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Jamaican cricketers to light up Cool & Smooth T20

Published:Friday | April 14, 2023 | 12:24 AMLennox Aldred/Gleaner Writer
Jamaica’s Sheldon Cottrell (left) posing with the Cool & Smooth T20 trophy, which he won with Bethsda Golden Eagles in 2018. Sharing the occasion is Amer Hourani, Director of Cool & Smooth T20.
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Jamaica’s Sheldon Cottrell (left) posing with the Cool & Smooth T20 trophy, which he won with Bethsda Golden Eagles in 2018. Sharing the occasion is Amer Hourani, Director of Cool & Smooth T20.

Some of Jamaica’s top local and international cricketers are among several overseas stars competing for their respective clubs in the Cool & Smooth T20 explosion in Antigua and Barbuda.

The tournament which started last night with two matches will see Antigua’s eight top cricket clubs vie for the coveted title of Cool & Smooth T20 Champions and the grand prize of EC$23,000 (approx J$1.3m). The clubs are the Bethesda Golden Eagles, New Winthorpes Lions, Empire Nation, Bolans Blasters, Pigotts Crushers, Jennings Tigers, All Saints Pythons, and the defending champions, the Liberta BlackHawks. The BlackHawks have been the most successful team in this competition, winning the tournament five times, including three straight titles from 2015 to 2017.

West Indies and Jamaica T20 pacer Sheldon Cottrell will be back for a second run at the tournament with Bethesda Golden Eagles, which also has Melbourne Cricket Club batsman Saddique Henry on their roster.

The pair are joined by the United States of America left-arm spinner Nosthusha Kenjige as the three overseas members of the Bethesda Squad that will be captained by local Devon Thomas.

Defending champions Liberta Black Hawks will also be vying, among the eight teams, for the main title and they have the hard-hitting Kensington Cricket Club opener Leroy Lugg in their squad. Liberta BlackHawks will be captained by Kadeem Phillip and will also feature West Indies players Rahkeem Cornwall and Hayden Walsh.

National spinner Dennis Bulli will feature along with Scotland captain Richie Berrington for the Boland Blasters team which will be led by Tariem Tonge, while Melbourne Cricket Club all-rounder Shalome Parnell will suit up for the Pigott Crushers team to be captained by Elroy Francis.

Director of Cool and Smooth T20 Amer Hourani highlighted the excitement around the tournament and plans for 2023.

“Last year’s tournament was a huge success, but we plan to make it bigger and better in our tenth year. This competition has been a great way of developing not only Antiguan but West Indian talent and preparing them for the regional and international levels of cricket. All I can say is, you do not want to miss the Cool & Smooth T20 this year.”