Second annual Cricket Legends event set for this weekend in Fort Lauderdale
The second annual Cricket Legends Weekend, scheduled for March 4-6, 2016 at two venues in Broward County, promises to be even more fun-filled, family-friendly and laden with cricket icons than last year’s inaugural event.
Aside from the usual fare of current and former cricket standouts who will visit South Florida, this year’s event will feature a Cooler Party Zone, High Tea on the Green — a new feature targeted toward (but not limited to) women in which teas from all over the world can be sampled — and two cricket matches on the final day instead of one.
The event, which is being organized for the second year in a row by former West Indies cricket star and South Florida resident Lawrence Rowe, will include West Indies legends Sir Garry Sobers, Brian Lara, Lance Gibbs, Desmond Haynes, Sir Andy Roberts and Alvin Kallicharran for the second year in a row. They will be joined by event newcomers Joel Garner, Rohan Kanhai, Dwayne Smith, Courtney Walsh and former South Africa star Barry Richards.
The festivities begin at 7 p.m. Friday (March 4) with a Meet-and-Greet at the Marriott North Hotel in Fort Lauderdale. At 8 p.m. Saturday, a Celebrity Dinner Gala featuring music, performances and all the legends will be held at the Marriott (a cocktail reception kicks off the event at 7). Lara will be keynote speaker. Tickets are $150 each.
The weekend will be capped by two cricket matches Sunday (March 6) at Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill. The first match will pit the Newberry ACCL Champions (North Florida) against a South Florida XI starting at 11 a.m. At 3 p.m., a U.S. Cavaliers squad will face a team of West Indies legends that will be captained by Walsh, the former standout fast bowler and West Indies captain.
Aside from the cricket, there will be food booths, a Kids Zone, a Batting Cage with the legends, plus the aforementioned Cool Party Zone and High Tea on the Green. Sponsors for the event include Caribbean Airlines, Jamaican Tourist Board, Caribbean Ocean Logistics and Grace Kennedy.
Proceeds from the weekend extravaganza will benefit the Lawrence Rowe Foundation, which tutors at-risk children, awards scholarships, and also provides assistance to former athletes who have fallen on hard times. This year’s recipient will be former West Indies star batsman Seymour Nurse. Last year, former West Indies fast bowler Patrick Patterson received assistance.
“It’s always a passion of mine that I can, at this stage of my life, give back something to those great players,” Rowe said.
Cricket Legends Weekend at a Glance
What: Second annual Cricket Legends Weekend, a three-day extravaganza featuring icons of cricket, mostly from the West Indies.
When: March 4-6, 2016.
Where: Meet-and-Greet (Friday) and Dinner Gala (Saturday) will be held at Marriott North Hotel, 6650 N. Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale; cricket matches (Sunday) will be at Central Broward Regional Park, Sunrise Boulevard and State Road 7 (441), Lauderhill.
Tickets: $150 per person for Dinner Gala, $15 for cricket matches ($20 on game day); also $65 VIP pass ($75 on game day) that includes access to legends and complimentary refreshments.
Information: Call 561-598-1229 or visit yaggacricket.com or lawrencerowe.org.
This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 7:39 PM with the headline "Second annual Cricket Legends event set for this weekend in Fort Lauderdale."