Champs Scorpions to open Super50 against Hurricanes

ST JOHN'S, Antigua (CMC):

Jamaica Scorpions will open their defence of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Super50 League against Leeward Islands Hurricanes on October 18 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA) in Trinidad, where the tournament will be staged.

CWI announced on Wednesday that the Super50, the premier List A one-day 50 overs tournament in the Caribbean, will begin on October 17 and features eight teams playing under a non-elimination format in the preliminary stage, followed by semi-finals and the final to determine the champions.

CWI director of cricket Miles Bascombe hailed the tournament as "a crucial stage" in the organising body's planning for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027.

"We see the upcoming Super50 Cup as the perfect platform to establish and incentivise a West Indies brand of play in the 50-over format and for the emergence of new talent," he said.

"The introduction of the round-robin format will provide players with more 'playing time' in the middle and a balanced way of gauging individual and team performances.

"We are pleased to again have CCC (Combined Campuses & Colleges) and the West Indies Academy participating at the senior level as they join the other six franchise teams as we look to widen the pool of players."

The West Indies Cricket Academy and the composite CCC will again join the six territorial franchises of Scorpions, Barbados Pride, Guyana Harpy Eagles, Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Trinidad & Tobago Red Force, and Windward Islands Volcanoes in the tournament.

The top four in the league will qualify for the semi-finals, featuring first against fourth and second against third, which are set for BLCA on Wednesday, November 8, and Thursday, November 9.

The final will be at the same venue on Saturday, November 11, when the winners will lift the Clive Lloyd Trophy.