By Neto Baptiste
Commenting on the standard of cricket exhibited throughout both the Two Day and Super40 competitions this year, President of the Antigua and Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA), Leon Rodney, has said that ‘something must change’ in an effort to improve the quality of matches.
“If you look at the scores, we are just not batting and the time has come that we have to or should introduce a new competition … because we do not want to go and disband clubs, but I think the time has come for us to introduce a six-team competition. I’ve toyed with the idea for a long time and whether it is going to be St John’s, St Paul, St Peter, St Phillip and look at it as a first class parish competition,” he said.
Across 49 matches contested in the recently concluded Super40, a total of 11,712 runs were scored from 14,308 deliveries. Of those deliveries, 9,244 were dot balls with a total of 926 fours and 287 sixes being struck. A total of seven centuries and 24 half centuries scored. A total of 693 wickets fell with 1,573 extras being bowled.
Asked if he level of coaching being offers was a factor, Rodney said he is more concerned with the turnout for training sessions at the club level and how some coaches utilize the few players who attend regular sessions.
“The last time we did a … course I think we got about 11 out of the level 2 coaching course and so, as far as I am aware, most of the teams if not all of the teams have coaches working with them. What I think happens, if you look around, maybe only one or two clubs have practice on a regular basis and one of the problems is that people still believe that a whole team has to turn out to practice,” he said.
A total of 20,263 runs were scored from 32,507 deliveries in the association’s Two Day competition of which 1,783 were extras. Some 2059 fours and 395 sixes were struck with 14 centuries and 62 half centuries across the 48 matches contested. There were 24,370 dot balls and 1082 maidens recorded while 1332 wickets fell.
