Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

The Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), in collaboration with Red Stripe, launched the inaugural Red Stripe Twenty20 Cricket Championship at Sabina Park on Wednesday.

The championship, which will feature local Super League and Senior Cup teams along with two invitational teams, will be held in late August and early September.

"The JCA in association with Red Stripe is pleased to bring to Jamaica this new concept of cricket, which promises a lot for teams, players and spectators," said JCA president Paul Campbell at the launch, which was held at the North Stand of the historic ground with much fanfare.

$1-million prize

"We would like to thank Red Stripe for coming on board and partnering with us and hope that the championship will add renewed interest, especially among our women and children, as we seek to continue, preserve and protect this game we all love," he added.

The championship, which will see the winners taking home over $1 million, will be held on a double-header knockout basis over four weekends across the island.

Senior Cup teams along with the bottom-two Super League teams will play in the first round, while the second will see the introduction of the top-six Super League, the national Social Development Commission champions and a Caribbean club team.

Enjoy the vibe

Action in the event, which will come on the heels of similar competitions in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Barbados and the regional Stanford 20/20, will then move on to the quarter-finals on the third weekend before the semi-finals and final, which are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13.

"We at Red Stripe are once again pleased to be associated with the JCA. Through our partnership, spectators have been able to enjoy our vibes at the Red Stripe Mound," Safia Cooper, chief brand manager of Red Stripe and Red Stripe Light, told the gathering, which included Minister of Culture and Sports, Olivia Grange.

"We again hope to spark similar excitement with our sponsorship of this competition," Cooper added.