JAMAICA cricket captain and middle order batsman Paul Palmer is reaping the rewards for very hard work through tough times.

Palmer, a past student of St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) and native of Westmoreland, made his first class debut for Combined Campuses and Colleges in 2014. He made the Jamaica Scorpions team two seasons ago and was immediately appointed captain.

The experience was traumatic. He struggled as batsman and leader and was dropped midway the season. But as Palmer, who turns 26 in January, explained, he never gave up and kept working hard. Returned to the Jamaica captaincy this season in the absence of Nikita Miller, Palmer, the son of former Jamaica Under-19 batsman Paul Palmer and nephew of former Jamaica opener Dixeth Palmer, is having a good season with the bat.

His crowning effort came at Sabina Park against the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force a week ago, when he stroked his maiden first class century (136). Photo shows his ecstatic celebration on reaching the treasured three figures. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)