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Appropriately named The Fire Cup, this years local One-Day cricket competition for Division 1 and the top Intermediate teams is set to create some heat.

Set to bowl off on September 5, the 25th edition of the Barbados Fire & Commercial One-Day Cup will have the spicy addition of semi-coloured shirts. There will also be an$8 000 bounty for the champions, $5 500 for second place, and $3 000 apiece for the losing semifinalists.

This announcement, along with the draw for the four zones, was made at Kensington Oval yesterday. There were no seeded teams because of the abandonment of the 1998 competition and according to committee chairman, Wendell Kellman, this helped to enhance the draw.

I would like to think so, Kellman said. It was done with transparency and an actual draw took place. We are hoping for good weather. Fortunately, none of the Shield games (for lower division teams) have been washed out and the interest is there.

What the draw turned up were four evenly-matched zones. Two teams from each will advance to the quarter-finals. The winner of Zone A will play the runners-up in Zone B and vice versa. The winner of Zone C will have a date with the runners-up in Zone D and vice versa.

The sponsors have given invaluable support and on behalf of the Barbados Cricket Association, I would like to extend thanks for sustaining the One-Day game which has become a very integral part of international cricket, Kellman said. The Cup is like a training ground for the national team.

Zone C is agruably the group of death with three big guns in Big B Spartan the 1997 winners, Police, and Cable & Wireless BET being joined by Shield finalist PHD St. John Cultural.

BNB St. Catherine are the main power in the rural Zone A, but can expect keen competition from St. Andrew-based Carib Conrad Hunte Sports Club, westcoast side Mount Gay Maple and United Carlton.

Zone B is aptly named with three of the sides being BRC, BCL and Banks. The brave Cockspur Wanderers occupy the fourth slot.

First-round matches on September 5

• Conrad Hunte Sports Club v Carlton at Shorey Village
• Maple v St. Catherine at Trents
• Banks v Wanderers at The Brewery
• BCL v BRC at Blenheim
• Spartan v Cable & Wireless BET at Queens Park
• St. John Cultural v Police at Gall Hill
• BDF Sports Programme v YMPC at Paragon
• Empire v Pickwick at Bank Hall