The Antigua Cricket Association Inc. (ACA) has vowed to participate as a separate entity in this year's Red Stripe Bowl Competition. This, despite a recent resolution of the Leeward Islands Cricket Association (LICA) that would require them to participate as part of a combined Leewards team.

During the LICA regular general meeting held on Saturday, 18th August, in Anguilla a motion was passed "not to allow Antigua to accept the invitation from the West Indies Cricket Board Inc. (WICB), to field a separate team in the Red Stripe Bowl." Instead, LICA voted for two teams (i) Leewards East (Antigua, Montserrat, and Combined Virgin Islands) and (ii) Leewards West (St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla), both representing LICA in the competition. However, the ACA representatives - John Maginley and Zorol Barthley - voted in favour of the ACA accepting the said invitation from the WICB. Enoch Lewis, the ACA's president was also in attendance as LICA's representative to the WICB.

Communication to this effect was today sent to the WICB and the matter is now being considered (again), and a final decision on this delicate matter is expected tomorrow. Meanwhile, ACA today confirmed that they are still going ahead with plans for their solo participation in this year's Red Stripe Bowl. A 24-man squad has already been called up for training.

The WICB's Chief Cricket Operations Officer - Michael Hall - weighed in on this latest controversy. Hall indicated that at the WICB's meeting of 21st July, the LICA representatives (Enoch Lewis and Carlisle Powell), advised that the winner of the Leeward Islands one day tournament - Antigua - would be the "individual" team and a "rest" team will compete in the Red Stripe Bowl 2001.

Hall stressed that the WICB is committed to expanding the Red Stripe Bowl competition, but are not able to go through with the desired expansion plans "primarily for financial reasons." He also confirmed that the WICB at its 21st July meeting in Barbados had "no prior indication that the Leewards participation was in jeopardy". The Board accepted the proposal as put forward by the two LICA representatives and only learned of the situation today.

According to Hall, "the Windward Islands could not devise a mechanism by which they could transparently select an individual island". For this reason, special dispensation has been made in which there will be a "Windwards North" and a "Windwards South" team for the competition. Hall stressed that this is a "one off" situation.

The WICB will make a ruling on this latest controversy in West Indies cricket tomorrow.

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