Ah real Tanty Merle CPL Finals

Man, over de last five weeks, ah thoroughly enjoyed de recently concluded Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Caribbean T20 Cricket Tournament. Let us not forget however dat in 2006, nineteen years ago, in Antigua, dat Allen Standford was de man who started it all as 20/20 cricket.

De potential foh success was always dey, except dat Standford “rip-off” de West Indies cricketers. Of course Stand-ford had to Stand-down den Stand-Try-all and served time! But de real CPL dat was started by Cricket West Indies (CWI) kicked off in 2013. It was comprised of six Caribbean city-based (island/Nay-shuns) franchises namely: Bo-bathe-us; Aunt-tiger; Sin-Kits; Trinbago, Guy-Anna and Jah-mek-her who ran out ah sponsors and was subsequently replaced by Sin Loose-her.The majority of the players were expected to come from the West Indies, each team will be beefed-up wid ah minimum of five far-rain base Inter-nah-shun-all players from countries like India, Australia, Sth. Africa and so on. Also, four under 23 players(youths). Sum-way ah read dat as of the 2025 Season, clubs are required to spend between $750,000.00 and $1,282,000.00 on player compensation, with a minimum salary of $ 30,000.00 per player. For players aged 21 and younger on standard contracts, only 50% of their salary counts towards the cap (up to $ 200,000. 00 total). Average pay per player was $ 30, 000.00

So yuh will overs if ah say Republic Bank CPL Franchise is in good hands. Massive, record-breaking crowds at de night matches! Far-rain based cricket fans from near and far, North America and de region meking CPL ah Home-Coming, back to de Carry-Beyond to attend CPL.

Ah real Festival Franchise, in fact de biggest Festival after Carnival (big up Kiss-sure).

Massive! Electrifying Crowds in attendance; cricket announcers and reporters tumbling thru de stands wid microphones interviewing fans live! “wuking-up de crowds to ah frenzy.” Was like Mas in September! East Indian and African Dancers! Drummers (Tassa and Dhaki). Nah-shun-all Cultural presentations, Pan and Rhythm Section. Ah looked at it all from my living room in Sin-Vin-Sin, hundreds ah miles away, and ah could ah feel de vibes, it was high voltage stuff. Ah overs dat at de Finals, T’n’T Night Riders vs Guyana Amazon Warriors, ah section of de home crowd got over emotional (poor loosers), and booed Kyron Pollard. Pollard, who was possibly de most senior player of de tournament, was actually my choice foh MVP of de Finals.

He excelled in every department, using his years of experience assisting captain Nikki Pooran.

Well we looking good, thanks Republic Bank CPL T20, but we got ah long way to go. We have some good youths coming, but dey got ah lot ah wuk to do on dey game. Geoff Edwards, ah former youth cricketer of SVG wrote ah comment: “ Bowlers must get wickets, Batters must mek runs and fielders in particular must hold dey catches. Our fielding is atrocious.
Ah not an expert in cricket, but strongly, de presence of experienced players like Jason Holder, Pollard, Narine, Russell, Hope and Chase still around meking ah positive input in de game and on players. And finally Lie-Za wants me to tell CWI President “Tis-sure Sha-Lou” dat his first assignment in de new NDP Go-venom-mint is ah CPL Cricket Franchise in SVG. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

• Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.