HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) – Bermuda captain and fellow all-rounder Delray Rawlins have been selected for the US Open Cricket T20 tournament to be staged in Florida this month.

The Bermuda pair will represent the Florida Scorpions, who are among 10 teams vying for US$100 000 in prize money in the tournament, which will run from December 6 to 13 at the Central Broward Regional Park in Fort Lauderdale.

Leverock, 27, will have the added responsibility of being the team’s vice-captain.

Bermuda Cricket Board president Arnold Manders says he is delighted to see 24-year-old left-hander Rawlins, who plays for English county Sussex, and Leverock compete at this level.

“It’s a great opportunity,” he said. “It’s a good thing and something that we looked for with our strategic plan in helping players get into tournaments like that and probably, maybe, holding one of them ourselves – something like an IPL but not as big.

“That’s the only way cricket is going to improve (in Bermuda) and we shall be looking at it because we have our five-year strategic plan assisting players and getting them to play at another level that will start in 2022.”

The Florida Scorpions have been pitted in Group B along with Samp Army, Clarion County Eagles, Punjab Blues and Titans Cricket Club.

Group A consists of US All Stars, Cavaliers 22 Yards, NDCC Royals, Brampton Pacers and Yankee Royals.

“The committee met and looked at the strength of all the teams on paper and came up with two competitive groups,” Sofian Qamar, president of Cricket Council USA, said.

Last year’s champions Atlanta Param Veers are not involved in this year’s tournament.