Above; Warner Park in St Kitts
By the Caribbean Journal staff
The popular Caribbean Premier League cricket tournament is expanding.
The CPL announced last week that its newest cricket franchise would be a team in St Kitts and Nevis.
St Kitts and Nevis will be replacing the Antigua Hawksbills, who will not be fielding a team in 2015.
St Kitts and Nevis’ Warner Park will be hosting all six neutral games in the Caribbean Premier League this summer.
“Hosting the games highlighted that St Kitts and Nevis is home to some of the most passionate cricket fans in the region and having our own franchise team here will be a source of great pride for the people of St Kitts and Nevis, whilst also benefiting local businesses, as fans from around the region and overseas make the journey to watch the games at the Warner Park Stadium. CPL is watched by millions of fans worldwide,” said Glenn Phillip, the country’s Minister of Sports. “Last year the government of St Kitts and Nevis was delighted to support the CPL by hosting the semi-finals and final as well as a series of neutral games. That partnership reaped great rewards as St Kitts and Nevis enjoyed a significant return on investment. Overall the economy benefited to the tune of $26m, which comfortably exceeded our expectations.”
The team does not yet have a name.