By Randy Bennett
The Barbados Royals are coming home to what should be large crowd support at The Mecca.
With just two days to go before the Royals play their first Caribbean Premier League (CPL) match at Kensington Oval in four years, Royals’ chief executive officer, Jake Lush McCrum is expecting a bumper crowd when his team faces the Trinbago Knight Riders on Wednesday.
It will be the first time since 2019 that Barbados hosts a CPL game.
With Kensington set to host six CPL matches between August 30 and September 3, McCrum told Barbados TODAY that ticket sales to date had been encouraging.
The Royals will also play the Jamaica Tallawahs on August 31, the St Lucia Kings on September 2 and the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots on September 3.
Additionally, the Barbados Women’s Royals will face off against the Guyana Amazon Warriors on August 31, the Trinbago Knight Riders on September 2 and the Amazon Warriors again on September 3.
McCrum revealed that in anticipation of a big turnout and with some games expected to finish late at night, Transport Board buses were being provided to safely move spectators to their destinations.
“We have seen a good response from the fans already and are expecting to see them in large numbers to support our men’s and women’s teams. The Barbadian public has four days of exciting cricket on offer, and we are glad to see the kind of excitement that is building amongst the general public,” McCrum said.
CEO of the Barbados Royals, Jake Lush McCrum. (GP)
“To make sure that fans have the best experience and can enjoy the games without any restrictions, we have partnered with Barbados Transport Board to have 10 buses stationed at the stadium for the matches ending late. Fans can use them to travel back to their homes in various locations safely at a subsidised rate.”
The number of spectators at Kensington Oval is expected to be boosted by the fact that scores of children will be allowed to watch some of the matches free of cost.
“The 10 a.m. matches on the days are free to watch for children, with both the league and our franchise working closely with government agencies, schools, cricket clubs, youth organisations and foundations to give away hundreds of tickets to young people in Barbados. We are also offering free tickets to some of our evening matches to local schools, institutions and organisations to make sure the community in Barbados has the opportunity to come and watch their favourite players,” McCrum pointed out.
“We believe this opportunity will encourage these fans to feel closer to the sport and participate in it in the years to come. These matches will also have giveaways and entertainment which should make for a fun day at the stadium for youngsters and adults alike.
