The University of the West Indies(UWI), in partnership with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), will host a celebrity T20 cricket match in Barbados on Sep. 26, in support of Dominica as the island continues to grapple with the devastation left behind as a result of Tropical Storm Erika.

The T20 match at Kensington Oval which aims to attract a sold-out crowd, will see a WICB President's Celebrity XI play against a UWI Vice-Chancellor's Celebrity XI. Each team will field six West Indies cricketers and five Caribbean celebrities.

Former West Indies and Trinidad and Tobago cricketer Brian Lara, Tobago-born UK-based footballer Dwight Yorke, and Jamaican Olympian athlete Yohan Blake, are among the first sporting personalities to confirm their availability for the benefit match.

For the West Indies team players, it will be the final home game before departing for their tour of Sri Lanka.

UWI Vice-Chancellor, Sir Hilary Beckles, said that UWI was pleased to collaborate with the WICB to support the Dominica relief fund. Expressing sympathy to the families who lost relatives and property in the storm, he said: "The UWI is committed to doing everything we can to help in the resuscitation of Dominica and its people."

Noting that cricket is a sport that has historically united Caribbean people Sir Hilary said: "It is fitting that our celebrated cricketers and athletes should join with academia in providing financial and moral support for our brothers and sisters in the region."

Since the Aug. 27 disaster, Sir Hilary has been in contact with Dominican Prime Minister, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit. A UWI task force of experts in disaster management, including engineers and doctors coordinated by Disaster Risk Management Specialist, Dr. Jeremy Collymore, is already on the ground in Dominica.