There are big plans for the next year’s staging of the John Issa St. Ann/St. Mary Hotel Cricket competition.
Executive vice-president of SuperClubs Joseph Issa, said his hotel chain is planning to invite 20 overseas based players to participate and bolster the league next year.
Issa, speaking at the awards ceremony of the competition held at Breezes Runaway Bay in St. Ann on Monday, also disclosed plans to incorporate teams from Trelawny and Montego Bay in league to significantly increase the number of teams vying for top honours.
“Anything we can do to improve the league, I am up for that,” said Issa.
“Inviting overseas players would certainly help the league and allowing hotel teams from Trelawny and Montego Bay are steps in the right direction,” added Issa.
President of the St. Ann/St. Mary Hotel Cricket Association, Lascelles McKoy, also said his association will be introducing coloured clothing in the limited overs competition next year.
“We want all the hotel teams to be decked out in coloured clothing next year. We are going to offer some help to the various hotels to make sure that this is done,” said McKoy, who also said white balls could also be used in the league.
Champions Jamaica Grande was the toast of the evening, walking away with the John Issa Trophy and a cash award of $75,000.
Shaw Park Beach Resort, which finished second, received $40,000 while the other two semi-finalists, Club Caribbean and San Souci, each got $10,000 for their effort.
Howard Harris, Delroy Morgan, Rashard Marshall, Carl Wright and Marlon Samuels all got trophies for scoring centuries in the competition while Richard Francis, Nehemiah Perry, Dervin Morand and Renford Pinnock Jnr. and Lucal White all got trophies for grabbing five wickets or more in a match.
Runners-up Shaw Park Beach was voted the most disciplined team.
All the hotels which won games in the competition got cash awards. Dunn’s River won two games, Breezes (three), Boscobel (three) , Club Caribbean (four), Grand Lido San Souci (four), Shaw Park (six) and Jamaica Grande (eight).
Source: The Star
