At least five youth cricketers from Antigua will be featured in this year’s edition of the St Kitts and Nevis Cool & Smooth T20 Championships.

This was revealed by chief organizer, **Dario Barthley** , who said each of the five teams taking part in the second edition of the tournament have been mandated to select one age-group cricketer from Antigua.

“Starting in Antigua and Cool & Smooth being an Antiguan business, we thought it very important that we include Antiguans wherever we can and so we have made a commitment and again, it’s an opportunity. We thought that involving the Antiguans was very important to give them that opportunity and we’ve limited it to under 23,” he said.

“Each of the captains of the five franchises will select five Antiguans [one each] and it’s a good thing that the Leeward Islands is based in Antigua so a lot of the captains are very familiar with the Antiguan players so they are not just picking blindly or picking because they have to. These are players that they actually want in their teams they think can make a difference and help them to win the championship,” he added.

The tournament has been earmarked for May 15-25 at the Warmer Park Sports Complex and will feature five teams including defending champions, Molineaux Blue Runners.

Barthley said it is highly likely that other Antiguans will feature in the tournament.

“There is a registration link for all players and at the top of that it states that if you’re coming from anywhere overseas and you want to participate in the tournament that it is your responsibility to be in St Kitts and be accommodated during the tournament. So outside of the five, there is the possibility that other Antiguans will probably be playing. **Deran Benta** recently top-scored in a shorter tournament that they had over there in St Kitts and he is very eager to continue that rich vein of form and obviously put his name up to be selected in other teams going forward,” the administrator said.

Organizers held a launch for the tournament on Wednesday at Warner Park, which was attended by a number of dignitaries and players in St Kitts.

“Thank you to the St Kitts and Nevis Cricket Association and also the government of St Kitts and Nevis. The Honourable Samal Duggins [sports minister] was very instrumental, very hands-on in making sure this tournament takes place and also Mikyle Louis who is the first Test cricketer from St Kitts. He has played in the Cool & Smooth T20 in Antigua for many years and is the reigning champion in Antigua because we haven’t had an edition since he won with Empire Sports Club. He was also very instrumental in making sure that this happened this year,” Barthley said.

The other teams taking part in the tournament are Sandy Point Snappers, St Paul’s Barracudas, Government Road Sharks and Brown Hill Dolphins.