Local fans will be rooting for the West Indies team to reach the championship match at the expanded Kensington Oval in April. But with more than 100,000 visitors expected for the largest sporting event ever in the region, Barbados and the eight other host countries have much more at stake.

To convert the spotlight into new investment and tourism, they are racing to finish construction on 12 stadiums, bridge a massive housing gap and fine-tune coordination across sovereign islands. In one all-purpose solution, more than a dozen cruise ships have been enlisted to sleep visitors and ferry them to matches in other countries.

If the 2006 World Cup of soccer highlighted the friendliness of the German hosts, tournament organizers in the Caribbean,a region already known for its parties,aim to show they can be efficient too.

"I think what would be nice is to continue that friendly, inviting hospitality image we have but to show people that things do work very well in the Caribbean," said Chris deCaires, chairman of the Barbados organizing committee.

The tiny host countries, spread across the Caribbean, faced doubts they would have facilities ready by the opening ceremony on March 11. With six months to go, organizers say venues for tournament matches are on schedule in Barbados and the seven other countries,Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Antigua, Grenada, Trinidad and Guyana.

"We still of course have the entire hurricane season ahead of us, and every time I wake up I go to the weather channel to see what hardball is coming at us," said Don Lockerbie, venue development director for the International Cricket Council.

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