Battle Of Trafalgar, Rum And Stanford - Twenty20 Cricket's $20 Million US Prize

By Basil C. Hill

On October 20th this year 2008, Britain will be celebrating the 203rd anniversary of its victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. On that day over 200 years ago, Britain won one of the greatest naval battles. On November 1st 2008, seed of the British and Welch will try to replicate that epic battle against seed of the former colonies, not on the high seas, not in a naval war fought with cannonballs and rum, but with cricket balls and the same rum that allowed Britain to win the Battle of Trafalgar. This time around, the battle will be fought with cricket balls on the same land from which Horatio Nelson acquired the famous Antigua rum that preserved his body: the twin-island nation of Antigua/Barbuda.

Initiator and sponsor, Texas Billionaire R. Allen Stanford, after signing a deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board, announced that England would play an all star team from his Stanford Twenty20 competition and the winning prize would be some 10 million pounds. Other prizes for the player with the most sixes, best bowler, most runs and others would follow, allowing a total accumulation of approximately US$34million dollars or about 20 million pounds. In that epic and historic first-of-a-kind U.S $20 million saga, over 100 million people worldwide are expected to view the newest and most exciting game, featuring England and Ireland's All Star TWENTY20 team against the Stanford Caribbean All Stars.

Here are the particulars in a nutshell. Stanford's Caribbean 20/20 All Stars play an annual Twenty20 match against England in Antigua commencing October 25th, culminating in November 2008, with an initial U.S$20 million prize fund, including a U.S$15 million to the winning players and management. The proposed battles should continue until 2012. Included also are an annual round robin three-match Twenty20 at Lords--the world's most prestigious cricket venue--for the British and international fans, featuring the Stanford Caribbean Stars against two other international teams for an additional U.S$10 million prize.

THE SCHEDULE:

Stanford TWENTY20 2008 SCHEDULE:

25 Oct Stanford Super Stars v Trinidad & Tobago
26 Oct England v Twenty20 Champions
27 Oct Trinidad & Tobago v Twenty20 champions
28 Oct England v Trinidad & Tobago
29 Oct Stanford Super Stars v Twenty20 champions
30 Oct Rest day
31 Oct Legends Beach Cricket match
1 Nov Stanford Super Stars v England.

Stanford 32-Man Training Squad Named.

Sir Vivian Richards, chairman of the Stanford 20/20 selection panel announced the names of the 32 man Stanford Superstars training squad: senior West Indies players Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo, along with Dave Mohammed and Samuel Badree, spinners from Trinidad and Tobago, John Eugene of St Maarten and greased lightening United States Virgin Islands wicketkeeper Aldermond Lesmond (one of fourth wicketkeepers, including Trinidadian Denesh Ramdin, Lyndon James of St Vincent and the Grenadines and Andre Fletcher of Grenada). Also included are 18 year old Nevisian left handed opening batsman Kieran Powell, one of six opening batsmen in the squad along with Gayle, Barbadian born Fletcher, Trinidad and Tobago opener William Perkins, Jamaican Xavier Marshall and Guyanese Travis Dowlin. Gayle, and Vaughn--both captains of the West Indies and England respectively, might be worrying about the enormity of the prize, and mindful of the pressures of being captains in what might easily be the world's biggest sports prize--both want out of their respective captaincies.

Former Antigua and Barbuda and West Indies player Eldine Baptiste has been appointed head coach of the Stanford Superstars. Assistant Roger Harper, the former West Indies and Kenya and Anguilla coach Cardigan Connor complete the coaching team. Also, the seven member selection panel includes legends Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Everton Weekes, Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Andy Roberts, Lance Gibbs and Richie Richardson.

INTERNATIONAL EVENTS VENUE FOR OVER 200 YEARS.

