By Neto Baptiste
Temperature checks, wearing of masks and sanitising the match balls are all part of the mandatory Covid-19 protocols that will be enforced during the staging of the Antigua and Barbuda Cricket Association’s (ABCA) 10 Splash Cricket Tournament set to bowl off on Saturday at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.
This was revealed by president of the cricket association, Leon Rodney, who said there must be strict adherence to all protocols by all teams and spectators.
“We should be communicating with all the clubs just to suggest what time they should be turning up [at the venue] because all the temperatures have to be taken and recorded. So, the teams playing at 3:30 pm, we will be asking them to show up at a particular time so they could get in their warm up and so forth,” he said.
“They have to be wearing masks and they know that. We will be placing some small bottles of sanitizers around the boundaries and that is for the purpose of the teams themselves. Let’s say, for instance, the ball was hit over the boundary and let’s say Jojo takes it and throws it back in, then the person should sanitize the ball,” he added.
In the opening match on December 5, Jennings will meet Combined School at 3:30 pm in Zone One, while PIC Liberta Blackhawks and All Saints Pythons, also from Zone One, will clash at 7:30 pm.
In the other match, a Zone Two clash, CUB Bethesda Golden Eagles and Pigotts Crushers will face off at 5:30 pm.
Rodney is expecting competitive match-ups despite not having competitive cricket since March.
“Up to last weekend, I think Pigotts played four practice matches on Saturday so I know the teams are putting in the work. We have asked them to send out some advertisement from the clubs and I think they are doing pretty well. Some could have been done better but it’s a start, so we have published those on our Facebook page,” he said.
The cricket boss said that from the association’s standpoint, they are prepared for the start of the anticipated tournament.
“Basically, I would say we are about 95 percent ready because you know you are not going to get to the 100 until the first ball is bowled. For the first round of matches you can just basically walk through the gates but if you are driving through the games then it’s $5 to park inside and that is for the first round of matches. The second round of matches, which is three days, then we are asking you for $10 per person,” Rodney said.
The matches are expected to be broadcasted on the cricket association’s Facebook page.