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The single most important thing that the 20-20 World Cricket Classic has demonstrated to me is the enormous potential that the National Sports Center has to hold major events. Keith Pont, John Kane, the Bermuda Government and everyone else involved in the staging of this fantastic spectacle should be commended for the tremendous job they have done. Even without the completion of the Centre Core and the need to lay an artificial wicket, it is by far the best cricket ground I have ever seen in Bermuda! In fact it is so well laid out that serious consideration ought to be given to staging our annual Cup Match Classic at the centre. Now before you traditionalists dismiss the idea out of hand consider the following: -

n The facility is big enough to hold comfortably three times the amount of people who each year cram into the limited space available at Somerset Cricket Club and Wellington Oval.

n The field is centrally located making access easier and more convenient for all. It is also surrounded by plenty of parking space such as Police field, CedarBridge and Devonshire Rec.

n As far as security is concerned you really couldn't ask for a better locale as Police headquarters is a stone's throw away. Also in the event of illness, injury or accident the hospital is nearby.

n The new locale would make it easier for government to market Cup Match as part of their Sports Tourism initiative. They might even be persuaded to sponsor a couple of international recording artists to perform in the evening after the day's play.

n The size of the ground and the facilities at the National Sports Centre would make it far easier to make Cup Match into what it deserves to be, a bona fide first-class game (i.e. three days).

I could go on listing several other advantages but time and space do not permit. Suffice to say that when I put the idea to two senior members of our current national cricket squad, one from Somerset and one from St. Georges both backed it enthusiastically, so I don't think you would have a problem convincing the cricketers to play there. My final word to those die-in-the-wool traditionalists who consider the venue to be all-important is if that is the case why aren’t we still playing Cup Match at Garrison or Royal Naval? Think about it!

As for the 20-20 cricket itself, I must confess to being something of a purist preferring the longer versions of the game though this shorter match does have its moments.

Frankly I can't see any of these ‘classic teams’ stopping Bermuda's National squad. Our guys returned from their Trinidad training camp full of confidence and it showed in their first match against the West Indies. I don’t think England will do any better than the men from the Caribbean. How on earth are a bunch of ‘aging limeys’ here on a ‘bit of a jolly’ with a couple of players who appear to be playing primarily to work up a thirst going to defeat our world cup bound 'North Rock Warriors?'

It will be good to get one up on the ‘mother country’ particularly as our rugby team tends to struggle in their classic. I foresee a Bermuda versus South Africa final and while organizer Keith Pont favours the Springboks I beg to differ, come Saturday evening it will be Bermuda skipper Irving Romaine holding that beautiful 20-20 World cricket classic trophy aloft.

Finally I would love to see the Bermuda Cricket Board host a 50 over triangular tournament for our team at the end of the season at the National Sports Centre in the very same setting. By that time our leading batsman skipper Clay Smith should be available, along with our county player David Hemp which should help to strengthen the side. Perhaps Namibia and UAE could be invited to participate and we could set about reversing those losses we suffered against both sides in the not too distant past![[In-content Ad]]

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