Photo Credit: Cricket West Indies
CG Insurance Super50 Cup: the highly anticipated regional rivalry
The upcoming CG Insurance Super50 Cup promises to be one of the most exciting cricket events in the West Indies in recent years.
This will be CG Insurance’s second tournament as the official title sponsor and with cricket making a return to the landscape, this will be the first professional tournament of 2021 as fans eagerly await the 19 matches to be played in Antigua.
The action bowls off from Sunday February 7th to Saturday February 27th.
West Indies Men’s ODI Captain, Kieron Pollard, looks forward to an explosive showcase of new talent:
“It is very good that cricket is coming back to the Caribbean. Players will get the opportunity to showcase their skills and entertain our fans. It has been a trying 2020 for cricketers and the whole Caribbean, so it is really good that we have the CG Insurance Super50 Cup being played at this time and hopefully it can unearth some new talent.”
Where it all began: Inaugural West Indies 50-over competition
The 2021 edition will be the 45th time the tournament will be contested as it dates back to 1976 when the teams first played for the Gillette Cup.
The tournament began the year after the West Indies won the first ever Cricket World Cup in 1975 when Clive Lloyd’s team defeated Australia at Lord’s. In the inaugural showdown of the Gillette Cup, Barbados emerged victorious over Trinidad and Tobago in the final at Kensington Oval.
CG Insurance Super50 Cup 2020: Who’s Playing this Year
This edition’s line ups promises to be both competitive and entertaining with six (6) teams competing for 50-over bragging rights in the region.
The teams are:
- Trinidad and Tobago Red Force
- Barbados Pride
- Guyana Jaguars
- Jamaica Scorpions
- Leeward Islands Hurricanes
- Windward Islands Volcanoes
This year, a host of senior West Indies players will be participating in the franchise line ups!
West Indies white ball skipper, Kieron Pollard will be at the helm of the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force while Test captain Jason Holder will be in charge of the Barbados Pride
Some of the other senior West Indies players to compete are:
- Shimron Hetmyer (Guyana Jaguars)
- Sheldon Cottrell (Jamaica Scorpions)
- Nicholas Pooran (Trinidad and Tobago Red Force)
- Andre Fletcher (Windward Islands Volcanoes)
- Hayden Walsh Jr (Leeward Islands Hurricanes)
- Roston Chase (Barbados Pride)
FULL SQUADS:
- Click HERE to view all Squads
Fixtures: Three weeks of non-stop action
Each of the six teams will play each other on a round-robin basis with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals and the opportunity to reach the grand final. Matches will be played at Antigua’s two international cricket venues – the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) and the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium (SVRS). There will be 13 matches at CCG including the semi-finals and final, and 6 matches at SVRS.
FIXTURES:
Click HERE for full list of Fixtures
VENUES:
Staying Tuned: How to Follow the Matches
WATCH LIVE on ESPN or ESPN+ – Coolidge Cricket Ground (available live to Caribbean and North American audiences)
WATCH LIVE on WINDIES Cricket YouTube Channel – Sir Vivian Richard Stadium (available to audiences worldwide)
LIVE SCORES:
Don’t miss a beat! Follow every match live with ball by ball updates in the Windiescricket.com Match Centre.
LISTEN LIVE:
On the go? Not a problem! You can follow the radio commentary around the Caribbean or tune in to a live radio feed on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel.
Stay tuned for further details on how you can listen live.
BEHIND THE SCENES:
We know it’s difficult not being there to see your favourite team or players live in action. Join us virtually as we bring you match updates and behind the scenes access on our social media channels!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/windiescricket
Twitter: https://twitter.com/windiescricket
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/windiescricket/
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:
If you happen to miss the action, not to worry. You can match the highlights on the WINDIES Cricket YouTube channel.
Stay tuned for more information on how you can view match highlights!
Close Call: A look back at one of the tournament’s thrilling matches
One of the most famous matches in Super50 Cup history was the 2010 final when Barbados and Leeward Island shared the title as they played to a famous tie.
Leewards batted first and made 139 but were able to defend it in front of a colourful and supportive crowd at Sabina Park.
With just one run to win, Kirk Edwards was sensationally bowled by pacer Gavin Tonge for a solid 44 off 90 balls to set up a tense finale. A few balls later and with 12 overs still remaining, the last pair of Kemar Roach and Tino Best attempted a quick single, which resulted in the latter being run-out by keeper Jamar Hamilton’s direct throw from behind the stumps.
Fast bowler Lionel Baker ended with five wickets for 33 runs off 10 overs, while Tonge backed up with two wickets.
2019 Edition: The latest installment of the CG Insurance Super50 Cup
The event was last contested in 2019 when the West Indies Emerging Players won in grand style after beating Leeward Islands in the final at Queen’s Park Oval.
Due to COVID-19 related constraints, the champions are unable to defend their title.
However, eight of those talented young winners from the 2019 tournament have found spots in the competing franchise teams, including Keon Harding, Dominic Drakes and Justin Greaves (Barbados Pride), Kevin Sinclair (Guyana Jaguars), Ashmead Nedd (Leeward Islands Hurricanes), Jayden Seales (Trinidad and Tobago Red Force) as well as, Kimani Melius and Roland Cato (Windward Islands Volcanoes).
CG Insurance Super50 Cup: A launchpad for West Indies international players
Over the years, the tournament has proven to be a great career launchpad for players.
Harding was selected on the West Indies Test tour of England in 2020 as a reserve and recently made his ODI debut in Bangladesh. Jayden Seales impressed in the ICC Under-19 World Cup last year and was among the reserves on West Indies tour of New Zealand late last year. Wicket-keeper Joshua Da Silva also played in the 2019 Emerging Players team and has been elevated to the Test and ODI teams.
This year’s platform becomes more important as all West Indies players have the opportunity to start competing for places in the build up to the ICC 2023 World Cup.
CG Insurance Super50 Cup: The Most Wins and Stand Out Player Performances
- Trinidad & Tobago have won the title on 11 occasions, making them the most successful team in the history. Their last title was back in 2016 on home soil.
- Guyana are next best with 10 titles — they last won back in 2008.
- Jamaica stand third on the charts with eight titles.
Over the years we have witnessed some amazing performances.
- The highest score in history is 177 by Johnson Charles for the Windward Islands against Barbados at Shaw Park, Tobago.
- Pedro Collins has the record for the best bowling figures when he claimed 7-11 for Barbados against the West Indies Under-19s at Blairmont Estate Ground, Guyana back in 2007.
- The leading batsman of all time is Shiv Chanderpaul of Guyana with 3,132 runs in 100 innings
- The leading bowler is fellow Guyanese leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo with 107 wickets in 72 matches.
Jason Holder, the West Indies Test captain, will be leading the Barbados Pride and hoping to win the title for the eighth time for his team. The Pride last won the tournament in 2017, when the event was held in Antigua.
Holder shared:
“We are really looking forward to the first tournament of the year. It’s great to be back and there is a lot of excitement in our camp. We are focused on winning. It will be important to hold our nerve under pressure and execute under pressure. The team that is most consistent alway wins, and we have to look at being consistent and win for our country and our fans.”
Name of Author: Cricket West Indies
Cricket West Indies (CWI) governs cricket across the West Indies, a confederation of Caribbean countries. Originally established as the West Indies Cricket Board of Control in the 1920s, it became the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) in 1996 and was rebranded as Cricket West Indies in May 2017 as part of a restructuring effort.
