by Kenton Chance
Caribbean Net News St Vincent Correspondent
Email: kenton@caribbeannetnews.com

The WICB has agreed to pay the players a total of US $100,000 for the four preliminary matches in the upcoming three-nation series, and an additional US $50,000 if the team reaches the Final.
The two sides have also pledged to work together to dispose of all outstanding matters no later than August 31.

"WICB and WIPA each recognise their common interest in the development and success of West Indies cricket," a joint statement signed by WICB President Ken Gordon and WIPA Executive President Dinanath Ramnarine.
"The relationship in the past has been one of conflict and controversy - a situation which is inimical to West Indies cricket, particularly for the stability, growth, and development of the game in the Caribbean.

The statement added: "Both parties recognise the goodwill which has made this agreement possible and restate their desire to improve the earnings of the Board and the Players whenever practicable."
Media reports have indicated that WIPA has agreed to accept a minimum fee of US $30,000 for the junior players and the upper figure for the more seasoned players now stands at US $75,000.
The WICB claimed Friday that WIPA's demands for payments ranging from US $40,000 to $US 95,000 per player was unacceptable.

The agreed payments represent 30 per cent of the revenue the WICB will earn from the series, 10 per cent lower than WIPA's original demand and five per cent higher than the Board's original offer.
The two parties have also committed themselves to making public statements on controversial issues, only after every reasonable effort has been made to resolve differences internally.

"Both parties acknowledge that there is a Dispute Resolution Process, as is contained in the Collective Bargaining Agreement which will be signed by August 31 and emphasize their commitment to follow this process," the joint statement said. "Both parties commit themselves to engage in a relationship of mutual respect and the honoring of all agreements arrived at between the parties."

As a result, West Indies will send its strongest side to the limited-overs international series in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur next month.
India, whom they defeated 4-1 in a recent series, and World champions Australia are the likely opponents for the series.

After negotiations had broken down earlier, the WICB made their offer directly to the selected squad of 14 players using match/tour contracts, since its deadline for accepting the invitation from the Indian board for the tournament was approaching.

Squad: Brian Lara (captain), Ramnaresh Sarwan, Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Runako Morton, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Carlton Baugh (wk), Corey Collymore, Fidel Edwards, Ian Bradshaw, Jerome Taylor, Marlon Samuels, Wavell Hinds.

by Kenton Chance
Caribbean Net News St Vincent Correspondent
Email: kenton@caribbeannetnews.com

The hearing was slated for last Monday but all Magistrate Court sittings throughout St Vincent and the Grenadines were suspended from last Friday, with three courts outside Kingstown resuming hearings on Tuesday.

Local authorities were this week assisted by their Trinidadian counterparts in trying to determine the cause of the blaze at the building housing the Kingstown Magistrates Court, the Serious Offences Court, the Family Court and all administrative offices of the Magistracy in capital Kingstown.

Police say an unidentified person notified them of the fire about 7 a.m. last Friday and when firefighters, stationed about 500 yards away, arrived the building was engulfed in flames, with the fire concentrated in the records room.

Sources indicate that many of the records at the building were destroyed, notwithstanding a desperate effort by firefighters and police officers from the Special Branch, Special Services Units as well as prisons to remove
files and equipment from the two-storey, concrete-roofed building.

Reports indicate that some records were salvaged from the offices of the Serious Offences and Family Court and that there was no serious structural damage to the rooms where the actual court sittings were held.

"Due to the valiant and prompt efforts of the authorities, including the Police and the Fire Department, most of the courts' records were salvaged," Acting Chief Magistrate Sharda Bollers said in a written statement.

Another high profile case affected by last week's blaze is the preliminary inquiry into the alleged rape of three female American visitors (a woman and two of her daughters) in June, which was slated to begin in Kingstown today, Friday July 28.

Four men are charged with two counts of rape, one count of grievous bodily harm and one count of wounding and face a maximum of life imprisonment because the incident, which reportedly took place while the female and other members of their family were climbing the La Soufrière volcano north of Kingstown.