St John’s, Antigua — President of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Dave Cameron has pledged the assistance of the regional governing body towards the setting up of a permanent secretariat for the Leeward Islands Cricket Association (LICA).

Speaking at the LICA 100th Anniversary Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony at the Grand Royal Antiguan Resort on Saturday evening last, Cameron said: “The WICB is prepared and willing to assist with the setting up of a permanent secretariat for LICA here in Antigua.”

Speaking prior to the WICB head, Antigua and Barbuda Minister of Education, Sports, Youth and Gender Affairs, Senator Winston Williams Jr announced that his government has given a commitment to provide office space to house the LICA Secretariat in Antigua and “will also provide certain amenities to operationalise the office”.

Cameron also said that he was prepared to take to the WICB Board of Directors a proposal on how the regional body can assist in strengthening cricket in the Leewards and urged that the proposal is completed by LICA in short order.

The newly elected WICB President also congratulated LICA for being the forerunners to formal competitive structured inter-island cricket in the West Indies and highlighted that the 100th anniversary was the first of its kind being formally celebrated in West Indies Cricket.

Present at the event was fast bowling legend Andy Roberts, along with the first man from the Leewards to play for West Indies, Elquemedo Willett.

The function was also attended by the Premier of Nevis Vance Amory and Ministers of Sport in Nevis, Hazel Brandy-Williams and Montserrat, Colin Riley, and Vice-President of the WICB Emmanuel Nanthan, and Directors of the WICB Gregory Shillingford – also President of LICA – and Enoch Lewis.

LICA held the gala event to celebrate 100 years of organised cricket among the islands in the Leeward Islands. Teams initially played for the Hesketh Bell Shield in honour of the then Governor of the Leeward Islands – Sir Hesketh Bell.

The Leeward Islands team began playing first-class cricket in 1958. Between 1966 and 1981 the Leeward Islands and Windward Islands competed in regional cricket as Combined Islands. After the Combined Islands won the regional tournament in 1981, they were again split up into the Leewards Islands and Windwards Islands. Dominica was initially part of the Leeward Islands, but now forms part of the Windward Islands.