Coolidge, Antigua - Oct. 9, 2007 – The preparations for the highly anticipated Stanford 20/20 2008 Tournament kicked up another gear this week with the filming of television advertisements in Antigua, home of the world’s richest domestic cricket tournament. 

Twenty one young men, each representing one of the 21 teams participating in the Stanford 20/20 2008 Tournament were in Antigua to do the filming and the accompanying photography shoot for the print advertisements which will start running in regional media from mid-November. 

The 2008 campaign will be in two phases, but the organisers were only revealing the first phase at this stage.  ‘When Night Falls… Cricket Rises”.  This part will focus on the unique elements of the tournament and re-introduce it to the region, bringing back the memories of the inaugural event.  The 2nd phase will focus on the national pride of the participating nations and their desire to win. 

West Indies players Pedro Collins, Mervyn Dillon and Nixon McLean along with Man-of-the-Match of the Stanford 20/20 2006 Tournament finals, Guyanese Travis Dowlin and exciting young Nevisian opening batsman Kieran Powell were among the players doing the ad shoot.  

The players participated in the three day TV and photo shoots at the Stanford Cricket Ground, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and at the Jolly Beach Resort. With all matches in the Stanford 20/20 2008 Tournament slated for night, some of the shoots were done at nights as well. 

“It was really exciting to see that players from all the countries were represented in the ad shoot,” Rhonda Kelly, Stanford 20/20 Event Director said.

“The three days were filled with all the excitement, fun and unique flavour that we are building up for the Stanford 20/20 Tournament next year,” Kelly added.

In addition to all the Regional players involved in the shoot, the ads would not have been complete without the creator and financier, Sir Allen Stanford and the West Indies legends that make up the Board of Directors.     

“Being a part of promoting this tournament is simply an extension of our work on the board.  Because this programme does so much for West Indies Cricket it is easy to promote, we want everyone in the region to enjoy all the excitement that it brings,” enthused Sir Vivian Richards. 

The region wide advertising campaign to lift awareness of the tournament will commence in mid-November with a series of exciting high class TV, radio and print ads as well as outdoor billboards.  

The Stanford 20/20 Tournament will be held in January and February of 2008 and the tournament will have two additional teams – Cuba and Turks and Caicos – and all matches will be played under the lights at the Stanford Cricket Ground.

Guyana, winner of the inaugural tournament in 2006 will defend its title and seek to pocket another US$1M, the top prize for the tournament’s victorious team. 

For more information about the Stanford 20/20 Tournament, call 345.623.8823, email info@Stanford2020.com or log on to www.Stanford2020.com.

Ends

About the Stanford 20/20 Tournament 
The Stanford 20/20 Tournament is a single-elimination knockout cricket competition featuring teams from several Caribbean territories vying for the top spot. Nineteen (19) teams competed in the inaugural 2006 Tournament and twenty-one (21) teams will compete in the 2008 Tournament. Created by financier Sir Allen Stanford, the first Tournament took place in July/August 2006 with Guyana emerging as the Stanford 20/20 Champions.  The 2008 Stanford 20/20 Tournament is set for 25 January to 24 February at the Stanford Cricket Ground in Antigua.  The 21 countries participating in the 2008 competition are Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Cuba**, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, the British Virgin Islands, St. Maarten, St. Vincent, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands** and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  Visit the Stanford2020.com website for more information about the Stanford 20/20 programme including the professional league and the Super Stars tournament initiatives.

** denotes new countries