Million dollar Masters T/20 cricket competition launched
A new masters T20 cricket competition was launched Tuesday morning at Wray & Nephew’s head office in Kingston.
It will bowl off this Sunday with a double header at Kensington Oval in Kingston with Aerotel/Kool FM taking on St Thomas and Domtar battling Melbourne.
The competition will feature noted past national and West Indies players. They include Courtney Walsh, Maurice Foster, Robert Samuels, John Gordon, Deron Dixon, Delroy Morgan, Wayne Lewis, Terrence Corke and Nehemiah Perry. Other noted players include HG Helps, Courtney Francis, and umpire Milton Thomas.
The competition will run from this Sunday to November 18 with two matches each day starting at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. No matches will be on October 21 and 28. In addition to the four teams already mentioned MICO Masters, Portmore, May Pen Lions, and Wray All Stars fill out the eight-team competition.
It is dubbed Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum Masters T/20 Cricket Competition and is sponsored by Wray & Nephew along with media partners Kool FM and Klas FM.
Fritz Harris, secretary of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) who spoke at the launch said that the JCA endorsed the competition. He hoped that it would bring back some past players to the game.
Dixon, who spoke from the players’ perspective, said that he was looking forward to the competition, especially to play against people like Wayne Lewis and Delroy Morgan.
Michael Barnett, chairman of the organising committee who along with Victor Forrest brought the competition to fruition, said that he looked for fair play, camaraderie and fun from teams, as well as to a long running competition once the sponsor is happy with its execution.
He gave the prize monies which were $50,000 for winning the competition, as well as prize monies for the best bowler, best bastsman, most sixes, best wicketkeeper and the player taking the most catches.
Cecil Smith, marketing manager at Wray & Nephew, said that the brand was pleased to be sponsoring the competition and to bring good family fun on Sunday to all who wished to partake. He indicated that the sponsorship was over $1 million.
