Yay Entertainment launches Sixes Social Cricket at One Woodbrook Place

Sport

2 hours ago

Cricket fans in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean are currently captivated by the Twenty/20 World Cup from June 1 to 29, jointly hosted by the West Indies and the USA. And now that the Windies have safely entered the Super Eight stages of the competition, die-hard Auburn fans will be hoping the Caribbean team can win an unprecedented third T20 World Cup at Kensington Oval in Barbados when the final ball of the tournament is thrown.

T20 cricket and the even shorter T10 version are capturing the attention of fans who crave the festive atmosphere that goes hand in hand with fast-paced sport.

And from the entity that brought the Chuck E Cheese franchise to Trinidad, there’s a fun experience for cricket fans with Sixes Social Cricket.

Sixes Social Cricket, the brainchild of Joanna Rostant, the co-founder of the company Yay Entertainment Ltd, owner of the Chuck E Cheese franchise in the Caribbean, is a sports restaurant and bar expected to marry the cricket culture and the lime culture of Trinis. under one roof with the arrival of a “fun, cool” game of cricket.

Located in the East Block of One Woodbrook Place, Port of Spain, near Buzz Bar, Sixes Social Cricket will engage its guests to do much more than watch and banter about their favorite sports and athletes.

With five cricket batting nets, each equipped with an automated bowling machine with five difficulty levels, Rostant says Sixes Social Cricket promises its customers the opportunity to channel the brilliance and flair that the ‘electric’ West Indian greats of yesteryear displayed when they conspired to “decimate the next team.”

Rostant said it is a chance for Trinis to lime, dine and enjoy their own version of calypso cricket. The batting nets’ “top-class technology” was created by British company BatFast, which was praised for its innovation by former South African batsman Gary Kirsten.

“BatFast is a great way to engage cricket fans. It is the perfect entertainment offering for the amateur and also a great training tool for the more experienced cricketer,” Kirsten said via a statement on the BatFast website.

On June 17, Rostant spoke to Newsday about the rationale during a brief tour of the 5,800-square-foot facility.

“Looking back, I say every rum shop in Trinidad has a table for all four. This is called competitive socializing,” Rostant said. “You’re socializing, but you’re competing. You are playing a game at the same time. Competitive socialization exploded after Covid because people were so frustrated with being home and alone.

“When I discovered this concept of social cricket, that six, eight or ten or however many people can reserve a net together, it was like Trinis for our souls.”

Rostant estimates the cost of her investment at around $6-7 million, and she also has her sights set on opening a new Sixes Social Cricket outlet at Brentwood Mall, Chaguanas, which is also home to Chuck E Cheese. Depending on the success of the One Woodbrook Place location, Rostant said she will also expand to Caribbean countries such as Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados and St. Lucia.

“It’s not just a sports bar, not just a lounge and not just a restaurant. It’s extra entertainment here.

“If you’ve ever played top golf in the US or ever bowled, this is cricket’s version of top golf or bowling.

“For me, the combination of cricket and liming is what is in our bones and our culture. It is everywhere in the Caribbean, not just in Trinidad.”

After a decade leading the Chuck E Cheese franchise, Rostant said the impetus to embark on the venture came from her desire to target a different demographic, as Chuck E Cheese targets children ages six to twelve years.

As fate would have it, Rostant’s inspiration came through the eyes of her youngest son, who accompanied her to a business convention in Orlando two years ago. He was 12 years old at the time. At the convention, Rostant marveled at a gaming area where miniature games such as golf, tennis, lacrosse and cricket were contested in an enclosed space. Rostant’s interest was piqued by what she saw, and her son’s fascination with the different games gave her the enthusiasm to bring her own gaming vision to life.

Rostant’s opportunity to execute her vision came when she came into contact with Andy Waugh, co-founder of the Sixes Social Cricket franchise in Great Britain. Rostant said the game “blew up in London”, and she and Waugh were working to launch the game in Trinidad in September.

In February, a phone call between the pair helped expedite Rostant’s plans, when Waugh suggested it would be best to launch Sixes Social Cricket in Trinidad during the fan-crazed World Cup.

Rostant said “let’s do it” to the challenge Waugh has taken on, and now they are about to open what she hopes will be the country’s “mecca of competitive socialization.”

The batting nets can be booked online via the Sixes Social Cricket TT website, and Rostant said the booking system “works beautifully”.

She said bookings have already been taken for birthday parties, stag and hen parties and team building exercises for companies and cricket teams. Customers can also pre-order their beverage and food options.

Net sessions last a minimum of 30 minutes and cost $120 per person. Larger groups are given more time in the nets to maximize their experience. Within the time frame, each participant will have to deal with at least one robbery from the automated machine. A screen projector shows the fast bowler or spinner in their throwing stride, with the bowlers’ action and subsequent release synchronizing with that of the machine.

Batsmen can receive scores of three, four or six for their shots when they hit the targets placed at strategic points of the net. The game is played with a “hard sponge ball”, with participants free to choose from windball or fiberglass bats.

Rostant praised local designer Joline Carrington for bringing her concepts to life.

Even if her guests aren’t trying to play their own version of calypso cricket, Rostant sees no reason why the full atmosphere and experience can’t get through to her.

“You don’t have to play cricket. You can come here and sit and drink or eat and drink. Cricket is not a requirement, but it certainly adds to the fun.

“If you’re done playing cricket and want to lime, you’re guaranteed entertainment here.”

Sixes Social Cricket was due to host a private launch on Tuesday evening, with performances by Windies legend and world record player Brian Lara, current Windies wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva and members of the Netherlands T20 World Cup squad.

Sixes Social Cricket opened their doors to the public on June 19 and further information can be found via the website or social media platform.