts will run from 1 July 2023 to 30 September 2023, with new twelve-month contracts to start from 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024, following the strategic decision to now align contracts with the CWI Financial Year.

Each Franchise was required to contract two players under the age of 25 as of 1 October 2023 as part of the overall regional programme to ensure playing opportunities for younger and developing players.  Franchises will get the opportunity to revise their squads ahead of 1 October once the West Indies International Retainer contracts for the 2023/24 season have been confirmed. All International retained players and umpires have been offered three-month contract extensions to 30 September 2023.

Two highlights of the draft were the selections of West Indies international players Oshane Thomas and Justin Greaves, chosen by the Leeward Islands Hurricanes. Fast bowler Thomas has played 20 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 20 T20 Internationals (T20Is) for the West Indies. He has managed five-wicket hauls in both formats. Greaves is a tall right-handed middle-order batsman and right-arm seam bowler, who played three ODIs for the West Indies against Ireland in 2022.

Windward Islands Volcanoes, who was unbeaten in the last regional First Class season, chose to draft in two overseas players: left-handed opener Jeremy Solozano who previously played for Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, and allrounder Shamar Springer, over from Barbados Pride.

 Thomas, 26, said he was pleased to join the Leeward Islands Hurricanes camp. “I’m happy to get this opportunity. I’m really looking forward to joining the Franchise and being part of the unit. I see it as a new start, a chance for me to work way back up to international cricket, where I performed before. I still have a dream of playing Test cricket for the West Indies and the red ball season will be crucial. I’m also keen to play the other formats, but first I have to do it for Leeward Islands Hurricanes and then make that step back up to international cricket.”

The six Franchises will continue their preparations for the upcoming season. The CG United Super50 Cup is schedule to return to Antigua and Trinidad, starting on 21 October with the Final set to take place on 11 November where defending champions the Jamaica Scorpions will attempt to retain their title.

Guyana Harpy Eagles were crowned champions of the 2023 West Indies Championship, lifting the Headley Weekes Trophy, named in honour of West Indies legends George Headley and Sir Everton Weekes.

FULL SQUADS

Barbados Pride: Shayne Moseley, Zachary McCaskie, Raymon Reifer, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Akeem Jordan, Dominic Drakes, Jomel Warrican, Kevin Wickham, Jair McAllister

Draft picks: Roshon Primus, Chaim-Alexis Holder, Jonathan Drakes, Keon Harding, Camarie Boyce

Guyana Harpy Eagles: Veerasammy Permaul, Gudakesh Motie, Tevin Imlach, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kevin Sinclair, Nial Smith, Ronsford Beaton, Matthew Nandu, Kemol Savory, Kevlon Anderson

Draft picks: Shamar Joseph, Rampertab Ramnath, Mavendra Dindyal, Junior Sinclair, Antony Adams

Jamaica Scorpions: Kirk McKenzie, Ojay Shields, Abhijai Mansingh, Jeavor Royal, Marquino Mindley, Derval Green, Peat Salmon, Javel Glenn, Daniel Beckford, Tevin Gilzene

Draft picks: Shalome Parnell, Carlos Brown, Andre Bailey, Gordon Bryan, Brad Barnes

Leeward Islands Hurricanes: Kieran Powell, Rahkeem Cornwall, Jahmar Hamilton, Colin Archibald, Kofi James, Karima Gore, Jeremiah Louis, Daniel Doram, Keacy Carty, Javier Spencer

Draft picks: Justin Greaves, Oshane Thomas, Nathan Edward, Miklye Louis, Zawandi White Trinidad and Tobago Red Force: Darren Bravo, Yannic Cariah, Jason Mohammed, Imran Khan, Bryan Charles, Khary Pierre, Terrance Hinds, Tion Webster, Shannon Gabriel, Anderson Phillip

 Draft picks: Kjorn Ottley, Amir Jangoo, Jyd Goolie, Cephas Cooper, Shaaron Lewis

 Windward Islands Volcanoes: Sunil Ambris, Alick Athanaze, Larry Edward, Kavem Hodge, Shermon Lewis, Ryan John, Darius Martin, Preston McSween, Kimani Melius, Tevyn Walcott

 Draft picks: Shamar Springer, Jeremy Solozano, Kenneth Dember, Johann Jeremiah, Nicklaus Redhead.