2008 Stanford 20/20 Set For Exciting Opening

The 2008 Stanford 20/20 Cricket Tournament gets underway this Saturday, January 26 at the Stanford Cricket Ground, Antigua, West Indies, with the opening ceremony slated for 4:00pm. According to a Stanford 20/20 media release, fans can expect an exciting, high-energy and dynamic opening ceremony, followed by an entertaining, power-packed cricket match featuring one of the newly formed Stanford 20/20 professional teams.

The Cayman Islands will take on the St. Lucia Stanford 20/20 professional team at 7:15pm, but the entertainment begins even earlier when the gates open and the big replay TV screens fire up and Antigua’s legendary cricket disc jockey Chickie turns on his sound system. At 6:00pm the opening ceremony begins with the singing of the Antigua & Barbuda National Anthem by local soca monarch queen Claudette “CP’ Peters, and a prayer. Then Dancehall sensation king Beenie Man will take to the stage to perform the Stanford 20/20 Anthem - Let the Battle Begin, accompanied by Claudette “CP’ Peters and a local dance group, Innovations. Sir Allen Stanford, creator and financier of the Stanford 20/20, will give welcoming remarks followed by an introduction of the captains of all of the teams who will be participating in the Tournament.

Antigua & Barbuda’s own national hero and Stanford 20/20 Board Member, Sir Vivian Richards, will officially declare the Tournament open, and that declaration will signal the onset of a fantastic pyrotechnics show and the showing of the 2008 Stanford 20/20 theme song and video “Come Rise With Me,” as performed by Machel Montano and Peters. The match will commence shortly thereafter.

Entertainment will abound at all of the Stanford 20/20 matches, says organizers, and fans can expect to see a variety of artists perform during the five weeks of the Tournament.

According to Rhonda Kelly, Stanford’s 20/20 Event Director, “Apart from the local (Antiguan) entertainers such as Claudette “CP” Peters, the Iron Band, Chickie and the Mahico Stars Steel Band, Beenie Man, Machel Montano, Allison Hinds, Patrice Roberts, Rupee, Shurwayne Winchester and Kevin Little will all be joining us at different times throughout the Tournament to perform for the Stanford 20/20 fans.” In encouraging local fans to atttend, she added, “I would encourage all Antiguans to support the matches because you never know which artist will be making an appearance.”

The Stanford 20/20 begins on January 26 and the final match takes place on Sunday, February 24.