Vincy T10 marks return of high level cricket

The start of the Vincy T10 Premier League at the Arnos Vale Ground in St Vincent and the Grenadines on Friday marked the first form of high level competitive cricket to be played since the world wide shutdown of the sport in march due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Six teams are taking part in the tournament which is scheduled to run Until May 31.

Although very low key in the wider world of  international cricket, it's the first tournament to be staged in a test-playing region since the advent of the coronavirus pandemic and is being viewed by many as a trial run as cricket prepares to return, not just in the West Indies, but everywhere else in the world

The tournament is being played behind closed doors with no fans allowed and  hand sanitizers on the boundary ropes. The tournament is also the first to take place with bowlers banned from applying saliva to the ball, a long-standing technique in helping to achieve swing.

The world governing body, the ICC is seeking to outlaw the practice of applying saliva to the ball as part of the battle against the spread of Covid 19. Other safety measures include temperature checks and umpires wearing face masks.

At first it was hoped that spectators would be allowed to attend as the risk of infection was considered to be extremely low in a country with just 18 recorded cases. West Indies players, batsman Sunil Ambris and pacer Kesrick Williams who hails from St Vincent, are taking part in the tournament.