The reputation of the Warner Park Cricket Stadium in St. Kitts as a venue for exciting matches, energetic crowds, and an electric and welcoming atmosphere, will likely grow this summer as it serves as the home for two new ventures by the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
The first is a new innovative tournament called THE 6IXTY which was announced by Chris Gayle on Friday, June 24, 2022. Gayle serves as the Brand Ambassador for the new 60-ball tournament scheduled to begin on August 24.
According to CPL, the new tournament will be contested by six men’s teams and three women’s teams. Each batting team has six wickets. Thirty balls are bowled at one end, then the next 30 from the other. Each batting team has two PowerPlay overs with an option to unlock a third PowerPlay over by hitting two sixes in the first 12 balls. The pace of the match will also factor in as a member of a team will be removed during the final six balls if the overs are not completed within an allotted time. Fans can directly influence the game by voting for the timing of a “Mystery Free Hit.”
The second new venture by CPL is the introduction of a women’s Twenty20 tournament that will run alongside the men’s T20 tournament slated for August 30. The inaugural WCPL features the Trinbago Knight Riders, Barbados Royals and Guyana Amazon Warriors.
All of the matches for THE 6IXTY and the WCPL will be held in St. Kitts and Nevis. Additionally, the defending champions of the Men’s CPL Twenty20 tournament, the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots, will also play for home fans at Warner Park, which is one of four venues for the 2022 tournament.
Minister of Sports, the Honourable Vincent Byron Jr., said that a total of 31 games of world-class cricket will be held under the CPL in August and September.
“We have a very exciting programme coming and we look forward to having our people … enjoy a fun-filled sporting period,” the minister stated.
CPL and St. Kitts and Nevis have enjoyed a very strong relationship over the 10 seasons of the tournament. In 2014, Warner Park was the venue for the semifinals and finals of the tournament as well as the “Beefy Bash” charity match featuring teams led by legendary cricketers Sir Ian Botham of England and Brian Lara of the West Indies. Other notable moments include the establishment of the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots in 2015 as well as the hosting of all matches for the 2021 tournament.