Jamaica gets to cricketing again

AFTER A three-year hiatus, the island’s top two-day cricket competition, the Senior Cup makes a return to the local sporting calendar with a full slate of games set to bowl off this weekend across the island.

Twenty-four teams will take part in this year’s Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) competition with teams separated into four groups, Cornwall, Middlesex, Surrey ‘A’ and Surrey ‘B’.

The return was announced at a press conference at Sabina Park yesterday, and Cricket Operations Manager at the JCA, Oniel Cruikshank, outlined some changes following the competition’s lengthy layoff.

“In total, we are talking 85 matches that will be played in this year’s competition, which is an increase on what we have had. Before, we had teams playing between three and four matches, but this year, there is a guarantee that the minimum number of games a team will play would be six matches.”

Melbourne Cricket Club (CC) are the defending champions, and they have been drawn in the Surrey ‘B’ group along with Portland, Kingston and St Andrew Cricket Association, Kingston CC, the Jamaica Defence Force, and The University of the West Indies.

Melbourne CC all-rounder Shalom Parnell says his team is eager to get back out on the pitch and play some red-ball cricket once again.

“I think it is good to have cricket returning in the country because during the pandemic, a lot of cricketers didn’t get a chance to showcase their talent, so it is great to be back playing again,” said Powell.

The sentiment was shared by Kensington CC manager Marlon Kennedy, who says his team is also glad that the premier cricket competition will be contested once again.

“We are very happy to be back into cricket as it has been long overdue. We are looking forward to playing cricket again as we have a young team with a few national players. What we are looking for is that these young players can play every week and build their game because we are about going back to the old day’s standards of running a club and grooming players who can become well-rounded citizens of the country.”

Kensington CC has been drawn in the Surrey ‘A’ group alongside St Thomas, Police, Lucas, Boys’ Town, St Catherine CC, and Mico University.

The Middlesex group will feature Manchester, Clarendon, G.C. Foster College, St Catherine Cricket Association, St Ann, and St Mary.

St Elizabeth will be joined by Westmorland, Hanover, St James, and Trelawny in the Cornwall group.