Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
HENDRICKS
THE FORMAT for the 2005-2006 Carib Beer cricket regional first-class league championship has been changed.
Countries down to participate in the upcoming season will only play each other once, after which the top four teams on points will battle out in the semi-finals for a place in the championship match.
Last year teams played each other on a home and away basis, after which the top team on points was crowned as the league champion.
Additionally, the top two teams were involved in a championship play-off for the Challenge Shield.
Jamaica won both titles last season.
Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) president Jackie Hendriks confirmed the alterations, but declined to note the reasons behind it.
"What they plan to do this year is one round, and then semi-finals and final," said Hendriks, who is also a director of the West Indies Cricket Board.
Hendriks said he is very disappointed with the changes.
"I am very, very disappointed ... I thought last year's season was the start of a proper first -class season for West Indies, who previously had, in my view, the shortest first-class season of all leading Test-playing countries.
"It's certainly disappointing to know that it has been considered necessary to cutback the duration of the competition," Hendriks added.
The Gleaner has learnt that the reason for the cut back is lack of funding.
It was brought to The Gleaner's attention that the competition cost US$1.2m and the WICB had to put up more than half the amount.
This year's tournament will also start two weeks later than the previously announced date of November 11.
Jamaica will launch their title defence against the Leeward Islands at Kensington Park on November 25, and will host the Windward Islands at Chedwin Park the following week.
The changes will also affect the cricket-loving fans in St. Ann and St. Elizabeth, who were waiting to see Jamaica play at Kaiser on November 11-14 and Alpart Sports Club on November 18-21.
However, those preliminary matches from the original fixtures at these venues have been dropped.
Jamaica will play two matches in the competition, which will take a two-week break during the Christmas holidays.
When they resume playing in the new year, Jamaica will travel for two away games with the first against Guyana, then Trinidad and Tobago.
When they return, they will host Barbados at Alpart.
