JAMAICA Cricket Association (JCA) president Lyndel Wright has identified the Social Development Commission (SDC) Twenty20 Community competition as a means of improving the sport in the country.

According to Wright, who was speaking on Thursday at the launch of the national phase of the four-month long competition at the Knutsford Court Hotel, community cricket can foster nation building and increase the talent pool for national selection.

“I’m very happy to be here to endorse this programme because I’ve had plenty experience in community cricket as a youngster growing up in Boys’ Town. It helps when you can have this sort of competition between communities. Speaking on behalf of the JCA I want to commend the SDC for this initiative to help pull communities together.

“It will also help our cricket in Jamaica because players will develop their game and become better. The players should also maintain a certain standard when they are representing their communities. This cricket competition must be used as a vehicle to (achieve) good discipline,” said Wright.

The fifth staging of the SDC-run competition, which started on May 14, facilitated approximately two-thirds of the 783 communities in the island. At the end of the parish phase on July 17, the number of participants was whittled down to just 16 teams. Aside from the 14 parish champions, two teams were given wild card entries based on their superior respective net run rates.

These teams have progressed to the national phase of the tournament, which begins tomorrow and culminates in the final and third place play-off at the Alpart Sports Club in St Elizabeth on September 4.

The top prize has been improved from last year’s $500,000 to $600,000. The runner-up and third placed teams will walk away with $300,000 and $200,000, respectively, while the fourth place outfit will be rewarded with $100,000.

The tournament has largely been dominated by teams towards the western section of the island and many expect the trend to continue, but a new champion will be crowned in 2011 as last year’s winner South Star of Manchester have already been eliminated.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Olivia Grange, said the competition is important in the government’s move towards community development.

“Community development is high on the priority list of the government and this programme is fundamental in achieving this. Sport is very much a part of us and plays an important role in social intervention because it has a way of healing any rift that may exist between communities,” she said.

SDC programmes co-ordinator Terrence Richards told the Observer that the competition has seen growing interest from spectators and prospective male and female players.

“Each year we find that with new sponsors coming onboard we are able to do that much more for the teams. Everybody is excited, the enthusiasm is growing, female players are playing their part and this year we have been having an excellent time,” he said.