BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC:

Organisers of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League say they are pleased with the second edition of the regional Twenty20 tournament, despite a lukewarm start two weeks ago.

The showpiece got off to a slow start, with noticeably empty stands at the first match in Grenada earlier this month and moderate attendances in Antigua, but CPL CEO, Damien "D'onohoe, said it was encouraging to see increased numbers of spectators attending the matches around the region since."

"We're really delighted, it's hard to believe we're only three weeks in, and I think everyone will agree that the cricket's been absolutely first class and the crowds that have come out, it's very exciting," O'Donohoe told CMC Sports."And we're rolling into two big weeks this week with Jamaica and St Lucia, before we go to the finals in St Kitts. "For the first time, Grenada's National Stadium hosted the opening ceremony and the first three games before action moved on to Antigua and Guyana, the latter of which featured full houses for each match. The Barbados leg, which bowled off last Wednesday, saw a capacity crowd for Saturday's final game while matches in Trinidad and Tobago were played before a packed Queen's Park Oval.

opening matches

O'Donohoe said the sparse crowds for the opening matches had not impacted the tournament negatively.

"You see here in Barbados this week a sold out stadium, three sold-out games in Trinidad this week, ticket sales are flying for both Jamaica and St Lucia, so I really don't see that being an issue," he said.

"Grenada to start was disappointing and I will say Antigua was slightly disappointing, but on a whole the ticket sales have been really good and the crowds have flocked in their thousands again."