Bridgetown, Barbados, July 10 – (www.bcacricket.org) – Forty-five teams – three less than last year - and divided into eight zones, will battle for the 2010 BCA Sagicor General Shield (40-over-a-side) championship, which starts July 18.

Details of the tournament were disclosed at a Press conference by the Barbados Cricket Association and the sponsors in the Hall & Griffith stand at Kensington Oval on Thursday morning when the draw for the zones and first round of matches was also made.

Old Brigand Dover cannot defend the title after they were promoted to the First division championship.

The three Division 1 teams which were demoted – BRC BCL, Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme (BDFSP) and Oran/Carib Bristol – will contest the Shield.

It was also announced that there would be changes to the names of former top players relating to awards for outstanding achievements. They are now:
John Greaves - Best Batsman
M.E. “Bill” Murrell - Best Bowler
Rudolph Carrington - Best Fielder
Emmerson Alleyne - Best Wicket-keeper
Leon "Footsie" Greaves - Best All-rounder

They replace Adrian “Johnno” Johnson, Emmerson “Bimmy” Francis, Victor “Percy” Brathwaite, Oswald “Ossie” Gill and Jeffrey Wiggins, all of whom were thanked for having their names associated with the awards over the past three seasons.

All of the awards, apart from Best All-rounder, which is worth $500, carry a prize of $350.

The champions will again receive $8 000 and the runners-up $5 500. The losing semi-finalists pocket $3 300 and the losing quarter-finalists, $1 500.

Following are the zones and fixtures for the first round of matches:

Zone A – Isolation Cavaliers, BCL, Lords, Prison Officers, Benfica, Diamondshire.

Zone B – Belleplaine, Yorkshire, King’s Park, Windward, Brereton, BWU.

Zone C – BRC, QEH, BCC, YMCA, Maxwell, Sheffield.

Zone D – Coleridge and Parry, Market Hill, Ipswich, Wibix, Central, BNOC.

Zone E – BDF, MTW, Combermere, SJPP, Bristol.

Zone F – Lodge, Malvern, Wotton, United, Melrose, Bayville.

Zone G – North Stars, Conrad Hunte, Queen’s College, Lester Vaughan, Standard.

Zone H – Boscobelle, Foundation, BDFSP, Fire Service, St. John Cultural.

ROUND 1

Zone A - Isolation v BCL at Lakes; Lords v Prison Officers at St. Clements; Benfica v Diamondshire at Blenheim ‘B’.

Zone B - Belleplaine v Yorkshire at Belleplaine; King’s Park v Windward at King’s Park; Brereton v BWU at Brereton.

Zone C - BRC v QEH at Content; BCC v YMCA at Eyrie; Maxwell v Sheffield at Briar Hall.

Zone D - Coleridge and Parry v Market Hill at Ashton Hall; Ipswich v Wibix at Eden Lodge; Central v BNOC at Vaucluse.

Zone E - BDF v MTW at Paragon; Combermere v SJPP at Waterford. Bristol (Bye).

Zone F - Lodge v Malvern at Society; Wotton v United at Wotton; Melrose v Bayville at Bridgefield.

Zone G - North Stars v Conrad Hunte at Crab Hill; Queen’s College v Lester Vaughan at Husbands; Standard (Bye).

Zone H - Boscobelle v Foundation at Boscobelle; Fire Service v BDFSP at Passage Road; St. John Cultural (Bye).