Barbadosto play in T&T T20 Festival

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Barbados' senior cricket side is to take part in a four-team Twenty20 Festival at Guaracara Park in Pointe-a-Pierre at the end of December, an official of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) said.

According to TTCB first vice-president Dudnath Ramkessoon, the December 28-30 tournament will be played on a round-robin format, featuring the Trinidad and Tobago senior team, a national A side, a Trinidad and Tobago Academy and Barbados. A cash prize is at stake, Ramkessoon added.

Last year, the TTCB held a similar tournament at the same venue and it proved a tremendous success with big crowds present. On that occasion, Guyana were the foreign team.

Next month's tournament will also serve as a warm-up for the Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados teams ahead of the 2012 Caribbean T20 championship to be hosted by Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados from January 9 to 22.

"We are still finalising the cash prize and so on, but the festival is on and will take place just after Christmas. We played this last year as a replacement for the annual North/South Classic and it made more sense having the national players take part in a T20 tournament rather than a four-day tournament with the regional T20 so close at hand," Ramkessoon said.