An outfit from the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College (SVGCC) is among the 16 groups taking part in the National Lotteries Authority Neil Williams Twenty/20 Cricket Competition being staged by the St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association.

The inclusion of the SVGCC forms part of the restructuring of the physical education and sports procedures of the institution.

During the 2014 awards and presentation ceremony of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association, Dr Joel Warrican, a former director of the SVGCC and who was the featured speaker at the function, recommended that a way must be found for cricketers from that tertiary set-up to be involved in the national programme.

This call has been heeded and the French Verandah SVGCC is destined to contest Group B of this year’s competition, alongside Victors One, Guardian General Saints, Combine Youths, Carl Joseph Law Chambers ASCO, Radcliffe Too, Police One and Northern Stars.

Team Rivals, the defending champions, head up Group A. Others contesting that group are the Bequia Cricket Association, LIME Radcliffe, Triumph United, iShallz Physical Therapy, The News Spartans, Victors Two and Police Two.

The competition is set to bowl off this weekend with venues Arnos Vale One, Arnos Vale Two, Stubbs, Sion Hill and Buccament as hosts for the first round of matches.

Later, the Park Hill Playing Field will be added to the schedule.

The first and second places of the two groups from the preliminary round will advance to the semi-finals, which are slated to be played February 14. Winners of the semi-finals meet in the grand finale, a week after.

The national cricket programme was officially launched last Sunday with a festival match at the Arnos Vale One Playing Field, between a President’s XI and a National XI, which was followed by a brief opening ceremony.(RT)