(Articles courtesy of the South Florida Cricket Alliance and South Florida Caribbean News) The City of Lauderhill will host New Zealand and West Indies for two Twenty20 matches on June 30 and July 1, in the run-up to New Zealand’s tour of the Caribbean. This will be only the second time two Test teams face-off in Florida, after the Twenty20s between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in May 2010.
Tickets for the Digicel 2012 West Indies vs. New Zealand Cricket Series went on sale, June 1, and can be purchased through Ticketmaster or at the Central Broward Regional Park and Stadium box office. The event, taking place June 30 through July 1, is expected to draw an estimated 16,000 people from around the world. The Central Broward Regional Park and Stadium box office will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is located at 3700 N.W. 11th Place (Sunrise Boulevard and 441), in Lauderhill.
New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White said the games in Lauderhill would boost the sport’s profile in the USA. “Playing matches in Florida is great for the profile of cricket, as Cricket Holdings America works towards forming a professional Twenty20 league,” he said. “I think the West Indies Cricket Board should be commended for the hard work that has gone into scheduling the matches.”
After the Twenty20s, New Zealand will play five one-dayers and three Tests in the West Indies, between July 5 and August 6. Jamaica and St Kitts will host the ODIs, while the Tests are scheduled for Antigua and, again, Jamaica. New Zealand will play one three-day tour game ahead of the Tests.
The two Twenty20 Cricket matches will reach far beyond an historic international sporting event for Broward County, it will also serve as a fundraising opportunity for local youth groups and provide broad venues for local businesses to get involved and promote their companies. “My priority for Central Broward is to create jobs and bring economic development. We have to use all of our available resources to accomplish this. This Cricket series brings opportunity for worldwide exposure, and will serve the community in a variety of innovative ways. It’s more than just an international sporting event. The Cricket series generates revenue for Central Broward, can support non-profit organizations, involve local businesses and is of benefit to the entire community,” said District 9 County Commissioner Dale V.C. Holness.
Commissioner Holness and the Friends of Central Broward County Park have invited the Lauderhill Lions and Lauderhill Broncos football and cheerleading squads along with South Florida Track and Field youth groups to participate in the Cricket Series event as a vehicle to raise money to support the teams.
“We are working with these groups to sell food and beverages, scan entry tickets, and act as ushers at the event, with the proceeds going to the teams,” said Commissioner Holness. “We are also working with the Lauderhill Regional Chamber of Commerce to conduct a business expo at the event to encourage local businesses to get involved as a way to promote their services and products to the thousands of people who will attend the games and millions who will be able to view it worldwide.”
Schedule:
June 30, 1st Twenty20, Florida – Central Broward Regional Park, Lauderhill
July 1, 2nd Twenty20, Florida – Central Broward Regional Park, Lauderhill
July 5, 1st ODI, Jamaica
July 7, 2nd ODI, Jamaica
July 11, 3rd ODI, St Kitts
July 14, 4th ODI, St Kitts
July 16, 5th ODI, St Kitts
July 20-22, tour match, Antigua
July 25-29, 1st Test, Antigua
August 2-6, 2nd Test, Jamaica
West Indies Twenty20 squad to play New Zealand:
Darren Sammy (capt), Samuel Badree, Dwayne Bravo, Johnson Charles, Fidel Edwards, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin (wkt), Ravi Rampaul, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith
New Zealand Contracted Players:
Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Dean Brownlie, Andrew Ellis, Daniel Flynn, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Chris Martin, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Tarun Nethula, Rob Nicol, Jacob Oram, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Kruger van Wyk, Daniel Vettori, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson
