Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Jan. 3 announced a new innovation for the long format of the game, with the addition of a triangular red-ball tournament to start at the end of the West Indies Championship in April, 2023.

CWI said the new Headley Weekes Series will feature three matches and three teams.

It said Team Headley and Team Weekes will be selected from the best performers in the 2023 West Indies Championship and players outside the starting West Indies Test XI.

The new West Indies Academy will provide the third team in the new Series, CWI said.

Team Headley and Team Weekes are named in honor of West Indies pioneers and legendary batting greats George Headley and Sir Everton Weekes, whose names are also honored on the Trophy for the winners of the West Indies Championship. The matches will be played from 18 April to 6 May at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) in Antigua.

Before that, CWI said the 2023 edition of West Indies Championship will be played across five rounds of four-day, red ball cricket featuring the six regional Franchise teams — defending champions Barbados Pride, Guyana Harpy Eagles, Jamaica Scorpions, Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, and Windward Islands Volcanoes.

CWI said the 2023 West Indies Championship commences in February. The first two rounds will be played from Feb. 1 to Feb. 11 in Grenada at the National Stadium and in Antigua at the CCG and the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium (SVRS).

There will then be a break and the tournament will resume on March 15 and run until April 1 for the final three rounds, after which the champions will be crowned and presented with the Headley Weekes Trophy, CWI said.

It said these matches will be played in Trinidad at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA), Queens Park Oval (QPO) and the Diego Martin Sports Complex (DMSC).

Johnny Grave, CEO of CWI said: “We are delighted to unveil the Headley Weekes Series, which is a new idea that will extend the four-day season, create more opportunities for our players to showcase their skills and will be a huge incentive for them to strive towards selection into our ‘A’ Team, and ultimately our Test Team.

“It will also provide some strong competitive red-ball cricket for our new West Indies Academy Players as we continue to try to ensure that the next generation of players are being prepared along the pathway to international cricket,” he added. “Whilst the West Indies Championship is once again going to be played on a ‘one’ round, five-match basis, with the plans we have for our ‘A’ Team and Academy to go on overseas tours after the Headley Weekes Series we expect our best players in the region will still play at least ten four-day games in the first half of next year.”

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULES

West Indies Championship 2023

(for Headley Weekes trophy)

1 to 4 Feb.: 1st round in Grenada and Antigua

8 to 11 Feb.: 2nd round in Grenada and Antigua

15 to 18 March: 3rd round in Trinidad

22 to 25 March: 4th round in Trinidad

29 March to 1 April: 5th round in Trinidad

Full Fixtures to be announced soon

Headley Weekes Tri-Series

(to be played at CCG)

19 to 22 April: Team Headley v West Indies Academy

26 to 29 April: Team Weekes vs West Indies Academy

3 to 6 May: Team Weekes vs Team Headley