Sat | Nov 9, 2024

Higher standard expected for 2025 Kingston Wharves competition

Published:Tuesday | September 3, 2024 | 12:12 AMLennox Aldred/Gleaner Writer
Captain of the Westmoreland Under-15 cricket team Ryan Littleton (centre) poses with the Kingston Wharves trophy at the recent presentation. Also in photograph are (from left) Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) President Dr Donovan Bennett; Simone Murdock,
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Captain of the Westmoreland Under-15 cricket team Ryan Littleton (centre) poses with the Kingston Wharves trophy at the recent presentation. Also in photograph are (from left) Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) President Dr Donovan Bennett; Simone Murdock, corporate services and client experience manager at Kingston Wharves; Grantley Reid, Westmoreland coach; and Courtney Francis, JCA CEO.

Westmoreland are the best under-15 cricket team in the island. They beat Kensington Under-15 by 38 runs to claim the Kingston Wharves-sponsored National Under-15 title, which came to an end at the Ultimate Sports Complex in St Ann recently.

Westmoreland’s Grantley Reid was finally able to emerge as the winning coach of the prestigious competition, having come as close as the quarterfinals several times and finalist on one occasion.

This time, with the silverware to boast about, Reid said he knew his boys had it in them to go unbeaten in the competition and lift the title.

“We have been here before and we had to share. Most of the boys have been to the quarterfinals but never made it through. I knew we had the depth to win this competition and we delivered,” Reid said.

Humario Reid of Westmorland was one of the standout players in the final, scoring 80 runs in a total of 115, while Zachary Buchanan showed his true class by claiming seven for 33 for Kensington.

Ryan Littleton and Jemar Morgan picked up three wickets each for Westmorland while Andrew Lloyd was Kensington’s top scorer with 45 in their reply of 77 all out.

Competitiveness returning

In the meantime, Simone Murdock, corporate services and client services manager at sponsors Kingston Wharves, was glad to see that the competitiveness of the tournament is returning to where it once was.

“I am glad to see another successful year come to an end and we are finally returning to the scores that we were used to seeing pre-COVID. We are happy to see that we are on the right track.”

President of the Jamaica Cricket Association, Dr Donovan Bennett, was on hand to witness the final and he reassured that the association will do everything in its power to maintain the standard of the prestigious competition.

“I must thank Kingston Wharves for supporting this tournament year after year. We at the JCA are ensuring that the standard at this level improves as we will be sending an under-13 team to Trinidad and Tobago for a two-week camp and that should help to boost the under-15 standard next year,” Bennett said.