For the first time St Vincent and the Grenadines will compete in the Red Stripe Bowl as a separate entity and the University of the West Indies XI will play in the regional one-day tournament.

St Vincent and the Grenadines as the winners of the Windward Islands Tournament follow the lead of Antigua who competed on their own last year. Antigua also returns to the Red Stripe Bowl, having once again emerged winners of the Leeward Islands Tournament.

The University of the West Indies Team joins the premier One-Day tournament as part of the West Indies Cricket Board's (WICB) commitment to giving talented cricketers who are attending University the opportunity of continuing their cricketing development and careers.

Chief Marketing Executive of the WICB, Roger Brathwaite speaking at the launch in Jamaica yesterday welcomed the UWI and St Vincent and the Grenadines teams to the regional one-day cricket.

"The inclusion of two new teams in the Red Stripe Bowl is evidence of the WICB's commitment to increasing the amount of one-day cricket for our players. This is particularly important as we prepare for the 2003 World Cup and in the longer term to be hosts in 2007."

"The WICB on behalf of the West Indian cricketing family is indebted to Red Stripe for its continued support of the sport and we are particularly pleased to have secured a one-year extension of the existing contract for the Red Strip Bowl" he added.

Brathwaite noted that the one-year extension would allow the Board to finalise terms and conditions of the contract for the regional one-day tournament in 2003.

The other teams in the 2002 Red Stripe Bowl are: Barbados, Canada, Guyana, Jamaica, the Leewards, the University of the West Indies XI, and the Windwards. Canada returns for a second season in view of their qualification for World Cup 2003.

© CricInfo