JCA attracts young scorers as part of continuity strategy

At a recently held two-day training seminar for local cricket scorers one thing was evident: the room was filled with youth. In fact, 11 of the 15 participants were under age 30.

The seminar, organised by the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), is another in a series of initiatives to prepare for the future of the game. The seminar provided the opportunity for local clubs and parish associations to expand their pool of scorers and improve the skills of existing ones.

Noted Barbadian cricket scorer-statistician Harold Eastmond conducted the workshop, which ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days (November 9 and 10) at Sabina Park. Participants were exposed to the linear scoring method and a variety of computer-scoring solutions.

"I'm particularly enthused that most of the scorers here were young people. This augurs well for the future of the game. The importance of the scorer in the modern game is often overlooked, so this was undoubtedly a valuable experience for all of them. They represent the next generation. These participants are the match managers of tomorrow," said Eastmond.

He added, "These youth, who interact daily with new technology, are now able to score efficiently by computer and by paper (which is becoming a thing of the past); do Duckworth/Lewis calculations; and also be able to accurately calculate net run-rate, among other statistics."

Among the youngest participants was 18-year-old Antonio Douglas, who is a member of the Kingston Cricket Club.

SCORING AND STATISTICS

"I love all aspects of the game, but scoring and stats give me a certain thrill. Numbers help us to learn a lot about the strengths and weaknesses of team or individual performances. This seminar is tremendously helpful as it puts me in a better position to improve my club," he said.

Douglas, who is a first-year information technology major at the University of Technology (UTech), went on: "My generation relies heavily on technology to communicate and deliver a variety of tasks, and the online (digital) scoring platform introduced to us here will make it easier for me to deliver on match days. Additionally, this platform makes scoring attractive to me and my peers as we are all computer savvy."

CWI GOALS

Cricket West Indies (CWI), which assigned Eastmond for this task, is desirous of having a uniform style of scoring in the Caribbean, with all the territories using the same systems. Additionally, the regional governing body wants to increase the number of proficient scorers and statisticians in all territories.

JCA CEO Courtney Francis said: "We want to improve and develop our local expertise. This seminar is another step in that direction. At the JCA, we are being very deliberate and strategic in our approach to the development of talent on and off the field. More training and development opportunities are planned, and these will be rolled out in the coming weeks."

"The JCA supports CWI's vision that competitions across the region must have scorers capable of providing accurate statistical information on the happenings in the game in a timely manner for distribution to other stakeholders," he added.