WHEELS and Wheels Auto Imports Limited will sponsor the 2019 Manchester Primary and Prep Schools cricket competition to a tune of $2.5 million.

This year’s competition has attracted 34 schools and is scheduled to begin on Friday, May 3.

Group chairman of Wheels and Wheels Auto Imports Limited, Bencle Hibbert made the announcement at the launch of the competition held at his company’s office recently.

He said this year’s sponsorship is similar to the amount given to last year’s 18th edition of the competition, won by Nazareth Primary School.

Wheels and Wheels Auto Imports Limited has been sponsoring this competition for many years and the group chairman says they are always delighted to continue theirsponsorship for the development of youth cricket, especially in the parish of Manchester.

“It is our 19th-consecutive year that Wheels and Wheels has been contributing to the Manchester Primary schools cricket competition, and it is also the biggest cricket competition in the parish,” Hibbert said.

“I am very proud of this competition, as many players have represented Jamaica in cricket at the various age group levels and it is a very good development tool for cricket at the youth level,” Hibbert added.

Such is the magnitude of the Wheels and Wheels Primary and Prep School cricket competition that Hibbert claimed only one player from the winning Manchester High School in the GraceHeadley Cup rural cricket competition did not play in his company’s sponsored competition.

Manchester became champions of the GraceHeadley Cup when they defeated defending champions St Elizabeth Technical High School in the final earlier this month.

It was announced that all participants will be fitted playing gear such as pads, gloves, helmet, T-shirts, and wickets.

Meanwhile, Baron Watson, coordinator of the competition, said they will be using the regular cricket balls this year instead of plastic balls.

“This will be the first time the competition will not be using the plastic balls, as they will have to get accustomed playing with the regular cricket balls used in other competitions locally. Using the plastic balls does not enhance their development, because when they graduate to high schools they will be using the regular cricket equipment and they need to get involved in playing with theses type of gear,” Watson said.

Another new feature for this year’s cricket competition, added Watson, is that players will play with head gear (helmets), gloves, and pads, rather than only bat and ball.

Also for the first time prep schools in the parish of Manchester will enter the competition.

The 20-over competition gets under way on May 3, with matches in all eight zones.

And apart from the Championship Trophy, cash awards, trophies and medals will also be given to the top four schools, while the individual awards will be most valuable player (MVP) of the competition, top batsman, top bowler, and the best wicketkeeper.