Champions Merry Boys of Diego Martin will open the defence of their NGC Group Premiership T20 Club Championship on April 1 against FCB Clarke Road United in a night match at the National Cricket Centre ground in Balmain, Couva starting at 7 pm.
Comfortable three-wicket winners over Queen’s Park in last year’s final, Merry Boys are favoured to launch a strong campaign to retain their crown in the National Gas Company sponsored tournament which runs from March 31-April 15.
Approximately $266,000 will be on offer in cash prizes and incentives with the winner collecting a cheque for $100,000 and the runners-up getting $60,000. The losing semifinalists and quarterfinalists will pocket $35,000 and $8,000 respectively.
Also $4,000 has been allocated for individual awards in the final making the NGC Group T20 competition for Premiership One and Two clubs, one of the richest staged by the T&T Cricket Board.
All matches will be played at the refurbished NCC ground at Balmain with two fixtures each day, starting at 3 pm and 7 pm respectively, with the leading 16 cricket clubs in the country divided into four groups.
GROUPS
Group A: Queen’s Park, Prisons, Esmeralda, Caldrac
Group B: Merry Boys, Clarke Road, Queen’s Park II, Calcutta
Group C: PowerGen, Victoria, Cane Farm, Central Sports
Group D: Preysal, Alescon Comets, Moosai Sports, Jenexcon Tableland
NGC T20 Fixtures at National Cricket Centre
March 31
Esmeralda vs Prisons – 3pm
Queen’s Park vs Caldrac – 7pm
April 1
Queen’s Park II vs Calcutta – 3 pm
Merry Boys vs FC Clarke Road – 7 pm
April 2
Cane Farm vs Victoria – 3 pm
PowerGen vs Central Sports – 7 pm
April 3
Jenexcon Tableland vs Moosai Sports – 3 pm
Preysal vs Alescon Comets – 7 pm
April 4
Caldrac vs Esmeralda – 3 pm
Prisons vs Queen’s Park – 7 pm
April 5
FC Clarke Road vs Queen’s Park II – 3 pm
Merry Boys vs Calcutta – 7 pm
April 6
Central Sports vs Victoria – 3 pm
Cane Farm vs Powergen – 7 pm
April 7
Alescon Comets vs Moosai Sports – 3 pm
Jenexcon Tableland vs Preysal – 7 pm
April 8
Caldrac vs Prisons – 3 pm
Esmeralda vs Queen’s Park – 7 pm
April 9
FC Clarke Road vs Calcutta – 3 pm
Queen’s Park II vs Merry Boys – 7pm
April 10
Central Sports vs Cane Farm – 3 pm
PowerGen vs Victoria – 7 pm
April 11
Jenexcon Tableland vs Alescon Comets – 3 pm
Preysal vs Moosai Sports – 7 pm