MANCHESTER and Portland will not contest the 50-over domestic cricket championship set to bowl off on September 10.

Their decision to opt out of this season’s edition follows the pronouncement by the cash-strapped the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), the island’s highest authority for the sport, that they can only afford $1 million to run the competition. The normal budget is $3 million, the JCA said.

As part of a face-saving and cost-cutting initiative, the JCA has called on its member associations to undertake several costs such as travelling and field preparation.

However, two-day champions Manchester, through its president Pat Anderson, said they simply cannot afford it and will not compete.

“First of all the notice was short. Because the players were of the view that the season was over,” the Manchester Cricket Association boss said last Friday.

“Also, the fact that we are starting so late, means that we don’t have any venue to host matches because we are now into the schoolboy football season and the field at Manchester High School won’t be available. Majority of our players are not employed, so all of whatever prize money we win goes to them. The club is broke. These are not the days when the bauxite company used to assist us, so it doesn’t make sense to play. So we are not going to play,” he added.

Whether hosting or playing away from home, the cost for travelling will be quite burdensome for most clubs particularly rural teams, with transportation costing ranging from $15,000 to $30,000 per assignment.

Portland’s non-participation was confirmed by Courtney Francis, who is head of the cricket operations unit at the JCA.

Francis said the winner will receive $100,000, with $50,000 going to the runner-up, while adding that $600,000 of the $1 million budget will go towards paying match officials.

In the corporate area things are a bit different as the six city teams are expected to take part.

Godfrey Lothian, who is head of the Kingston and St Andrew Cricket Association, said cricket must be the winner at all times.

“We are for cricket and we are prepared to work with the Jamaica Cricket Association for the benefit of cricket,” Lothian said. “We do not have any money either but we want to play cricket.”

Information reaching the Observer regarding St Catherine Cricket Club, is that the club is still undecided on whether to play.

The Saints are one of the top clubs on the island with a number of players with first-class experience within their ranks, including national captain Tamar Lambert and West Indies players Danza Hyatt and Andre Russell.

The management of the club and the players are expected to meet later this week where a decision will be made.

Should the Saints stay behind the boundary and watch from the stands, it would be another major blow for the JCA.

Saints treasurer Nicole Francis says it’s time for a paradigm shift.

“I think the JCA should focus on funding the national teams,” she said. “What we need to do is create a cricket clubs association who will be charged with running competitions and seek sponsorship as a collective body. As it is now its a culture of dependency and that will have to change if we want to improve cricket.”

The competition is set to run for eight weeks. St Ann Cutters are the defending champions.