Sir Vivian Richards

bridgetown, cmc

Legendary West Indies captain, Sir Vivian Richards, will lead a West Indies XI in a Twenty20 match as part of a gala celebration on February 17 that will signal the official unveiling of the new Kensington Oval.

Sir Viv, who never lost a Test series as captain, will lead a plethora of great West Indies players from his era in heralding the opening of the venue that will host Super Eight, second round matches and the grand final in next year's Cricket World Cup.

Gordon Greenidge and Des-mond Haynes, the finest opening pair in cricket history, will be joined by fast bowling legends Courtney Walsh, Joel Garner and Curtly Ambrose with former West Indies captain, Richie Richardson, Kenny Benjamin, Vasbert Drakes and Collis King completing the star-studded line-up.

Organisers have not revealed the composition of the opposing World XI but said it would also comprise outstanding players of the same era.

"The opposing team will consist of outstanding persons who would have played at the same time and will form a World XI," Tony Marshall, the Barbados Cricket Association president, told a media briefing yesterday.

The match is just one of several activities planned during a seven-and-a-half hour spectacle, dubbed 'Kensington Forever', which bowls off at 12:30 p.m. at the venue just outside Bridgetown.

Several top Caribbean recording artistes will also perform at the show, including international soca star Rupee and soca diva Allison Hinds.

"I believe that Barbados, and I believe the entire Caribbean, are all looking forward to seeing this facility," Marshall said.

"It prides itself, before now, as being the mecca of cricket in the Caribbean and we believe it rightly will deserve that title in the future. May of the stalwarts and icons who have travelled the world at large have made comments that what they have seen to date is as good as, and in some instances, definitely better than what can be found elsewhere across the world."

Marshall said the massive celebrations would characterise Barbados' "proud past and the world-class future that is before us".

Kensington Oval, redeveloped at a cost of US$67 million, is due to be completed in the first week of February.

( L - R ) Courtney Walsh and Richie Richardson - file photos