STANFORD 20/20 TOURNAMENT
Stanford Super Series - domestic clash of champions announced
Southampton, England – 25 July 2008 –
Stanford 20/20 Cricket and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed today that the winners of Saturday's Twenty20 Cup will face 2008 Stanford 20/20 regional tournament champions Trinidad and Tobago as part of the Stanford Super Series. The Domestic Champions winner-takes-all final will be one of six games broadcast exclusively live in the UK by Sky Sports in a deal which includes the finale of the week, the Stanford 20/20 for 20.
Today's announcement is a timely boost for Saturday's finalists with the added incentive of securing an appearance at the Stanford Cricket Ground on Monday, October 27th. Waiting will be Trinidad and Tobago who defeated Jamaica earlier this year in the 2008 Stanford 20/20 final. A total purse of US$400,000 will be riding on the result.
David Collier, the ECB chief executive, said: The Stanford Super Series offers a real incentive to the final four sides in tomorrow's (Saturday) Twenty20 Cup final at The Rose Bowl. I am sure that Durham, Essex, Kent and Middlesex will all be excited at the prospect of travelling to Antigua in October.
For the Twenty20 Cup winners, the Stanford Super Series will also bring real benefits and will allow the players to showcase their talents against the Stanford 20/20 champions from the Caribbean.
Twenty20 cricket fans will be treated to a hectic week as Stanford stages a series of intriguing clashes pitting country against county, and the Stanford Superstars against Trinidad and Tobago.
Former England cricket coach David Lloyd added: "This is the latest chapter of the Twenty20 story on Sky Sports. We've followed the format since its inception in 2003 with the Twenty20 Cup in England, its explosion onto the international scene and now the Stanford Super Series later this year. It's a mouth-watering addition to our cricket schedules and I can't wait."
Fans and players alike will take a quick break from all the action before the Stanford 20/20 for 20 final with a day at the beach, when the Stanford Legends host an English Legends selection giving spectators the chance to rub shoulders with some of the heroes of West Indies and English cricket.
Sir Allen Stanford, Chairman of the Stanford Financial Group, and founder of the Stanford 20/20 Tournament said the Stanford Super Series would create huge interest amongst local fans and travelling England supporters:
"The Domestic Champions match is an exciting addition to what will be a fantastic week of cricket and will be a fascinating and high quality contest between two very strong sides. I know that the Trinidad and Tobago team will be eager to defend their reputation as the best in the Caribbean, and I'm expecting another full house at the Stanford Cricket Ground for this ground-breaking event."
The Stanford Super Series is all about quality entertainment and in addition to the drama to be played out at the Stanford Cricket Ground we will be taking cricket to the wider community as part of the build up to the Stanford 20/20 for 20, he added.
All teams in the inaugural Stanford Super Series will use the iconic black bats and silver stumps for which the Stanford 20/20 tournament is now famous.
About the Stanford Super Series:
· In total six matches will be played at the Stanford Cricket Ground with the Domestic Champions final scheduled for Monday, October 27th.
· Two warm-up matches are to be scheduled for all participating teams.
· A Legends Beach Cricket event will revive rivalries of old at one of Antigua's most desirable locations, Jolly Beach, as the Stanford Legends host an English Legends selection on Friday October 31st.
· The total purse on offer for the Domestic Champions final will be US$400,000.
Stanford Super Series Schedule:
October 25th Warm up 1: Stanford Superstars v. Trinidad & Tobago
October 26th Warm up 2: England v. Middlesex
October 27th Trinidad & Tobago v. Middlesex
October 28th Warm up 3: England v. Trinidad & Tobago
October 29th Warm up 4: Stanford Superstars v. Middlesex
November 1st Stanford Superstars v. England for US$20million
For more information about the Stanford 20/20 Tournament email info@Stanford2020.com or log on to www.Stanford2020.com.