More prize money as Sandals St Mary 35 Overs cricket bowls off

The inaugural Sandals St Mary Jeff McKitty 35 Overs Super League competition bowls off today with three big clashes across the parish.

The competition, which is sponsored by Sandals Resorts, Costley Construction, Total Tools, Parkway Pharmacy, Braham’s Texaco Service Stations, and Chase Funds, will see an increase in prize money, with the winning team set to walk away with $150,000.

In today’s matches, favourites Boscobel tackle Wilderness at Boscobel Oval, SDC T20 champs Gayle meet Highgate at Mango Valley, and Day’s Mountain are up against Port Maria in the feature clash of the round. All matches begin at 10 a.m.

Nine teams are taking part in the new-look competition. Zone A comprises Boscobel, Gayle, Highgate, Wilderness, and newcomer Clark’s Castle while in Zone B are Port Maria, Day’s Mountain, Jack’s River, and Mango Valley. The top two teams will advance to the semi-finals of the Super League.

St Mary Cricket Association president Ian Spencer is excited about the competition as he believes that the longer format will allow local batsmen and bowlers greater room for development.

“We are playing a lot of T20 cricket in the parish, and the parish executive felt it was time to get back to playing 35 overs cricket. This will allow the players to adjust their game as the Senior Cup two-day competition is just around the corner,” Spencer noted. The St Mary cricket chief also hailed the sponsors who have come on board to make the competition a reality.