ST JOHN'S, Antigua–The West Indies Cricket Board advised yesterday that this year's Regional 4-Day Tournament will begin on Friday, with two matches.Jamaica will open the season on home soil, when they face Guyana at Sabina Park, five hours later Windward Islands host defending champions Barbados at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in St Lucia in the first of nine day/night matches to be played this season.Leeward Islands and Combined Campuses & Colleges then start their season the following day at Warner Park in St Kitts.The WICB also advised that the teams will be playing for two trophies this year.
The team that accumulates the most points following the seven preliminary round matches will be awarded the WICB President's Trophy and will qualify as one of four teams for the semi-finals of the tournament to play for the George Headley/Everton Weekes Trophy.Barbados claimed an unprecedented 21st regional first-class title, following an innings and 22 runs victory over long-standing, sporting arch-rivals Trinidad & Tobago with a day-and-a-half remaining in the Final last May on home soil at Kensington Oval.This year, the Tournament will see the introduction of a batting and bowling points system in an effort to encourage and incentivise positive play.Teams will be awarded batting and bowling points for performances in the first 110 overs of each first innings only and retained whatever the result of the match.
MORE INFO
A maximum of five batting points will be awarded based on runs scored by each team as follows:
200 to 249 runs � 1 point
250 to 299 runs � 2 points
300 to 349 runs � 3 points
350 to 399 runs � 4 points
400 runs or over � 5 points
A maximum of three batting points will be awarded based on wickets taken by each team as follows:
3 to 5 wickets taken � 1 point
6 to 8 wickets taken � 2 points
9 to 10 wickets taken � 3 points
Schedule of matches
(All scheduled start times are local times; NOTE�Jamaica is 1 hour behind the Eastern Caribbean)
ROUND 1
February 28 – March 3
Windward Islands vs Barbados � Beausejour Cricket Ground, St. Lucia(3 pm daily)
Jamaica vs Guyana � Sabina Park, Jamaica (10 am daily)
March 1 – 4: Leeward Islands vs Combined Campuses & Colleges � Warner Park, St Kitts (10 am daily)
ROUND 2
March 7 – 10
Trinidad & Tobago vs Windward Islands � Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad (10 am daily)
Guyana vs Barbados � Guyana National Stadium, Guyana (3 pm daily)
Leeward Islands vs Jamaica � Warner Park, St. Kitts (3 pm daily)
ROUND 3
March 13 – 16
Guyana vs Windward Islands � Guyana National Stadium (10 am daily)
March 14 to March 17
Combined Campuses & Colleges vs Barbados � Three Ws Oval, Barbados (3 pm daily)
n Trinidad & Tobago vs Leeward Islands � Queen's Park Oval (3 pm daily)
ROUND 4
March 21 – 24
Combined Campuses & Colleges vs Guyana � Three Ws Oval (3 pm daily)
Jamaica vs Windward Islands � Sabina Park (10 am daily)
Barbados vs Trinidad & Tobago � Kensington Oval, Barbados (10 am daily)
ROUND 5
March 28 – 31
Jamaica vs Barbados � Sabina Park (10 am daily)
Trinidad & Tobago vs Jamaica � Queen's Park Oval (3 pm daily)
n Windward Islands vs Leeward Islands � Queen's Park, Grenada (10 am daily)
ROUND 6
April 4 – 7
Trinidad & Tobago vs Jamaica � Queen's Park Oval (3 pm daily)
Windward Islands vs Combined Campuses & Colleges � Arnos Vale Multiplex, St Vincent (10 am daily)
Leeward Islands vs Guyana � Vivian
Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua (10 am daily)
ROUND 7
April 11 – 14
Guyana vs Trinidad & Tobago � Guyana National Stadium (10 am daily)
Leeward Islands vs Barbados � Vivian Richards Cricket Ground (3 pm daily)
Combined Campuses & Colleges vs Jamaica � Three Ws Oval (10 am daily)
SEMIFINALS
April 19 – 22
Semi-final 1: 1st vs 4th � To be hosted in the territory of 1st
Semi-final 2: 2nd vs 3rd � To be hosted in the territory of 2nd
THE FINAL
April 25 – 28
Semi-final 1 qualifier vs semi-final 2 qualifier � To be hosted by higher placed team from the preliminary round.