BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC)

A weekly television programme previewing the inaugural Caribbean Premier League, titled CPLT20 TV, is due to begin airing next month on television stations across the region.

The first episode airs at the end of June on terrestrial TV stations from Jamaica in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south, leading up to the first ball of the tournament on July 30.

Barbados Company Merville Lynch Productions has teamed up with Line & Length Network Producer Barry Wilkinson to capture and document the historic coming together of the CPLT20.

"The amount of excitement and anticipation that is already being felt in the islands for the CPLT20 is unbelievable," said Wilkinson on location in Kingston, Jamaica.

"We just interviewed the former Jamaican prime minister, The Most Honourable P.J. Patterson who made some stunning revelation. Last week, we toured through Santa Cruz in Trinidad & Tobago with Dwayne and Darren Bravo's parents and, basically, we have been capturing the key ingredients to making this tournament happen."

CPLT20 TV comprises six half-hour episodes and will also feature personalities such as Curtly Ambrose, Sylvester Joseph, Marlon Samuels, Herchelle Gibbs and Tino Best.

"It will be fun! We will take fans on a journey during each programme to ensure that when the first ball is bowled on July 30, they will indeed come out to play." said Wilkinson.

The first-ever Caribbean Premiere League begins on Tuesday, 30 July with 24 matches played across six Caribbean countries: Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago.