First Premier League Event Labelled A Success
[Written by Patrick Bean]
The inaugural Bermuda Cricket Board [BCB] produced and sponsored Bermuda Premier League [BPL] has been labelled an organisational success, even as Bermuda failed in its quest to emerge as champions, losing the final match against Barbados, who showed themselves the superior outfit throughout.
Respectable sized crowds attended the weekday matches at White Hill Field, while numbers doubled over the weekend, as action moved to National Sports Centre’s North Field, with pop-up canopies ringing the perimeter, food concessions, hospitality areas, outside bar, musical interludes during breaks in action, areas for children to imitate on-field action, all things conducive to a fun filled outing for the entire family.
Apart from a minor incident of player indiscipline, match officials were called on little to administer penalty or punishment, but were able to focus, for the most part, on items relevant to normal match play.
The most major decision made during the tournament occurred on Saturday, during Match 6, when rain intervened between innings of the critical game, featuring Bermuda versus Grassroots Cricket Academy.
The match was delayed to within 15 minutes of the established cut-off time, forcing match officials to abandon the match, thus allowing Bermuda to qualify for the final based on net run rate, much to the chagrin of the visiting Antigua and Barbuda squad, who had established a challenging total on a pitch not conducive to scoring.
Asked what he thought of the first instance of the BPL, Cricket Competitions Chairman Steven Douglas was satisfied at how the tournament was executed in a manner that mirrored the initial concept.
“We achieved our goal of launching the BPL,” said Douglas. “And, with the launch, we were able to test all areas in preparation for the ICC tournament.
“From meeting the teams at the airport upon arrival, transportation, logistics, staffing and grounds at both locations being well tested for field readiness ahead of matches.
“Additionally, we have received plenty of feedback on areas where we need to improve, some which we can address immediately and others in the very near future.
“We, the BCB, would like to thank those who came out and supported to help make it the success that it was.”
Similarly, Barbados coach Henderson Springer hailed the near week long festival of international cricket as a positive step for the Island, as a means of improving standards of play and officiating, while and offering good entertainment value.
“I thought it [BPL] was a very good initiative,” said Springer, who’s employer, the Barbados Cricket Association [BCA] have pledged to return and participate for the next four years. “I hope it will get a lot bigger as time goes on.”
“Bermuda is preparing for the ICC engagement and stuff and I wish them well, they still have a couple more weeks to go.
“It won’t be easy, but I’m glad if we could come and lend something of substance to their preparation.”
Bermuda’s coach Niraj Odedra noted the tournament as being the exact item he’d hoped for to gauge the current performance levels of his players, individually and as a unit.
Despite having to concede that his side was not of the level of the Caribbean powerhouse that is Barbados, he was optimistic of Bermuda being able to use the lessons learned from Barbados to improve going forward to the September 28 – October 8 ICC T20 World Cup 2024 Americas Region Qualifiers later this month against Canada, Panama and Cayman Islands.
“I’d like to compliment the BCB for the way they organised this tournament,” said Odedra during the prize presentation. “This is how we wanted it and we got it.
“These were proper practice matches for ourselves.”
Bermuda must win the locally hosted ICC event in order to qualify for the finals, set to be hosted by the United States and West Indies. Even as Canada are less regarded as a cricketing nation than Barbados, they yet are expected to contain a bevy of cricketers born of immigrants from the Indian subcontinent, the Caribbean and western Europe.
