The league's first expansion team, the new franchise was announced on 27 January 2015, supported by the Saint Kitts and Nevis government, as well as the local business community.[1] During the 2014 CPL tournament, Warner Park hosted nine matches, played over 10 days in August and accompanied by several carnivals and other entertainments. The venue hosted the final six group-stage matches, and then the finals series, comprising two semi-finals and the final between the Barbados Tridents and the Guyana Amazon Warriors.[2]
The Saint Kitts and Nevis franchise effectively replace the Antigua Hawksbills franchise (based in Antigua and Barbuda), although it is intended that the Hawksbills franchise will be revived at a later date, with the CPL consequently featuring seven teams rather than six.[3] The Hawksbills were primarily removed from the competition in order to make scheduling easier, though their poor results and lack of a private owner also contributing to their removal.[4] Saint Kitts and Nevis nominated four previous Hawksbills players – Justin Athanaze, Carlos Brathwaite, Orlando Peters, and Devon Thomas – as their "retained players" prior to the 2015 CPL Draft.[5] South African Eric Simons, formerly senior coach of the Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League (IPL) was confirmed as the franchise's inaugural coach in early February 2015.[6]