The twin island nation of Antigua/Barbuda is known internationally as the event capital of the world. In June 2008, it hosted an international Love Festival called Romantic Rhythms that drew couples from all over the world. It invited them to renew their romance and vows, using the backdrop of the island's natural beauty, friendly people, and the international artists they invited to serenade them while on island. Similarly, R. Allen Stanford, chief sponsor, has chosen Antigua/Barbuda not only as his adopted home, but has built his Stanford Twenty 20 cricket headquarters within a quarter mile of the V.C. Bird International airport. His version of the game is considered the world's most exciting sporting event as it is hosted to the background of live party bands, Soca Diva Claudette C.P Peters, Beenie man and a host of Soca and Reggae stars in the West Indies Hall of Fame complex. Many international sailors have chosen the same world-famous Nelson's Dockyard in Antigua to complete their historic voyages. Holders of Transatlantic rowing records have completed their voyages in Antigua/Barbuda. On January 3rd 2007, 14-year old Michael Perham sailed into the same Nelson's Dockyard to become the youngest sailor to sail solo across the Atlantic.

In April 2004, then captain of the West Indies team, Brian Charles Lara made 400 runs not-out in Antigua/Barbuda against England. The images of that event and the crowd atmosphere are second to none in the sport worldwide. Antigua also hosts an international sailing yacht regatta formerly known as Antigua Sailing Week that was sponsored by Rolex. Stanford's patience finally paid off as he is now the sponsor of that prestigious event also. The venue is as popular today as it was over 200 years ago as it continues to draw all the world's finest sailors. Battle of Trafalgar mariners like Horatio Nelson, Admiral Collingwood and Vice Admiral William Cornwallis, who captained the HMS Royal Sovereign, Captain Richard King of the HMS Achilles, Captain Thomas Francis Fermantle, captain of HMS Neptune (the ship that towed the crippled Victory and mortally-wounded body of Captain Horatio Nelson back to Gibraltar) all such sailed, sat, sipped and sang rum songs in the dockyard in Antigua/Barbuda in the past. In fact, there is a piece of graffiti made by some of the world's most famous seamen preserved in the Dockyard Museum today. History books affirm that those famous mariners provisioned their ships and had repairs done in the Dockyard and naval headquarters on Antigua. The Dockyard is now named after Nelson and is the commencement point and registration center of, not only the annual sailing regatta, but the fun-filled prize-giving Governor's Ball afterwards.

I listed all the above to show that the England/West Indies clash will be played in a venue that is no stranger to some of Britain and the West Indies most celebratory events. Since British Airways, British Midlands and Virgin Atlantic serve Antigua with direct flights from England to Antigua, the grounds will be packed with noisy supporters from both sides of the Atlantic in a venue known for some of the world's biggest and greatest fun-filled events.

The sponsor made sure that his thousands of Stanford twenty 20 fans from all over the Caribbean will be able to get their annual treat. My simple question is this: where will all the people hold? If past finals have been sold out one hour after the gates open, I would suggest that Mr Stanford either erect 5000 additional seats, or lease the Sir Vivian Richard Stadium and have satellite hookup so that an additional 20, 000 seats become available at a discount prices. He can then recreate the same party atmosphere and let patrons watch the games on wide screen television. After all, many of us choose to watch his Twenty20 games in the luxury of his Sticky wicket Hall of Fame venue and we are just as involved as those who have ringside seats. We have done so for the past two years. Why not, Sir Allen?

NEWEST AND FASTEST-GROWING WORLD SPORT.

I predict that within five years Twenty20 cricket will be the biggest and most popular sport in the world. My belief is underpinned by the success of the recent India Premier League's Twenty20 tournament and also by the fact that America is catching the Twenty20 fever. At least three New York Dailies reported that the New York Police Department has brought Twenty20 Cricket to New York as part of its immigration outreach program. With Allen Stanford's love for the game, it is not impossible to hear of World Twenty20 Cricket tournaments happening in all major sporting countries very soon. Allen has the bucks; Antigua has the rum, and as the global village gets smaller, sports-rather than military battles is the way to go in the future. Even though the cricket bats are shaped like muskets, remember the balls are not the same ancient metal cannon balls. Instead, these battles are waged at nights, under floodlights to swinging music and lots or rum. Since the inception of Twenty20 cricket, the term RSVP has taken on another meaning: RUM SERVED VERY PLENTIFUL.