Pro Sales tourney returns to Emmerton

Eight teams will be duking it out nightly for the next two weeks as the Pro Sales Back-A-D-Yard Cricket Tournament returns to Emmerton, or as it is affectionately known, the ‘Bullpen’. Defending champions, Backa Yard Strikers, are back to reclaim glory in the 2016 competition, which bowls off tomorrow night in the City.

 

The tournament, which will be pitting eight teams of eight players in eight-over games against each other, has added a new element to add to the excitement and increase the stakes of each match. Tournament Organiser, Hanif Adam, explained that under special circumstances a six could count for much more, helping to clinch a win for the team to hit the boundary. 

 

“We are adding an additional rule to the competition and that is if you hit the last ball of the innings for a six, it will count as 12. So for instance, in the second innings you need nine runs to win off the last ball, and hit it for six, you win the game,” he said.

 

With the format of the games seeing four overs bowled from each end and a maximum of two overs being assigned to bowlers, things are expected to be kept tight and engaging when games begin at 8:45 from Monday to Thursday over the next two weeks. As is customary, the teams are divided into two zones with the Indian Boys, Backa Yard Strikers, Cell Hut Knight Riders and A&A Auto Parts in the Pinfold Street Zone. The Lakes Folly Zone will be home to Monsters, Belleville Motor Oil, Settlers and Foam House.

 

Speaking to The Barbados Advocate, Manager of Pro Sales Hashim Delair explained that the tournament had no intentions of expanding from its current eight-team setup as they preferred quality over quantity. With some of the rosters sporting names such as Carlo Morris and Mike Matthews, he stated that any prospective teams needed to bear names of quality. He also went on to say that the purpose of the competition was just to give something back to the community as the Lakes Folly branch was the first in the Pro Sales franchise.

 

Action begins tomorrow at Emmerton with Monsters and Belleville Motor Oil facing off first, while Settlers and Foam House follow up. Tuesday will see Indian Boys taking on the defending champions and Cell Hut Knight Riders and A&A Auto Parts close things out. Each night begins at 8:45 p.m. (MP)